Senator Hassan Statement Following White House Meeting on the Opioid Crisis

Senator Hassan Statement Following White House Meeting on the Opioid Crisis

The Senator Also Responds to Reports of New Hampshire Overdose Deaths Linked to Carfentanil

WASHINGTON - This afternoon, Senator Maggie Hassan joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen and a bipartisan group of Senators at a White House meeting on the opioid crisis with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who chairs the President's recently established opioid commission.

Senator Hassan released the following statement on the White House meeting and the news of New Hampshire overdose deaths linked to carfentanil.

"I appreciated the opportunity to meet today with Governor Christie and President Trump's advisors on the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis. I am encouraged by our wide-ranging discussion on the steps we must take to reduce both the supply and demand of this crisis, including the need to strengthen our health care workforce and leverage federal funding for brick-and-mortar expansion of treatment facilities. What is critical now is that this meeting is followed by urgent and continued action. At the meeting, I expressed my concerns about the Trump Administration's proposal to end Medicaid expansion and remove the requirement that insurance companies cover substance use disorder treatment. I also joined Senator Shaheen in renewing our calls for the Administration to ensure that future funding to address this crisis is distributed based on need, so that states like New Hampshire that need it most receive a greater share.

"We also discussed the importance of cracking down on the distribution of dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil, which are killing people faster and with smaller amounts. Following today's reports of New Hampshire overdose deaths linked to carfentanil, I will continue working with Senators Rob Portman, Marco Rubio, Amy Klobuchar and other members of both parties to pass the bipartisan STOP Act which we introduced to stop fentanyl, carfentanil and other deadly synthetic drugs from entering the country."

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