Johnson Comments on Opioids Bill, Democrats' Harmful Partisanship

Press Release

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined the 94-1 majority in approving the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, a bill to begin addressing opioid and heroin addiction.

Johnson said this after the vote:

"America's insatiable demand for drugs creates so many problems. As I travel around Wisconsin and talk to public safety officials, I ask them the biggest problem they're dealing with. They tell me drug abuse, citing the crime and the trail of broken lives and broken families that addiction leaves in its wake. The committee I chair has spent more than a year investigating the harm inflicted on veterans by the overprescription of opioids in the health system that is supposed to be taking care of them. We've also held 14 hearings on border security -- only to discover the intimate link between drug trafficking and the fact our southern border is not secure.

"We have only begun to grapple with this incredibly complex problem. This bill is an important bipartisan step. It expands resources and tools available to states and communities for prevention and treatment. It will build upon bipartisan efforts in Wisconsin. Stopping this problem at the root of so many tragedies unfolding across America is something we can all agree on. I'm pleased to see this bill move forward."

Johnson earlier had proposed a number of amendments to the bill, including measures to:

Ensure the Indian Health Service is included among federal stakeholders in developing best practices for prescribing pain medications.
Prioritize the reform of standards for prescribing painkilling drugs to protect patients suffering from both pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Reduce pressure doctors face that may lead to overprescribing painkilling drugs.
Require evidence-based methods for federal grants addressing opioid abuse.

The Indian Health Service measure won praise from Wisconsin leaders. "We appreciate Sen. Johnson's efforts to combat the prescription drug / heroin problem in Wisconsin," said Potawatomi Chairman Gus Frank, who said the amendment would "help Indian Country tackle an epidemic which is only getting worse." Menomonee Chairwoman Joan Delabreau said, "Senator Johnson's amendment would have provided Tribes with a seat at the table to develop best practices that meet the complex needs of Tribal Communities in treating substance abuse and opioid addiction."

The measure, however, was halted in an unusual show of partisanship March 3 when Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) objected specifically to the Indian Health Service amendment on the grounds that it was sponsored by Johnson.

When Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) brought Johnson's amendment up for consideration, Reid made it clear that he objected to legislative progress that could be credited to Johnson, saying, "I don't think it's appropriate, for example, one of the amendments he chose is a senator running for re-election."

Democrats also refused to clear an amendment from Johnson despite support from veterans advocates. The amendment would have ensured that the federal task force recommending best practices on prescriptions take into account patients who suffer both from pain and mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The amendment had the support of former Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Ray Boland, The American Legion Department of Wisconsin, The American Legion National Headquarters, Military Order of the Purple Heart U.S.A., and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

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