Bipartisan Heroin Task Force Speaks out Against ONDCP Cuts in Budget Request

Press Release

The Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, led by Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Annie Kuster (D-NH), Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), released the below statement against cuts to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the Administration's budget request and reaffirms its commitment to fight against these cuts in Congress.

Last year, the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force successfully advocated against cuts to the ONDCP, and additionally, last week's bipartisan budget deal included $6 billion of opioid funding and $2 billion for NIH research that Task Force members had been advocating for in Congress.

"The opioid epidemic continues to destroy communities and families across America at an alarming rate," said the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force. "We are now losing over 170 Americans every day to this crisis. Reducing the ONDCP's budget and decentralizing the federal response to the drug crisis would be an unnecessary and ill-advised risk. We believe that a strong ONDCP is a critical component of an effective and aggressive response to the devastation that heroin, opioids, and other drugs are causing in our communities. This office needs to be adequately funded and the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force will continue to advocate for that in Congress."

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