It’s no secret that the opioid epidemic represents a national emergency across America — it is now a leading cause of death of Americans under 50 years old. I have met with the stakeholders of our communities — teachers, firefighters, police and first responders, community coalitions, treatment programs, nonprofits and hospitals — to hear directly from those most impacted by the opioid epidemic and to guide my legislative approach on this critical issue.

In Congress, I have co-sponsored legislation to authorize State Opioid Response Grants, creating lasting congressional approval for a program that moves critically important funds to our state. In 2019 alone, Michigan received more than $27M through State Opioid Response Grants to help strengthen opioid response measures. And I have co-sponsored legislation that sanctions foreign drug manufacturers who knowingly provide synthetic opioids to traffickers, to crack down on the pipeline that brings these drugs into our state. In Michigan, opioid overdoses now claim more lives than car accidents, including hundreds of deaths each year across our district. This issue demands action, at every level.