Substance Use-Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I have heard from people across Washington State about the need to respond to the opioid crisis and its tragic impact on so many families and communities. I have visited with people from communities in Seattle and Everett and Longview, and I have heard from families across my State. I know my colleagues across the aisle and across the Nation have heard from constituents about the urgency of this crisis. So I am really glad today that the Senate is able to come together and pass the Opioid Crisis Response Act--the bipartisan legislation I have been working on with Senator Alexander and so many others.

This bill is a bipartisan compromise. It is not what I would have written on my own, and I know it is not what my colleagues on the other side would--have written on their own, but it is the result of more than 70 proposals from Members on both sides of the aisle, and that is important. The bill we will vote on today does not reflect the full agreement struck between Democrats and Republicans.

I am glad that Chairman Alexander and Republican leaders have worked with us as the bill has hit the final stretch here in the Senate and that they committed to a number of specific changes beyond the text of this bill to make sure we could have this vote tonight and keep working to get it signed into law.

The text of our agreement has been released, and I am hoping that Republican leaders live up to their agreement to take this agreement into the conference and work by our side in conference to get this done in the bipartisan manner it began.

This agreement goes to show that when we work together, when we focus on the problems families are actually facing and when we look for common ground and commonsense solutions, we can actually craft and pass legislation.

This agreement is a much needed and long overdue step toward helping those families on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic to address its root causes and ripple effects, including some of the issues, by the way, that I have heard firsthand in my State.

I heard from hospital staff about how many of the babies they deliver are born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, battling symptoms of opioid withdrawal, which is why I fought to make sure this agreement includes support for State efforts to include plans of safe care for children born to mothers battling addiction and also ensures the health department is implementing strategies already identified to protect moms and babies from the effects of opioid substance abuse.

I heard from an elementary school principal about how some of his students are having trouble focusing in class because they deal with the trauma of a family member's addiction at home, which is why I worked to make sure this agreement includes provisions to develop a task force and grants to help support trauma-informed care programs and increase access to mental health care for children in their communities, including their schools.

I heard from many more experts and everyday people, as the HELP Committee held a series of bipartisan hearings focused on this crisis. We heard about the many different faces of this epidemic and the broad challenges we have to consider to make sure we address its root causes and ripple effects, which is why I worked with my colleagues to make sure this agreement includes provisions to address the economic and workforce impacts of the opioid crisis, support for training to help the nearly 1 million people out of work due to opioid addiction to gain and retain employment. Washington State has already received a grant for this important work to get workers back on their feet after they battle addiction. So I am glad we could expand this valuable grant program.

This bipartisan package of proposals is an important step forward to help our families and communities who are on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to see it signed into law.

While this bill is an important step, it is by no means final. We have a lot more to do to end the tragedy and address the ongoing issue. So even as we work to get this agreement across the finish line, I am going to keep fighting for more support, resources, and solutions for the families in my home State of Washington and across the country who are facing the heartbreak of this epidemic.

S. 2554

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