Senator Hassan Statement Following President Biden’s State of the Union Address

 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) issued the following statement on President Biden’s State of the Union address. The Senator brought as her guest Marie-Elizabeth Ramas, MD to highlight the Senator’s bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which recently became law and removed burdensome hurdles and requirements that prevented medical providers from prescribing buprenorphine, which is considered one of the most effective treatments for opioid use disorder. 

“Over the last year, Congress has come together to advance important, bipartisan priorities for Granite Staters and Americans across the country, including passing new laws to strengthen our supply chains, lower health care costs, and bolster support for veterans. In tonight’s address, the President highlighted these achievements and underscored the need for Congress and the administration to continue working across the aisle to deliver results for the American people.

“I particularly appreciated that during the President’s address, he highlighted the need to continue combating the opioid epidemic. As the President noted, we’ve made important progress – including most recently by eliminating needless barriers to prescribing medication-assisted treatment for patients in need – and I was proud to bring Dr. Ramas as my guest to the State of the Union tonight to raise awareness about our new law. We know, however, that there is also much more work we need to do to address the substance misuse crisis, including by educating providers on medication-assisted treatment, expanding mental health services, and combating fentanyl trafficking.

“Lastly, I join the President in extending my utmost gratitude to all those who have served our country, as well as their families, and for the sacrifices they have made to protect our national security. We must continue to work together to keep our country safe, secure, and free.”

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