Rep. Trone Announces Creation of Freshmen Working Group on Addiction
For Immediate Release
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
Rep. Trone Announces Creation of Freshmen Working Group on Addiction
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman David Trone (MD-06) announced the creation of the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan effort to promote policies to end the addiction crisis in this country.
The group is composed of 36 Members of the newly-elected freshman class with representatives from across the entire nation. The purpose of the group is to come together to understand the extent of the impacts of addiction and to jointly promote policies to reduce overdoses and deaths.
“When my 24-year old nephew Ian died of an opioid overdose in 2016, my family experienced the heartbreak of losing a loved one to addiction firsthand,” said Congressman David Trone, Chair of the working group. “No family should have to wrestle with this kind of grief, yet over 70,000 people died of drug overdoses last year alone.
“With 192 deaths every day, my colleagues and I are ready to fight back. That’s why we’ve launched the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction. This working group will lend fresh eyes to one of the most devastating crises facing our country and serve as a catalyst for bipartisan cooperation and action.”
As part of the working group, Members will meet on a regular basis to hear from experts and stakeholders, make site visits to institutions focusing on research and treatment, and promote legislation in order to tackle the epidemic.
“The crisis of opioid addiction affects all people, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, financial status or political party affiliation. Fighting to end the scourge of opioids isn’t a political issue, it’s a human issue. I am proud to be in this working group of freshman members who are committed to taking real steps to address this crisis in a bipartisan and actionable way,” said Congressman Denver Riggleman (R-VA).
“The United States has been fighting successive waves of addiction related epidemics for decades,” said Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-FL). “Today, the addiction crisis is claiming thousands of lives every month with no signs of it relenting. I look forward to joining my colleagues on the working group to help study this issue and come up with solutions to help stem the tide of addiction and protect other Americans from succumbing to its vicious cycle.”
“I’m proud to be a part of this bipartisan group and can’t wait to get to work. Addiction doesn’t care who you are, where you are from or what your future might hold. I’m hopeful this group can make a difference and bring real solutions to this dire epidemic,” said Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).
“Our nation’s addiction crisis is a public health emergency that Congress must address immediately,” said Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). “The creation of this bipartisan, freshmen working group presents an opportunity for us to build a strong coalition of new members in Congress who are committed to doing everything possible to address this epidemic and its impact on our communities. Before we were elected, so many of us heard devastating stories about the impact of this crisis on families and communities, and we are committed to working together in Congress to build a response strategy that understands the full impact of this crisis, supports recovery efforts, and treats substance use disorders and addiction like the public health issues they are.”
Trone is joined by 35 representatives in the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction, including Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Ben Cline (R-VA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Jason Crow (D-CO), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Katie Hill (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Susie Lee (D-NV), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ben McAdams (D-UT), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Denver Riggleman (R-VA), Max Rose (D-NY), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Van Taylor (R-TX), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Steve Watkins (R-KS), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), and Susan Wild (D-PA).
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