Drug Addiction & Opioid Abuse

An amendment to boost funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA) to $160 million was included in an appropriations bill passed by the House yesterday. The amendment, offered by Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1), will provide additional funds to assist local law enforcement combat illegal drug trafficking in critical regions across America. Read more »

Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1) issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that West Virginia would be eligible to receive $27,910,443 through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) State Opioid Response Grants. Previously, the state had only received $5.8 million from these grants. $4 billion in funding for opioids was included in the recent bipartisan spending deal, and efforts from McKinley, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (WV), and Congressman Evan Jenkins (WV-03) ensured that more of those resources were targeted to states like West Virginia that are the hardest-hit by the opioid epidemic. Read more »

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at combatting the opioid epidemic that is ravaging America. Over the past two-weeks, the House passed more than 50 bills addressing different parts of the opioid crisis, including two bills offered by Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1). H.R. 6 pulls all the bills together into one piece of legislation, which now heads to the Senate for consideration. Once the Senate passes their version, a Conference Committee will work out any differences. Read more »

The House of Representatives began considering a series of bills this week aimed at combatting the opioid epidemic that is ravaging America. The House passed 39 bills touching on treatment, prevention and enforcement. The House will continue work on additional opioid bills next week. Read more »

The House of Representatives began considering a series of bills this week aimed at combatting the opioid epidemic that is ravaging America. The House passed 25 bills today, including two offered by Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1). Read more »

U.S. Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E., R-W.Va., hosted an opioid grant workshop in Morgantown with representatives from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Read more »

Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1) hosted an opioid grant workshop in Morgantown with representatives from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). The grant workshop, which was attended by over 120 representatives from all 20 counties in the First District, the Governor’s Office and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, provided information on how to access federal grants to help combat the opioid crisis. SAMHSA usually gives their grant workshops via online presentations, but McKinley arranged for them to come to Morgantown and give it in person. Read more »

Almost $7 billion has been allocated to fighting the opioid epidemic across the nation, making it challenging for rural or sparsely populated areas to obtain grant funding for their respective programs. Read more »

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No wonder U.S. Rep. David McKinley told drug company executives last week that, “The fury inside me right now is bubbling over.” Read more »