ICYMI: Biden-Harris Administration Calls on Congress to Take Up Emergency Funding Request to Counter Fentanyl Trafficking and Address the Overdose Epidemic

The Biden-Harris Administration continues to call on Congress to reach a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement to fund the government and provide the emergency resources requested by the Administration for critical bipartisan national security and domestic priorities—including $1.2 billion to counter fentanyl trafficking and more than $1.5 billion in State Opioid Response grants to strengthen addiction treatment, overdose prevention measures, and recovery support services. These key investments would save lives and deliver on a pillar of President Biden's Unity Agenda by addressing two key drivers of the overdose epidemic: drug traffickers and untreated addiction.

On Wednesday, Senator Casey and Dr. Gupta hosted a press call on the request. Read more below about what the Administration's request would mean for communities across the country:

Pittsburg Post-Gazette: Sen. Bob Casey, White House press Congress to pass funding targeting southern border and fentanyl
[Benjamin Kail, 11/2/23]

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey joined White House officials Wednesday to press Congress to spend billions of dollars to disrupt the flow of fentanyl into the country and to expand treatment during a crisis that claimed the lives of 5,200 Pennsylvanians last year.

Pennsylvania would receive $72 million to treat addiction and prevent overdoses. That would be part of the $1.5 billion President Joe Biden wants to add to legislation funding the federal goverment past Nov. 17. 'The White House and Mr. Casey, D-Pa., also are seeking $1.2 billion to increase security at the southern border, including hiring thousands of agents and installing high-tech scanners that can detect fentanyl.
WREX (NBC Rockford,IL): White House unveils state-by-state data on opioid response grants
[Kelsey Anderson, 11/1/23]

The State Opioid Response grant program has already provided treatment services to over 1.2 million people and empowered states to reverse around 500,000 overdoses with about 9 million purchased overdose reversal medication kits. Illinois has received an estimated $26 million in funding for state opioid response grants.

WOSU Ideastream Ohio: White House announces funding request that would bring $86 million in opioid resources to Ohio
[Stephanie Metzger-Lawrence, 11/1/23]

Casey is confident the funding proposal will receive bipartisan support in the Senate, but noted potential challenges from House Republicans, citing other humanitarian support priorities for Israel and Ukraine.

"I'm hoping that the House will come together and pass funding that will include all of these priorities. I think in the end, we'll get it done but the House might cause some bumps in the road," Casey said, adding, "You can't say you care about this issue unless you vote for the dollars for the quality of treatment."

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, drug overdose deaths are up 30% year-over-year, with more than 96,700 people dying from overdoses each year. Opioids are a factor in seven of every 10 overdose deaths, according to NCDAS.

Nationwide, Ohio ranked seventh among all states in 2021 for drug overdose death rate at 48.1% per 100,000 total population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dakota News Now: Overdose epidemic: White House calls on Congress to fund fight
[Beth Warden, 11/1/23]

The Biden administration drew attention to the overdose epidemic on Wednesday by calling on Congress to provide funding to fight the crisis on several points. The fight includes bolstering activity on the southern US border by purchasing state-of-the-art machines to detect opioids where much of the supply is entering the country. The CDC reports that in South Dakota, 105 people died from opioid overdose deaths in 2021. On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced another step in the fight against overdose deaths.

"Do a crackdown on the trafficking of dangerous and lethal illicit drugs like fentanyl," said White House Drug Policy Advisor Dr. Rahul Gupta.

Alabama.com: Alabama would get $14 million to fight addiction, overdoses under Biden's fentanyl initiative
[Mike Cason, 11/1/23]

Casey said most illegal fentanyl crosses the southwest border at ports of entry, such as road crossings. The $1.2 billion would be used to purchase 123 large scale scanners to check vehicles entering the country, the White House said. The White House said the technology is a practical and efficient way to increase the percentage of passenger and cargo vehicles that are screened.

WMUR (ABC New Hampshire): New Hampshire could receive $25M to help fight opioid crisis, if plan passed by Congress
[Imani Fleming, 11/1/23]

"With an American dying from drug overdose every five minutes, every hour and nearly 300 every single day, Congress has no time to waste," said Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House ONDCP.

WLOX (ABC Gulfport, MS): Mississippi set to receive $6 million through State Opioid Response grant
[Staff, 11/1/23]

In the press conference, the White House urged Congress to grant their request and stressed the importance of the program. The White House says the State Opioid Response grant program has provided treatment services to over 1.2 million people and enabled states to reverse approximately 500,000 overdoses with nearly 9 million purchased overdose reversal medication kits.

The White House says the goal in requesting supplemental funds for the grant program is to expand these essential life-saving services.

States Newsroom: White House, Pennsylvania senator urge Congress to pass emergency anti-opioid funding
[Jennifer Shutt, 11/2/23]

"We still have a ways to go to get it through the heads of people here in Washington about how important it is to vote for the funding — not to give speeches and blow a lot of hot air, but to vote for the damn money," Casey said on a call with reporters.

The Biden administration last month asked Congress to provide billions in additional spending on domestic issues, including $1.55 billion for State Opioid Response grants that would go towards providing treatment, harm reduction and recovery for opioid addiction. The program is already in existence and would be expanded.

A separate national security supplemental spending request, also sent to Congress last month, would bolster funding for the Department of Homeland Security which the administration says would help reduce the flow of opioids, including fentanyl, into the country.