Opioid Abuse Bill Passes U.S. House Without Funds Attached
- Heroin, prescription opioids cause record number of deaths
- Election-year jolt sought in states including Ohio, Wisconsin
A heroin user prepares to inject himself on March 23, 2016, in New London, Connecticut.
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The U.S. House passed legislation aimed at curbing opioid addiction in a bid for a rare bipartisan agreement in Congress that also may aid the campaigns of vulnerable Republicans from states hard hit by the crisis.
The proposal is only a start, though. The measure passed 413-5 Thursday would authorize $103 million a year in grants from fiscal 2017 through 2021 to help states pay for the prevention and treatment of addiction to heroin and prescription opiates. The bill, H.R. 5046, wouldn’t actually provide the money.