OPIOID CRISIS: Senator Murray Applauds New Funding to Bolster Opioid Crisis Response

Press Release

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on investments related to the opioid crisis response in the bipartisan spending deal, which today passed the Senate.

"The families and communities on the frontlines of the opioid crisis are still struggling, and looking to us for action and support to help them address the root causes and ripple effects of this heartbreaking epidemic. I'm glad we have been able to continue to answer their call for action in a bipartisan way, and hope we can continue to work together to make investments and take steps that actually make a difference for families. I'm going to keep fighting to make sure all our communities are getting the resources they need to combat opioid addiction and reach everyone impacted by substance misuse disorder," said Senator Murray.

The bipartisan spending bill includes $3.7 billion for behavioral and mental health programs that address the opioid epidemic, including $1.5 billion in State Opioid Response Grants, $200 million to expand prevention and treatment service in Community Health Centers, $105 million to the National Health Service Corps and expanding loan repayment eligibility to cover substance use disorder counselors. It also continues efforts to help build the health care workforce needed to address the opioid crisis with a $75 million investment in the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program, a $37 million investment for the Mental and Behavioral Health training program, and a $15 million investment for the Rural Residency Development program. In addition to building up the workforce of health care professionals responding to the opioid crisis, the bill also provides an additional $120 million to address substance misuse and abuse nationwide, $20 million of which will build on past investments in rural centers of excellence on substance use disorders to help expand access to care and best practices for treatment and prevention.

As the top Democrat on the Senate health committee, Senator Murray has worked at length to help find federal solutions to the growing opioid epidemic in Washington state and nationwide, including successfully strengthening federal investments in efforts to curb opioid misuse, and travelling extensively throughout the state over the past several years--from Everett to Seattle to Longview, and more--to meet with patients, families, health providers, medical professionals, law enforcement officials, community leaders, and others to better understand the impact of the opioid epidemic on families and communities. In Washington D.C., Senator Murray has shared these stories with her Senate colleagues as she has worked for policies that helped address their needs.

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