We need to take this seriously

PHOTO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas listen to community organizations and local service providers about the need for more resources on the ground to combat the opioid epidemic, February 23, 2018.

March 21, 2018

Dear Friend,

We know all too well that the opioid and heroin addiction epidemic is a national crisis that has been deeply felt in New Mexico. Unfortunately, five months after declaring the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency, President Trump is more focused on ramping up rhetoric and promoting ridiculous proposals--like instituting the death penalty for drug dealers--than on advocating for the necessary funding levels and policies we desperately need to help New Mexicans access treatment.

I am doing everything I can to fight for increased funding to more effectively combat this crisis and ensure that those who need treatment can get it. We were able to secure $6 billion of additional funding for opioid treatment in the bipartisan two-year budget deal. But national experts and local service providers know that is not enough to address this public health emergency and ensure that those who need treatment can get it.

Last month, I hosted a listening session in Santa Fe with New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas to host a listening session in Santa Fe. We were joined by local community organizations, elected officials, law enforcement, and county representatives who are on the frontlines of this crisis. They told us that without long-term dedicated funding, they would be hamstrung in their efforts to provide evidence-based approaches to prevention, medical-assisted treatment, and community-wide recovery strategies across our state.

If President Trump were actually serious about addressing this crisis, he would stop trying to upend our health care system. He would stop calling for drastic cuts to Medicaid, which funds 30 percent of medical-assisted opioid addiction treatment in New Mexico. He would appoint qualified experts to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. And he would work with us to finally provide the emergency funding our communities need.

Too many of our families have lost loved ones and many more New Mexicans are struggling to find the treatment and recovery resources they need. I will continue to hold the Trump Administration accountable and fight for policies and resources to confront the opioid crisis.

Sincerely,

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator