WASHINGTON — A key piece of legislation aimed at treating those hurt by opioids got the president’s signature, along with a backhanded compliment this week.
U.S. Senate
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio: On Friday, President Barack Obama signed the Portman-sponsored Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.
Among the provisions of this law is making it easier for law enforcement to divert opioid addicts into treatment programs.
“It’s a moment when we came together as a country — Democrats and Republicans alike — behind a common-sense idea: finally treating addiction like the disease that it is,” Portman said in a statement. “And with the epidemic of opiate addiction taking an American life every 12 minutes, this may be the most urgent issue that we face.”
The law includes $181 million annually in spending for new programs. Obama criticized the resources not coming soon enough while signing the measure.
“Given the scope of this crisis, some action is better than none,” Obama said in a statement. “However, I am deeply disappointed that Republicans failed to provide any real resources for those seeking addiction treatment to get the care that they need. In fact, they blocked efforts by Democrats to include $920 million in treatment funding.”
Portman also praised a preliminary ruling from the Department of Commerce to protect Whirlpool and its 10,000 Ohio workers. It confirmed South Korean manufacturers unlawfully dumped clothes washers into the United States, following a December complaint by Whirlpool, which has plants in Ottawa and Findlay.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: Brown will be one of the speakers at the Democratic National Convention this week in Philadelphia. The convention will announce which day he’ll take the stage in the coming days.
He also joined three other senators in looking for improved lead screening policies for Medicaid-eligible children, signing a letter to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Brown also addressed the NAACP’s 107th annual convention in Cincinnati on Monday.
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana: On Wednesday, Jordan joined Rep. Bill Huizenga in Cleveland for a discussion about debt. He spoke at the Citizens Against Government Waste’s discussion, “Debt 911: The Nation’s Fiscal Emergency: A Discussion on the National Debt and Fiscal Policy.”
