Heroin Crisis Puts Vulnerable U.S. Senate Republicans in a Bind
- Democrats' push for $600 million to fight epidemic splits GOP
- Plan seeks to curb addiction to heroin, prescription drugs
Senator Rob Portman listens during a hearing in Washington on July 30, 2015.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Efforts in Congress to combat heroin and prescription-drug addiction are creating an unexpected dilemma for vulnerable U.S. Senate Republicans as they seek to keep control of the chamber in the November election.
Republican senators including Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania face a choice: Back a Democratic push for $600 million to fight the opioid epidemic or risk accusations they aren’t doing enough to combat an epidemic killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.