“You pledged that ‘we will be spending the most money ever on the opioid crisis.’ Yet your claim appears to have no basis in reality.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren is not impressed with President Donald Trump’s lack of action when it comes to the opioid crisis—and she is making that known.
According to Vox, the senator (D-MA) wrote a letter to Trump recently, expressing her concern.
“Experts and observers have concluded that your efforts to address the opioid crisis are ‘pathetic’ and ‘ambiguous promises’ that are ‘falling far short of what is needed’ and are ‘not… addressing the epidemic with the urgency it demands,’” she wrote. “I agree, and I urge you to move quickly to address these problems.”
In her letter, Warren highlights the fact that while campaigning and while in office, Trump has made promises to take action. In October, he declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency—a declaration that has been renewed twice since, according to Vox.
Next week, it’s due to be renewed for a third time.
“Six months after you first declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, you pledged that ‘we will be spending the most money ever on the opioid crisis,’” Warren wrote. “Yet your claim appears to have no basis in reality. While the U.S. Senate reached a budget agreement earlier this year to spend an additional $6 billion over two years to address the opioid crisis, your Administration’s own proposals to address the opioid crisis, including your most recent opioid initiative policies released on March 19th, lack commitments of federal funds.”
Warren goes on to ask Trump to expand on how his administration is taking action and whether the public health emergency declaration will be extended.
“Despite multiple calls to action from public health advocates and families whose loved ones have been devastated by the ongoing opioid crisis, your Administration is failing to implement aggressive and necessary measures to combat this epidemic,” she wrote. “Efforts by state and local governments and communities to address this crisis require support, meaningful action, and resources from the federal government.”
Warren concluded by asking Trump to respond to her letter, as well as a number of questions, by July 23, 2018.
Warren isn’t the only one taking action and voicing concern, Vox notes. In fact, Warren teamed up with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) to introduce a bill that would allocate $100 billion to the opioid epidemic over the next decade.
Other senators are also questioning the president’s lack of action. In January, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and other democrats in the senate requested a Government Accountability Office investigation into Trump’s actions when it comes to the crisis.
In April, they sent an additional letter.
According to Vox, Warren says her letter and questions have not yet been addressed.
