Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016--Conference Report--

Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, Congress is taking a critical first step to combat our country's opioid crisis and a major step in providing safer, more effective, and higher quality care for America's veterans.

I want to speak about my bipartisan Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act, which is included in the final version of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, known as CARA. This bipartisan legislation reforms opioid prescribing and pain care at the VA.

These bipartisan reforms to veterans health care that I authored, along with my colleague Senator Shelley Moore Capito, should unite us all. They represent our responsibility to honor and care for those who have served and sacrificed for our Nation, and their families--and all our families.

This bipartisan legislation is named in honor of Wisconsin Marine Veteran Jason Simcakoski. On August 30, 2014, Jason tragically died. He died in Wisconsin's Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center of mixed-drug toxicity. At the time of his death, Jason was on 14 different prescription drugs, including opioids.

Jason's heartbreaking story is just one example of the overprescribing and pain care problem within the VA in Wisconsin and across the country. I believe the VA's overreliance on opioids has resulted in getting our veterans hooked rather than getting them the help they need, and it is our job to act now to address this epidemic.

At this time last year, I joined Senator Capito on the Senate floor to introduce our bipartisan measure in honor of Jason and the entire Simcakoski family. I was proud to work closely with the Simcakoski family, as well as medical professionals and veterans service organizations, to craft these reforms to prevent Jason's tragedy from happening to any other veteran or their family.

This legislation, shortly to be approved by the U.S. Senate, will provide safer and more effective pain management services to our Nation's veterans by strengthening and updating VA opioid prescribing guidelines. It will enhance education and training and expand access to opioid alternatives. It will create an independent Office of Patient Advocacy at the VA to give veterans and their families a stronger voice in their care. The bill strengthens VA hiring practices to help prevent bad doctors from treating veterans. It will hold VA accountable for providing quality care to our veterans by strengthening opioid oversight and reporting.

The story of Jason's bill is a story of Congress doing the job that we were elected to do by the families of our States and the communities we represent.

The Simcakoski family called on us to stand up for our brave men and women in uniform, and we took action. For more than a year, I have worked across the aisle with Senator Capito and leaders of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee to advance my reforms in the Senate. The House of Representatives did their part by moving forward with a House companion measure based on our bill. When it came time for my colleagues to agree on the final package that we have before us today, I worked with the Simcakoski family to ensure that it reflected the strongest possible response to the opioid overprescribing and pain management problems at VA.

I thank my colleagues--particularly the 20 Senators who cosponsored the bill--for their work and help in passing the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act today.

I thank my partner in this bipartisan endeavor, Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation for Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Isakson and Ranking Member Blumenthal and their staffs for their commitment to combating opioid abuse at the VA.

I thank Leader Reid and Senators Murray, Schumer, Leahy, Wyden, Alexander, and all the members of the conference committee for their steadfast support of these reforms. And importantly, I want to thank and recognize all of their staffs and my staff for their tireless work through late nights and weekends to get this bill to the finish line.

This legislation is informed by the collaborative efforts of a broad range of outside health and veterans organizations, and I am grateful for their expert contributions.

I cannot forget the incredible work of Senate legislative counsel-- specifically Tom Heywood for his expert drafting, redrafting, and redrafting, and technical expertise on this bill.

Today we send major veteran reforms--my Jason Simcakoski Opioid Safety Act--to the President's desk for his signature. I am proud that Congress put aside differences and joined together to help fix what has been broken and help restore the sacred trust with our veterans and their families.

The Simcakoski family has inspired us by showing tremendous courage and strength in sharing their tragic story of loss and in working to make a difference in the lives of other veterans and their families. I believe that today's passage of the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act marks one of Congress's great accomplishments--to provide our veterans and their families with the care they have earned and deserve.

My closing message comes from Jason's widow Heather. Heather said:

When I look back at the past, I want to know we made a difference. I want to believe we have leaders in our country who care. I want to inspire others to never give up because change is possible.

I want to say to Marv and Linda, Jason's parents; to Heather and Anaya, Jason's wife and daughter; and to Jason: Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for demanding that we stand together to enact the strongest opioid safety reforms for veterans and their families. You have inspired true change. This change will save lives, and you have given us all hope for a brighter future.

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