Appropriations Legislation to Provide Funding to Address Opioid Crisis, Medical Research
‘In sum, the appropriation measures we’re considering this week invest in human capital from all angles. They’ll put new tools in the hands of distressed communities, of workers who need new skills, and of families who need help defeating drug addiction.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Senate’s continued work on appropriations:
“I’m proud that, on this Congress’s watch, our economy has produced so many job opportunities for the American people. Here was the AP’s headline a few weeks ago: ‘Open jobs outnumber U.S. unemployed for third straight month.’ But that growth and prosperity needs to reach all families, and all communities. That means expanding Americans’ opportunities to invest in their own human capital by building new skills and transitioning into growing industries.
“That’s why the appropriations legislation the Senate is currently considering provides billions of dollars for training and employment services. $160 million for apprenticeship programs. $220 million for dislocated workers, with a special $30 million emphasis on displaced workers in rural communities, like those I represent in Eastern and Western Kentucky. And just under $100 million to integrate ex-offenders back into productive society. These are just a few of the important items that our appropriation for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education will fund.
“It provides the resources to continue investing in college affordability -- through Pell Grants, Federal Work Study programs, and programs specifically aimed at low-income and first-generation students. It contains a $2 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health, paving the way for importance research -- and, we hope, new medical breakthroughs. And crucially, it will supply more resources for treatment, prevention, and recovery programs pertaining to the opioid epidemic. State Opioid Response Grants put states in the driver’s seat, so local responses can be tailored to local challenges. This legislation funds them to the tune of $1.5 billion.
“In addition, there are hundreds of millions of dollars for Community Health Centers. Hundreds of millions for prevention and public awareness. And more for research into the nature of this addiction and alternatives for managing pain. There’s over $100 million in targeted help for rural communities -- like those in Kentucky -- which continue to bear the brunt of this national crisis.
“I was proud to secure $5 million for a brand-new Centers for Disease Control initiative to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B and C, which are a consequence of the opioid epidemic. The CDC is directed to prioritize high-risk areas, including 54 counties in Kentucky. And this legislation also contains provisions from my CAREER Act, which will dedicate new federal funds to career and training services so that recovering substance abuse patients can transition back into the workforce and rebuild their lives.
“In sum, the appropriation measures we’re considering this week invest in human capital from all angles. They’ll put new tools in the hands of distressed communities, of workers who need new skills, and of families who need help defeating drug addiction. I thank the subcommittee chairman Sen. Blunt and ranking member Sen. Murray for their bipartisan work on the Labor-HHS title. I look forward to voting in support of this legislation -- along with vital funding for the Department of Defense -- in the coming days.”
Related Issues: Appropriations, America's Military, Opioid Abuse, Health Care
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