Warner responds to White House blueprint to combat national opioid crisis

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after the White House introduced its blueprint to combat the growing national opioid crisis.

“We need a clear plan that will ensure we fully support our local communities in the fight against the opioid epidemic. While I welcome this first step from the White House since declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency in 2017, actions will speak louder than words. Nowhere in this plan is there a clear explanation of who will be spearheading the initiative, where and how the resources for the program will be distributed, and how we will gauge the plan’s overall success. When the Administration is prepared to provide more information and the price tag for this blueprint, I stand ready to do my part to ensure that local law enforcement and health care providers have the resources they need to protect their communities from this devastating epidemic.”

Last year, Sen. Warner joined a group of Senators in a letter to the Trump Administration seeking to ensure federal agencies have the necessary tools to fight opioid abuse. He voted in favor of legislation that passed Congress in 2016 that provided funding to help address the growing opioid epidemic.