House panel advances bills to combat opioid crisis

In an important step forward in the fight against the nationwide opioid crisis, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) advanced legislation Thursday to combat the crisis during a legislative markup before the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

Walden, who serves as chairman of the full Energy and Commerce Committee, stressed the need for action to address the public health emergency that is killing more than 100 Americans every day, according to a news release from his office.

“It is time for us to act. Not to drag our feet and delay, and wait another day and another 116 people dying,” Walden said. “Today is the day we will move forward. We will do our work.”

With Walden’s support, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health voted Thursdsay to advance more than 60 individual bills as part of the committee’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis. The bills now must be approved by the full Energy and Commerce Committee before being considered by the House of Representatives.

During the legislative markup, Walden delivered an impassioned call to action for the victims and families of the opioid crisis. Walden held up a picture of Amanda Beatrice Gray, who passed away from overdose in 2018, and whose parents participated in a roundtable discussion Walden held with advocates from across the country in Washington, D.C. last week.

“We need to move forward so that there aren’t more victims like Amanda. And the children of the other parents who were here last Thursday who pled with us not to delay, not to wait, but to move forward,” Walden said.

Under Walden’s leadership, Energy and Commerce is in the midst of a two-track push to combat the opioid crisis, seeking to advance legislation to help stem the tide and investigate some of the root causes of the crisis. Specifically, the committee’s legislative efforts have examined bills to: improve patient safety and bolster enforcement tools, advance prevention and public health solutions, and address coverage and payment issues within Medicare and Medicaid.

“I hope our members will walk away from this proceeding and the one that will follow at the full committee knowing we are saving lives. We are keeping our promise to our constituents. We’re going to leave this country in better shape than it is in now,” said Walden.

For more information on Thursday’s legislative markup, including a background memo, electronic copies of the legislation, and archived webcast, click here.