Ayotte Statement on House Passage of Opioid Abuse Bills

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte released the following statement regarding the House passage of a package of bills related to the opioid abuse crisis:

"The heroin and prescription opioid abuse epidemic is devastating not only in New Hampshire, but also in communities and states across the country. While I am disappointed that the House did not immediately take up and pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, legislation that I helped introduce in the Senate which passed by a vote of 94-1, I am optimistic that the House has finally passed some measures that will help address this crisis," said Senator Ayotte. "I remain concerned that the House package does not include sufficient support for prevention and recovery, and I will fight to ensure that the conference produces a final product that reflects the widely supported provisions of the Senate-passed CARA legislation. The urgency of this crisis necessitates that a final bill that is comprehensive in nature gets to the president's desk for his signature as soon as possible."

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) passed the Senate on March 10, 2016 by a vote of 94-1. Senator Ayotte was an original cosponsor of CARA when it was introduced in 2014, and helped reintroduce the legislation in 2015. The legislation has earned the support of over 130 organizations. Ayotte has held several congressional briefings with stakeholders from the public health, law enforcement, criminal justice, and other fields looking at ways to better support prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts as well as provide support for law enforcement and first responders.

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