Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced legislation Monday to repeal 2016 legislation that significantly limited the Drug Enforcement Administration's ability to crack down on opioid distributors suspected of wrongdoing.
The move from Ms. McCaskill follows the Oct. 15 publication of an investigative report conducted by The Washington Post and "60 Minutes." The report details circumstances behind the passage of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, which effectively eliminated DEA's ability to freeze suspicious shipments of opioids from drug distributors.
"Media reports indicate that this law has significantly affected the government's ability to crack down on opioid distributors that are failing to meet their obligations and endangering our communities," said Ms. McCaskill. "I'll be introducing legislation that repeals this law and continue my work investigating the role pharmaceutical distributors played in fueling this public health crisis."
The Democratic Senator launched a formal investigation into drug companies' possible role in facilitating opioid overprescribing in March.
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