Senate Majority Leader McConnell Secures Funding to Help Fight Addiction in Kentucky
Statement
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that several important provisions to help Kentucky fight the opioid and substance abuse epidemic are included in the Fiscal Year 2020 government-funding agreement. Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the provisions (full list below) in the bills the Senate passed today. The legislation now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Senator McConnell continues to mobilize the federal government to advance the comprehensive, national response to the scourge of opioid and substance abuse. Delivering resources to Kentucky through programs like his CAREER Act and other prevention, treatment and enforcement funding programs, Senator McConnell continues working with partners and experts at all levels to keep drugs out of Kentucky communities and to protect families in the Commonwealth.
"Kentucky unfortunately remains at the center of the opioid and substance abuse epidemic, and I continue to mobilize the federal government as Senate Majority Leader to fight back," said Senator McConnell. "Through comprehensive legislation and unprecedented levels of federal funding, I've delivered critical assistance to Kentucky's local leaders for prevention, treatment, and enforcement in their work to help save lives. This summer brought good news with the first decrease in Kentucky overdose deaths in over a decade, but there is of course much more work to do to protect our communities from the scourge of addiction. I'm proud to continue working with local, state and federal partners to keep these dangerous substances away from Kentucky families."
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and other state and local partners applauded Senator McConnell's leadership in the fight to combat the opioid and substance abuse epidemic.
"To combat the drug scourge, it takes all of us working together and we look forward to working with Senator McConnell and our law enforcement partners," said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. "Every day we lose far too many Kentuckians to addiction and more funding is needed to provide treatment and support services to those in desperate need."
"Kentucky's drug crisis presents a pressing public safety challenge in communities across the Commonwealth and places an ever-increasing strain on law enforcement," said Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. "I am grateful to Leader McConnell for securing important funding to combat this epidemic and further support our interdiction efforts and treatment programs across the state. We must use every resource available to combat the drugs that have plagued our neighborhoods and harmed our families."
"The funding appropriated to combat the opioid epidemic is crucial to our nation and particularly Kentucky where we have been disproportionally affected by this epidemic," said Van Ingram, Director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. "We appreciate Leader McConnell's continued efforts in securing these much needed funds."
"As Kentucky law enforcement stands on the frontline against opioid, meth, and substance abuse, we know that Senate Majority Leader McConnell has our back," said Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, President of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police. "His efforts to direct critical resources to Kentucky and to increase collaboration among local, state and federal law enforcement is indispensable in our mission to protect the Commonwealth's families and communities. Our country is focused on this issue in large part because of Senator McConnell's leadership, and we're grateful for his unyielding support of Kentucky police officers."
"The opioid epidemic is not just a public health issue; it is also a workforce issue, and the Kentucky business community has felt the impact of the crisis firsthand," said Ashli Watts, President and CEO for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. "Leader McConnell listened to our concerns and has led a thoughtful solution to help address the crisis with the CAREER Act. Connection to a stable living environment and gaining purpose found through work is critical to the long-term recovery process. This new funding will help states like Kentucky ensure people stay in recovery and get back into the workforce, which is something employers desperately want."
"Volunteers of America is so grateful to Leader McConnell for being the driving force behind funding for solutions that effectively address our Nation's addiction crisis. He has been a true partner to us both in serving people at our existing programs and in our expansion to serve pregnant and parenting women in our new Freedom House program in Eastern Kentucky. The Leader is willing to take on the very tough work ahead to help our families and friends overcome substance use disorder and knows it takes integrated and comprehensive solutions like we provide. He is a difference-maker on this vital issue and it is an honor to have his support and leadership," said Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Mid-States.
"Senate Majority Leader McConnell continues to be a vital partner to Chrysalis House in our work to invest in long-term recovery for women and their families," said Lisa Minton, Chrysalis House Executive Director. "We're so proud that Kentucky's fight against substance use disorder has a champion with such national prominence. Senator McConnell's focus on a comprehensive response is making a positive difference in our Commonwealth every day, and his leadership has, without question, helped to save lives."
"We applaud Senator McConnell's leadership in advancing new resources to support transitional housing and employment tools to help those in treatment for substance use disorder get back into the workplace," said Abby Drane, CEO of Centerstone Kentucky. "For so many individuals in recovery, a home and a job can be the key to lasting success. We applaud the Leader for his continued work in advancing solutions to the opioid crisis for Kentuckians."
Senator McConnell secured the following important Kentucky priorities in the FY 2020 government funding agreement to support those in recovery and help stop the flow of illegal drugs in Kentucky communities:
-$25 million for the transitional housing pilot program established under Senator McConnell's Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act. The CAREER Act, which is a measure Senator McConnell and Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) secured in the landmark opioid package signed into law last year, helps address the devastating impact of substance abuse on America's workforce by connecting recovering individuals with career services and stable housing opportunities. CAREER's transitional housing pilot program will support long-term recovery by providing funding for temporary housing opportunities for individuals until they can arrange a more permanent living situation.
-$4 million for the competitive grant program established under the CAREER Act, which provides funding to treatment centers that help individuals in recovery transition back into the workforce.
-$48 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Anti-Heroin and Anti-Methamphetamine Task Force programs. Senator McConnell supported the increased funding for the Anti-Methamphetamine program to target this major problem endangering Kentucky families right now. The COPS funding supports state and local law enforcement agencies, including those in Kentucky, in their efforts to investigate the unlawful distribution of heroin, prescription opioids, and methamphetamines. Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson has been instrumental in shedding light on the increasing use of methamphetamines in West Kentucky.
-$3.4 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides communities with resources to address their unique challenges, including the devastating effects from the opioid and substance abuse epidemic, especially for those communities in rural Kentucky.
-$518 million to help state and local law enforcement officials respond to the opioid and substance abuse epidemic. This includes $103 million for Drug Courts and Veteran's Treatment Courts.
-$547 million for the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program to support local law enforcement. Last year, Senator McConnell worked with state officials to secure millions to help Kentucky communities meet law enforcement needs, including supporting drug task forces throughout the Commonwealth.
-$220.6 million to support the National Guard Counter-Drug Program. The Kentucky National Guard, working with Appalachia HIDTA, Kentucky State Police, and other law enforcement agencies, will use funding from this program to support marijuana eradication efforts in Eastern Kentucky.
-$285 million for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) to combat meth and opioid abuse. Earlier this year, Senator McConnell announced that Boyd County, Kentucky was chosen for inclusion in the Appalachia HIDTA program. McConnell advocated for Boyd County's inclusion into the HIDTA program, which provides law enforcement agencies in designated counties with coordination, equipment, technology and additional resources to combat drug production and trafficking. Senator McConnell has also fought for the expansion of the Appalachia HIDTA to include hard-hit counties across the state, including Jefferson County in 2009, Hardin County in 2012, Nelson and Madison Counties in 2014 and Montgomery and Powell Counties in 2018. He also helped secure the inclusion of Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties into the Ohio HIDTA in 2016. Because of Senator McConnell's consistent advocacy, nearly half of all Kentuckians currently live in a HIDTA county.
-Over $101 million for the Drug Free Communities program. Senator McConnell is proud to support this special program which provides funding to local communities to create educational programs and raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.
-$2 million for Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers (CORCs), which Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) secured in last year's landmark opioid legislation. Facilities will offer all FDA-approved treatments, counseling and wrap-around services for individuals working toward long-term recovery from substance abuse.
-$10 million for a new Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) pilot project established by Senator McConnell to address the substance abuse crisis in Appalachia.
Since becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized federal resources to fight the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received more than $240 million to help fight the epidemic. Senator McConnell recently worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million federal competitive grant to address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest-hit counties in the Office of National Drug Control Policy's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.
Senator McConnell regularly draws attention to Kentucky's prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President's Cabinet and federal agencies. At his request, multiple Drug Czars have visited Kentucky to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth. Earlier this year, at Senator McConnell's invitation, Director Carroll joined the Senator for visits to Louisville, Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.
Last year, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. The measure included the Senator's CAREER Act, which recognizes that steady employment and safe housing are critical to long-term recovery. The President also signed into law the Senator's Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
Source