Pallone Leads Democratic Efforts to Pass Meaningful Opioid Legislation

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led Democratic efforts to advance bipartisan legislation to address the nationwide opioid epidemic through the House of Representatives. The final conference report, which reconciles separate bills passed earlier this year in the House and Senate, passed the House by a vote of 407 to 5. The New Jersey Congressman served as the lead Democratic House negotiator on the Joint House-Senate Conference Committee.

Communities throughout our country are currently facing a devastating opioid epidemic. In New Jersey, more than 184,000 individuals have been admitted to substance abuse treatment facilities for heroin or opioid abuse since 2010 and more than 5,000 have died from heroin-related deaths since 2004.

This bill includes important and proven programs to address prevention, treatment and recovery. It takes an important step by allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to treat individuals with opioid use disorders with buprenorphine. And it clarifies that a doctor or patient may request that a prescription such as an opioid, be partially filled. This will reduce the number of unused pills in circulation, which will reduce the risk of misuse, diversion and overdose. Pallone discussed the importance of the partial pill legislation at Boyt Drugs in Metuchen in April.

“By now we’ve all heard the stories – young people taken from their families in their prime; babies born suffering from the cruel effects of opioid withdrawal; and parents who’ve lost the ability to care for their families as they battle their addiction,” said Pallone. “This legislation is an important first step towards combatting the devastating opioid epidemic plaguing our country.”

While Pallone supported the final Conference Report, he stressed the need for funding to address the epidemic. Earlier this week, Pallone offered an amendment during the Conference Committee calling for $920 million to fulfill the President’s budget request for critical resources, but it was defeated by House and Senate Republican negotiators.

“Congressional Democrats have long advocated for more funding in this package and have even proposed bipartisan policies to offset the cost, but Republicans have stubbornly refused to commit essential funding as part of this overall bill,” Pallone said during today’s debate on the House floor. “Time and time again they have rejected efforts to make a real difference by going beyond the important policy changes in this bill and actually supporting significant funding to properly take on this growing national epidemic today. Instead, Republicans have committed to increasing funding through the appropriations process, and we will make sure they live up to the repeated promises they have made.”

The text of his remarks on the House floor in support of the legislation can be found below.

Mr. Speaker, after much thought, I’ve decided to support the Conference Report on S. 524. It is not perfect, and does not do nearly enough from a funding perspective, but it makes some important steps that will allow us to begin to address the opioid addiction crisis that is impacting our nation.

The American people are desperate for relief from the opioid epidemic currently devastating our nation –and they’re depending on this Congress to act. By now we’ve all heard the stories –young people taken from their families in their prime; babies born suffering from the cruel effects of opioid withdrawal; and parents who’ve lost the ability to care for their families as they battle their addiction.

To treat this epidemic as anything less than a national crisis would be a terrible mistake. And even though we’ve already lost far too many lives to overdoses, we still have an opportunity to save so many more.

This conference report includes many important policies that have bipartisan agreement. For example, we will now allow patients and doctors to choose to partially fill their opioids, so that excess medicines are not dispensed unnecessarily. This will reduce the number of unused pills in circulation, which will reduce the risk of misuse, diversion and overdose.

The conference report also allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants to treat individuals with opioid use disorders with buprenorphine. This final report also includes important and proven programs to address prevention, treatment and recovery.

But just changing policies alone won’t be enough. This legislation takes only a small step at a time when the American people need us to run. Mr. Speaker, how can we truly help the American people without giving them the resources to fight this epidemic?

We cannot wait while lives continue to be destroyed by opioid addiction and while treatment options remain out of reach. Congressional Democrats have long advocated for more funding in this package and have even proposed bipartisan policies to offset the cost, but Republicans have stubbornly refused to commit essential funding as part of this overall bill. Time and time again they have rejected efforts to make a real difference by going beyond the important policy changes in this bill and actually supporting significant funding to properly take on this growing national epidemic today. Instead, Republicans have committed to increasing funding through the appropriations process, and we will make sure they live up to the repeated promises they have made.