Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Suggested Funding Sharpens Opioid Issue During Election Year

February 16, 2016 By Alan Fram, Associated Press

Congressional Democrats called Thursday for hundreds of millions in emergency spending to fight drug abuse but ran into Republican resistance as another health issue spiraled into an election-year showdown. With the calendar edging deeper into the campaign season, the latest dispute echoes other clashes over whether the federal government should use more taxpayer dollars to contain the Zika virus and help Flint, Michigan, recover from a public health crisis in which its water system has been contaminated with lead.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee used a voice vote to approve a bipartisan bill bolstering education, prevention, treatment and law enforcement efforts against prescription opioid and heroin addiction. The measure would set up new grant programs, but lawmakers would have to provide money to finance them in later legislation.

While backing the measure, Democrats said Congress should provide extra funds now to battle illicit drug use, which killed 47,000 people in 2014. They said they would try inserting the additional funds into the legislation when the full Senate debates it in coming weeks. “We have to walk the walk, not talk the talk,” said No. 3 Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. He said that without providing extra money, “we do nothing to resolve the crisis” and accused Republicans of “a pattern” of not providing extra resources to address problems.

Asked later about the Democratic demands for extra money for drug abuse, Flint and the Zika virus, No. 2 Senate Republican leader John Cornyn of Texas said Democrats had no specific plans for using the funds or paying for the expenditures. “They want more money for everything on an emergency basis. It’s political posturing and it’s really unfortunate,” he said. “You might even call it a shakedown,” he said. “I’m going to say no.”

The bill the Senate Judiciary Committee approved was sponsored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and had 27 co-sponsors from both parties. Both lawmakers’ states have major drug abuse problems.

Portman is one of several lawmakers facing tough re-election fights this year making the anti-drug effort a major focus. Another is Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., whose state also has a significant drug abuse problem. Her colleague Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has introduced legislation proposing $600 million to fight opioid and heroin abuse.

In recent days, Senate Democrats proposed $600 million to help Flint, Michigan, cope with its lead-contaminated drinking water, later changing that to $200 million in grants and $600 million in loans. Republicans have countered with a smaller aid package reliant on loans, saying it’s premature to commit to major federal expenditures until that city and state have specific plans for such money.

President Barack Obama has requested $1.8 billion over the next two years to prevent the spread of the Zika virus from South America and the Caribbean. Republicans have suggested using money left over from fighting the Ebola virus, which the administration has rejected.

Related Articles Read More >

Lazurite ArthroFree wireless surgical camera system Minnetronix Medical
How Minnetronix Medical helped Lazurite with its wireless surgical camera
Medtronic Hugo robot-assisted surgery system
The road to a robot: Medtronic’s development process for its Hugo RAS system
A portrait of Stryker executive Siddarth Satish
How Stryker includes users for product design in the digital age
A portrait of Stryker executive Tracy Robertson
Stryker leaders talk medtech trends at DeviceTalks Boston: ‘If you’re slow, you’re going to lose’

DeviceTalks Weekly.

May 13, 2022
Our Pre-Post-DeviceTalks Boston episode, also MedtronicTalks replay with Gastro CMO Austin Chiang
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech