Senator Murray: “Our communities are doing everything they can to fight this. But they need help from the federal government to stop these dangerous drugs at the source, cut off supply lines, and, importantly, get these kids and their families the help they need.”
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***
ICYMI: Senator Murray pushes to address opioid crisis alongside first responders in Seattle
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led a hearing on the federal response to the growing fentanyl crisis, which is fueling drug overdose deaths in Washington state and all across the country.
At the hearing, Senator Murray stressed the need for more action from the federal government to address the worsening crisis—and made clear that she will keep pushing to ensure supply lines for fentanyl are cut off and communities get the support they need to treat substance use and prevent drug overdoses. So far this year, King County in Washington state alone has lost more than 280 people to fentanyl overdoses—an increase of 50% since last year. Last year, the U.S. lost over 100,000 people to drug overdoses—an all-time high—and in just two years, fentanyl deaths among teens have more than tripled nationwide.
“My heart goes out to every family touched by this crisis—and I’ve heard from so many of them. People who lost a loved one after a long, hard struggle with addiction, and those who lost a loved one suddenly to a counterfeit pill, laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl,” said Senator Murray. “Our communities are doing everything they can to fight this. But they need help from the federal government to stop these dangerous drugs at the source, cut off supply lines, and, importantly, get these kids and their families the help they need. And the way we do that is to support families on the ground through robust public health efforts, and better access to mental health and substance use disorder care.”
Illicit fentanyl is up to fifty times stronger than heroin and one hundred times stronger than morphine—and is contributing to a devastating, year-over-year rise in overdose deaths. At Tuesday’s hearing, Senator Murray underscored the importance of cutting off the supply lines for fentanyl and cracking down on fentanyl-laced pills, and pressed administration officials on the steps being taken to disrupt fentanyl trafficking and curb access to counterfeit pills being sold to teens online.
“Our law enforcement and first responders on the ground are really working to rise to this challenge to stop these deadly pills, save lives, and ensure people can get the care they need,” said Senator Murray. “But when I talk to police officers, fire chiefs, and first responders back in Washington state, it’s clear we have to do a lot more to build on the progress they are making, cut off the supply lines that produce these dangerous drugs, and prevent them from ever reaching our communities.”
Senator Murray also made clear the fentanyl crisis must be tackled from every possible angle, including by holding companies that fueled the opioid crisis accountable and strengthening our nation’s mental health and substance use disorder programs, because most who die by overdose don’t receive substance use treatment. In particular, Senator Murray made clear that she is determined to keep making progress on the bipartisan mental health and substance use disorder legislation she has been working on with Ranking Member Burr.
“If there’s one thing we all take away from today’s conversation—I hope it is that our communities cannot wait, they need urgent action from the Administration, and from us in Congress,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why it is as important to me as ever that we advance a bipartisan package that makes meaningful progress on these issues. I hope all of my Republican colleagues agree, and that we can continue our progress negotiating a robust mental health and substance use disorder bill that supports the programs we have seen make such a difference, and provides additional tools and resources to tackle the new threats and emerging challenges in this space.”
Senator Murray’s opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:
“Last week, back in Washington state, King County declared fentanyl a public health crisis. And it’s painfully obvious why.
“This year, King County alone has lost over 270 people to fentanyl overdoses, an increase of nearly 50 percent from last year.
“That’s more than one fentanyl death every day—and mind you that’s just one county in my state, just one corner of our country—which lost over 100,000 people to drug overdoses last year. An all-time high.
“And that number doesn’t just represent a grim record.
“It represents so many personal tragedies, so many families shattered by the loss of a loved one, parents, caregivers, and—increasingly—teenagers.
“Now, there’s no question we had a mental health and substance use disorder crisis on our hands before the COVID pandemic.
“But there is also no doubt things have gotten so much worse due to the trauma of this pandemic and so much more deadly with the sharp rise of illicit fentanyl in recent years.
“That’s because fentanyl is up to fifty times stronger than heroin and one hundred times stronger than morphine.
“Just two milligrams can be a lethal dose.
“From April 2020 to 2021—synthetic opioids, mostly illicit fentanyl, were responsible for nearly two-thirds of all overdose deaths.
“And the recent rise in fentanyl overdose deaths has also reflected the painful, systemic health inequities we still need to do so much to address.
“Black communities as well as American Indian and Alaska Native communities have suffered a higher increase in overdose deaths than other demographics.
“There has also been a deeply alarming rise in young people dying from overdoses.
“In 2019, over 250 teens died from illicit fentanyl.
“Last year—we lost almost 900.
“Think about that—fentanyl deaths for teenagers more than tripled in two years.
“My heart goes out to every family touched by this crisis—and I’ve heard from so many of them. People who lost a loved one after a long, hard struggle with addiction, and those who lost a loved one suddenly to a counterfeit pill, laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl.
“Our communities are doing everything they can to fight this. But they need help from the federal government to stop these dangerous drugs at the source, cut off supply lines, and, importantly, get these kids and their families the help they need.
“And the way we do that is to support families on the ground through robust public health efforts, and better access to mental health and substance use disorder care.
“When it comes to cutting off the supply of fentanyl, FDA has been working to crack down on counterfeit drugs being sold online, something I want to see them continue making progress on to protect our youth.
“And the DEA is working to seize fentanyl-laced pills before they can end up in our kids’ hands.
“I’ve been pressing President Biden on this—the same way I pressed the Trump administration—and we are seizing more fentanyl-laced pills than ever before—and I appreciate the hard work that is going into that.
“Our law enforcement and first responders on the ground are really working to rise to this challenge to stop these deadly pills, save lives, and ensure people can get the care they need.
“But when I talk to police officers, fire chiefs, and first responders back in Washington state, it’s clear we have to do a lot more to build on the progress they are making, cut off the supply lines that produce these dangerous drugs, and prevent them from ever reaching our communities.
“Drug trafficking is a serious problem, and that’s why Democrats continue to work with Republicans to provide significant funding for border security and drug interdiction.
“But let’s get one thing clear—we need to be taking this seriously and having real conversations about how we address the national threat of fentanyl use and supply. Not playing politics. Not scapegoating and fearmongering. Not attacking refugees and immigrants with proposals that are based more on xenophobia than on what will actually work to keep people safe.
“That’s not to say we can’t talk about accountability—especially for opioid manufacturers who fueled this crisis to line their pockets.
“There were enormous corporations that knew just how dangerous and addictive these products were, and yet decided to ignore the risks for patients, market these pills aggressively, and flood our communities with opioids.
“We absolutely must hold these companies accountable for padding their profits at the expense of countless lives.
“Of course, stopping the supply of illicit fentanyl, and holding companies accountable which fueled the opioids crisis is critical.
“But we really have to tackle this challenge from every angle possible.
“And with that in mind, we have a lot more work to do to help our communities get people the mental health and substance use disorder care they need.
“Right now, less than ten percent of people who need substance use disorder treatment can get it—and care is even harder to get if you are Black, Hispanic, or American Indian or Alaska Native.
“The painful reality is that most people who died by overdose didn’t get any substance use disorder treatment before they passed away.
“That’s unacceptable, and we’ve got to do better.
“A big part of the problem is that our mental health and substance use disorder workforce has been woefully overstretched and understaffed.
“I have said this before—but it is so important to understand if we are going to get our arms around this.
“Almost 130 million Americans live in areas with a mental health care provider shortage—essentially they don’t have even one mental health care provider per 30 thousand people.
“In Washington, our mental health care workforce is only able to meet 17 percent of our state’s needs.
“If we are going to turn the tide in the fight against fentanyl, that is going to have to change.
“We cannot lose sight of the fact that a strong public health system, and easy access to treatment for everyone, are some of the most powerful tools in our arsenal here.
“We need to make sure every community has a robust public health department—with the data needed to track overdoses and stop spikes and the ability to raise public awareness about rising threats like counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl.
“And we need to support programs on the frontlines in our communities that are focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery support.
“I’ve fought hard to invest in our communities to expand mental health and substance use disorder care, through HRSA which is helping build our mental health and substance use disorder workforce in rural communities; through federal grants which have helped set up dozens of new treatments centers across my state; and in the American Rescue Plan, which included critical funds for this work.
“But talk to anyone on the frontlines of this for two seconds, and you’ll understand we still have so much more to do.
“Talk to the Fire Chief in Seattle who told me a few months ago they respond to four overdoses every day…
“Talk with the University of Washington researcher who told me how 80 percent of people who could benefit from services to keep them alive, can’t access them…
“Talk with the nurse in Everett who told Secretary Becerra about how there are just not enough beds to get people treatment and the mom who told him about how she lost her job, her house, and her child while she was struggling with fentanyl addiction.
“Talk to Jason Cockburn at the Second Chance Foundation in Everett who has spoken about challenge of trying to get kids the treatment they need, or the many people who desperately tried to help him find an open treatment bed for a 15 year-old earlier this year, calling contacts, posting to Facebook—all to no avail.
“It is so clear leaders like Jason who are on the front lines of this crisis need so much more from our federal agencies and from this Congress. More when it comes to getting fentanyl off our streets. And more when it comes to getting people the health care they need.
“Which is why I am as determined as ever to continue the progress Senator Burr and I are making on a bipartisan package on mental health and substance use disorders.
“We need to support the programs on the ground in our communities that are already doing lifesaving work to identify people who are at risk—and prevent substance use disorders in the first place, to get people treatment, and to support people in recovery.
“And we need new programs—especially when it comes to addressing the new challenges we are seeing with fentanyl and with the heartbreaking increase in overdoses among young people.
“So I’m going to continue pressing for us to advance as expansive a package as possible, as quickly as possible.
“And I believe we can do it—because we’ve done it before.
“In 2016, and again in 2018, Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass some of the most comprehensive legislation to respond to the opioid crisis in our country’s history—that has made a big difference.
“That legislation has undoubtedly saved lives.
“But I have traveled to just about every part of Washington state to talk about this crisis—from Everett, to Seattle, to Longview, to the Tri-cities, to Spokane, and more.
“And the challenges we are dealing with today are not the same challenges we faced in 2018.
“So now it’s on all of us here to build on the bipartisan progress we’ve made.
“And it is painfully clear our communities cannot wait. They need us to meet this moment with serious action and life-saving support for families.”
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