Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today took to the Senate floor to share the stories of Rhode Islanders whose lives have been turned upside down by the opioid crisis gripping states across the country, putting a national spotlight on the need for resources to curb addiction to save lives. Whitehouse is one of a bipartisan group of senators led by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) who shared stories of addiction in the their home states on the floor this afternoon. A video of Whitehouse’s remarks is available here.
Whitehouse has been a national crusader for addressing opioid abuse, which claimed more than 258 lives in Rhode Island in 2015. He was a lead author of the sweeping Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that was signed into law last year to fight the epidemic. In recent weeks, he has been outspoken about the Trump Administration’s proposal to dramatically cut funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the lead federal agency charged with fighting the opioid drug crisis.
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