Van Hollen Supports Passage of 21st Century Cures Act

Statement

"This legislation isn't perfect, but it makes important progress on key health care and addiction treatments that will help people in our state and across the country. Maryland's drug poisoning death rate is higher than the national average, with both urban and rural areas facing the scourge of opioid addiction and death. We must take action, and this bill will provide $1 billion in funding for new programs to combat the opioid and heroin epidemic.

"The Cures Act also provides $4.8 billion in investments at the National Institutes of Health for vital cancer research and $500 million for the Food and Drug Administration to help accelerate treatments to patients. Maryland is proud to be home to so many federal agencies that are leading the fight to improve the health of all Americans, and I will keep fighting to provide the resources they need in this effort.

"Additionally, this package includes legislation I authored -- the Advancing Research for Neurological Diseases Act -- to better evaluate and understand neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's.

"As a country, we must work together to combat drug addiction and prioritize medical research. The Cures Act moves this effort forward, but we are far from finished."

Congressman Van Hollen recently announced a federal grant for $378,604 in Silver Spring -- and $1.8 million total in Maryland -- to expand the delivery of substance abuse services with a specific focus on treatment of opioid use disorders in underserved populations. Last year, he also announced $2.5 million in federal funding for the Washington/Baltimore area and regional partners to combat heroin and fentanyl drug trafficking through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. The Washington/Baltimore HIDTA also received nearly $250,000 to support drug trafficking prosecution of those supplying heroin and fentanyl to Baltimore.

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