Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, sent a letter to President Donald Trump Oct. 12, urging him to follow through on comments he made in August about declarating the nation's opioid crisis a national emergency.
On Aug. 10, more than a week after the president's opioid commission recommended official declaration of national emergency, President Trump said the opioid crisis was a national emergency and his administration was currently working on documents for official declaration. To date, the administration has not taken such action.
"We applaud your stated commitment to addressing opioid addiction and agree with you that the crisis is a 'serious problem' deserving of increased federal resources," wrote the senators in the letter. "However, we are extremely concerned that 63 days after your statement, you have yet to take the necessary steps to declare a national emergency on opioids, nor have you made any proposals to significantly increase funding to combat the epidemic."
Alaska and Massachusetts are among numerous states whose governors made official declarations of emergency or disaster to bolster statewide efforts to mitigate opioid overdoses.
"Massachusetts and Alaska have been on the forefront of the opioid crisis that is sweeping our nation, and we are proud to represent states that have tackled the epidemic head on," wrote the Senators. "We urge you to build upon the work of our states and to implement the recommendations of your Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis without delay."
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