Combating the Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) penned an op-ed for The Ripon Forum highlighting the progress made, and work ahead, in the fight against the opioid crisis. Walden calls for action on 12 bills Congress could pass right now to build on the historic, Committee-led SUPPORT Act to combat the scourge of the opioid epidemic and save lives in our communities.

The Ripon Forum: The Opioid Crisis: The Next Step in the Fight

https://www.riponsociety.org/article/the-opioid-crisis-the-next-step-in-the-fight/

By Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)

November 22, 2019

“We lost...

WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) released the following statement on the Stop the Importation and Manufacturing of Synthetic Analogues (SIMSA) Act, bipartisan legislation introduced today by Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY) to combat illicit fentanyl, of which Walden is an original cosponsor.

“Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs are devastating our communities at a rapid pace; Congress can and must do something about it. Fortunately, John Katko is again leading the charge, providing law enforcement with the tools they need to stop...

WASHINGTON, DC - The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act is being utilized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to help the U.S. move #ForwardwithSUPPORT. The DEA proposed a rule to better regulate opioid quantities to decrease the potential for diversion, this is when the legal supply chain of prescription drugs is broken and drugs are improperly distributed or used. To determine quotas the DEA would consider, "...rates of overdose deaths and abuse, the overall public health impact related to specific controlled substances and may include other factors as appropriate."

This part of...