Cummings Applauds Passage of ONDCP Reauthorization— Warns That Greater Funding Needed for Treatment
Washington, D.C. (Sept. 28, 2018)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, delivered a floor statement applauding passage of the Substance Abuse Prevention Act, which reauthorizes and reforms the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). This legislation was based on H.R. 5925, the Coordinated Response through Interagency Strategy and Information Sharing (CRISIS) Act, bipartisan legislation that passed the House on June 20, 2018.
The legislation creates a Demand Reduction Coordinator position to strengthen demand reduction initiatives, including efforts to expand treatment. It also requires ONDCP to report on whether drug control program agency budgets are adequate to achieve the goals of the National Drug Control Strategy, and it requires the compilation of essential data on overdoses, deaths, and interdictions so the American people have a clear, accessible picture of the effectiveness of efforts to combat the drug crisis.
Below are Ranking Member Cummings' remarks on the House Floor today:
I rise in support of provisions in this package reauthorizing and reforming the Office of National Drug Control Policy to improve coordination of our national response to the drug crisis.
At my request, the bill creates a Demand Reduction Coordinator position, parallel to the existing Interdiction Coordinator, to strengthen demand reduction initiatives, including efforts to expand treatment.
Among other critical reforms, this legislation also requires ONDCP to report whether drug control program agency budgets are adequate to achieve the goals of the National Drug Control Strategy.
And it requires the compilation of essential data on overdoses, deaths, and interdictions in a data dashboard so the American people have a clear, accessible picture of the effectiveness of efforts to combat the drug crisis.
I thank Chairman Gowdy, Chairman Meadows, and Vice Ranking Member Connolly for working with me to develop legislation that will reform ONDCP. And I thank Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Senator Cornyn for their leadership.
Let me also give special thanks to Committee staff—both majority and minority. Without their extraordinary efforts, this legislation would not be in this package.
I close with a warning. While the provisions in H.R. 6 are important, without significantly expanding access to treatment and wrap-around services through long-term, sustained funding, we continue to nibble at the edges of our national crisis – and the crisis will continue to worsen.
Thank you and I yield back.