Combating
the
Opioid
Crisis
On
Thursday,
we
held
a
hearing
in
the
Health,
Education,
Labor,
and
Pensions
Committee
on
the
federal
response
to
the
opioid
crisis.
Representatives
from
four
different
government
agencies
testified.
Here
are
three
highlights
from
the
hearing:
Hoosiers
can’t
wait
17
years
for
best
practices
for
treatment
and
prevention
of
opioid
abuse
to
be
implemented.
Austin,
IN
was
cited
as
having
one
of
the
worst
documented
HIV
outbreaks
among
users
in
the
past
two
decades.
Developing
non-opioid
alternatives
and
utilizing
medical
breakthroughs
can
help
stunt
the
spread
of
opioid
abuse.
Best
practices
for
treatment
and
prevention
of
opioid
abuse
need
to
be
implemented
far
more
quickly
so
those
who
need
access
to
them
can
get
access
to
them
in
order
to
put
them
on
a
better
path
forward.
Talking
Tax
Reform
and
Opioids
in
Fort
Wayne
|
On
Friday,
I
was
in
Fort
Wayne
to
meet
with
small
businesses
and
major
employers
to
get
their
input
on
tax
reform.
I
consistently
hear
from
Hoosiers
that
simplifying
our
tax
code
is
the
most
important
thing
we
can
do
to
boost
our
economy.
While
in
Fort
Wayne,
I
spoke
with
NewsChannel
15
about
tax
reform
and
combating
the
opioid
crisis.
I
shared
insight
into
the
resources
that
Congress,
as
well
as
our
state
and
local
authorities,
have
dedicated
to
addressing
this
crisis,
and
how
they
are
making
a
difference.
With
that
said,
we
must
continue
to
identify
our
best
practices
from
around
the
country
and
scale
those
up
in
our
local
communities.
As
seen
in
Allen
County,
through
their
continued
dedication
to
do
some
encouraging
developments
at
the
local
level.
|
Honoring
the
American
Legion
Earlier
today,
I
spoke
at
The
American
Legion
National
Headquarters
to
highlight
passage
of
the
American
Legion
commemorative
coin
bill.
This
commemorative
coin
will
honor
the
American
Legion’s
track
record
of
successful
advocacy
along
with
helping
to
continue
work
that
improves
the
lives
of
veterans.
I’m
happy
the
President
signed
this
bill
into
law
and
recognized
that
the
Legion
is
worthy
of
recognition
in
this
very
competitive
process.
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