Both Sides Dig In On Opioid Bill, As Dems Call For More Than $900M In Funding
Democratic leaders wrote in a letter that they would not support the legislation without “significant funding that reflects the seriousness of the epidemic and provides meaningful support to these important priorities.”
The Hill:
Dems Threaten To Oppose Opioids Bill Without Funding
Democratic leaders are threatening to oppose a landmark anti-addiction bill without “significant” new money, upping the ante in Congress’s months-long battle over funding to combat opiod abuse. In a sharply worded letter to Republicans on Tuesday, Democrats called for at least $940 million to expand access to treatment. (Ferris, 7/5)
Politico Pro:
Democrats Threaten Opioid Legislation Over Funding
The White House and congressional Democrats are threatening to hold up an opioid bill unless Republicans add new funding to the measure, a standoff that could end up stalling legislation important to several GOP lawmakers running for reelection this fall. The conference report released Tuesday to address the opioid epidemic is “really insufficient I think to make a dent in providing treatment for people who desperately need it,” White House drug czar Michael Botticelli said in a conference call with reporters. (Norman and Haberkorn, 7/6)
Morning Consult:
Opioid Legislation Set To Go The Route Of Zika Bill
A conference committee considering legislation to address the nation’s opioid epidemic is poised to end in partisan gridlock, with neither side willing to budge on whether new funding should be included in the bill. Democrats have long called for more money to be allocated to fighting the epidemic through legislation, but Republicans have stuck to their mantra of dealing with funding through the appropriations process. Neither side appears likely to budge before Wednesday’s conference meeting. (Owens, 7/5)
