Bill to Protect Drug Control Office from Sweeping Budget Cuts Introduced

Two senators have introduced a bill that would protect the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) from sweeping budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration, according to the Associated Press.

The White House is proposing a cut of 94 percent to ONDCP’s budget, an e-mail to agency employees by Acting Director Richard Baum revealed. He asked employees not to share the information, but the e-mail was quickly leaked. The proposed budget fully eliminates several programs involved in fighting the opioid epidemic.

New Hampshire U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan introduced a bill that would reauthorize the office, increase funding for programs, and streamline ONDCP to ensure efficient use of resources.

“The Trump Administration’s proposal to effectively eliminate the ONDCP is not fiscally responsible, it’s dangerous and would significantly roll back our efforts to stem the tide of this crisis,” Hassan said in a news release.