U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, continued to criticize President Donald Trump Friday for declaring the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency without also attaching new federal resources to help states and local communities respond to the crisis.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, continued to criticize President Donald Trump Friday for declaring the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency without also attaching new federal resources to help states and local communities respond to the crisis.
The Massachusetts Democrat, who has focused much of his work on efforts to combat the growing rates of opioid abuse, slammed the Trump administration's response to the epidemic, which kills an estimated 91 Americans each day, as "empty words, broken promises and no real action."
Contending that the country needs "continued and reliable long-term investments in prevention, treatment and monitoring to address this scourge," Markey called on the president to support Democrat-backed legislation that would set aside $45 billion for efforts to combat opioid addiction.
US Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey seek $45 billion to combat opioid epidemic
The senator also urged the White House to focus on opioid prescribers and promote mandatory education about the risks posed by prescription painkillers, as well as to enforce mental health parity laws and to prioritize better data collection related to opioid addiction.
Markey further criticized Trump's focus on building a wall along the United States' southern border with Mexico, arguing that it won't cut down on the number of illegal drugs flowing into the country and the amount it will cost to construct would be better spent on proven addiction treatment and prevention efforts.
"Instead of a real commitment in the form of emergency funding for our states and communities, President Trump offered half measures and few specifics," he told reporters during a morning event at the Charlestown Recovery House. "And a vision without funding is an hallucination. There was nothing in yesterday's announcement for programs like this one looking for real resources."
Contending that the families impacted by the opioid crisis "deserve so much more than" the Trump administration's response, Markey stressed that he will continue to fight for the resources Massachusetts needs to combat what he cast as a "national emergency."
John Rosenthal, a Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative co-founder, joined Markey for the news conference.
Although PAARI members attended the White House event, Rosenthal joined Markey in raising concerns about the lack of funding attached to the president's declaration.
"The president's declaration is a recognition of the epidemic, but without major funding and specific action, nothing will help stop the mounting overdose deaths every day in every community across America," he said in a Thursday statement.
Trump signed a memorandum Thursday directing acting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Eric Hargan to officially declare opioid abuse a public health emergency -- a move which the president cast as a "critical step" in the fight to crack down on rising rates of drug addiction.
Specifically, the public health emergency declaration will allow for expanded access to telemedicine services, including remote prescribing of medicine used for substance abuse and mental health treatment; and the shifting of resources within HIV/AIDS programs to help individuals eligible for them receive substance abuse treatment, officials noted.
It will also speed up HHS' ability to make temporary appointments of specialists needed to respond to the opioid epidemic and allow the Department of Labor to issue dislocated worker grants to Americans who have been displaced from the workforce due to the opioid crisis, according to the White House.
Although the declaration will not include new funding, officials told reporters the president can ask Congress to appropriate more money for the opioid crisis in an upcoming spending bill, according to reports.
