Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite Promises To Curb Opioid Crisis, Trump Proposes Slashing Drug Office Funds By 95%
The New York Times: White House Proposes Cutting Drug Control Office Funding By 95%
When he was running for office, Donald J. Trump promised to rid America of the scourge of drugs, vowing to crack down on dealers and invest heavily in programs to get heroin and other opioids off the streets. But on Friday, President Trump’s administration revealed plans to gut the 2018 budget of his Office of National Drug Control Policy. According to an Office of Management and Budget document obtained by The New York Times, the White House is proposing to slash the drug policy office budget by about 95 percent, to just $24 million from $388 million. (Rappeport, 5/5)
The Associated Press: Trump Moving To Slash Budget For White House 'Drug Czar'
The eliminations involve the high-intensity drug-trafficking area program, which just received — under a catchall government-wide spending bill signed by President Donald Trump on Friday — $254 million for grants to help states and localities to fight drug trafficking, and the $100 million drug-free communities program, which helps local organizations battle drugs in their communities. The programs have widespread bipartisan support among lawmakers. (5/5)
The Washington Post: Trump Proposes Steep Cuts To White House ‘Drug Czar’ Office Amid Opioid Crisis
“That budget wouldn’t pay the heating bill at the Pentagon,” said Barry R. McCaffrey, a retired U.S. Army general, who headed the office under President Bill Clinton between 1996 and 2001. “It sends a terrible message. Why send this bizarre political signal in the middle of what is without question a major health-care crisis in America? It’s very strange.” (Sun and Higham, 5/5)
Politico: Trump’s New Opioids Strategy ‘Devastates’ Advocates
“These moves fly in the face of President Trump’s promise to address the nation's opioid epidemic,” said Rafael Lemaitre, who was a senior official with the drug policy office across three administrations. "This is an epidemic that steals as many lives as the Vietnam War took during the entire conflict, and Trump's moves remove some of the most effective tools." (Diamond, 5/5)
