Rep. Poliquin Demands House Vote on Heroin Legislation

Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, sent a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan urging him to bring the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).

CARA is a bill that will provide critical resources to Maine to combat the growing heroin epidemic in our State, to the House Floor for a vote.  The Senate passed the bill earlier this month.

In the letter, Congressman Poliquin writes:

One of the most serious problems impacting Maine and America is the heroin and opioid epidemic that is taking the lives of hundreds people and causing unthinkable harm to our families, friends and communities,”writes Congressman Poliquin.

He goes on to emphasize how crucial the bill is:

It is now time for the House to act so that we can pass this crucial legislation and send it to the President’s desk for signature. Doing so will boost the efforts of our Maine families to better help their addicted loved ones with the treatment and long-term recovery to live drug-free and healthy lives.”

Since joining Congress, Poliquin has made it a top priority to use the full-weight of his Congressional Office to combat the growing heroin epidemic crippling Maine, including serving as an original cosponsor to the Cradle Act, a bill that would help the nearly 1,000 babies born addicted to heroin in Maine each year.  Congressman Poliquin is also a founding member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, a Congressional body that aims to develop best practices and foster interagency collaboration to address this growing epidemic.

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The following is the full text of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to Speaker Ryan:

March 25, 2016

The Honorable Paul Ryan

Speaker of the House of Representatives

House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Ryan,

I write to urge you to bring H.R. 953, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) to the House floor for a vote.  One of the most serious problems impacting Maine and America is the heroin and opioid epidemic that is taking the lives of hundreds people and causing unthinkable harm to our families, friends and communities.

This important bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner and would provide emergency federal funding and other needed resources for Maine, along with a number of other states that are in desperate need to curtail this drug epidemic. As our law enforcement agencies, treatment centers, social service networks and families work together to curb this dangerous and deadly drug problem, this legislation would provide critical steps to help end this tragedy. It would establish a comprehensive and coordinated approach through enhanced grant programs that would expand prevention and education efforts while also promoting treatment and recovery.

The Senate passed its version of the CARA Act on March 10, 2016 by a vote of 94-1. It is now time for the House to act so that we can pass this crucial legislation and send it to the President’s desk for signature. Doing so will boost the efforts of our Maine families to better help their addicted loved ones with the treatment and long-term recovery to live drug-free and healthy lives.

Again, I urge you to bring the CARA Act to the House floor. On behalf of all the Maine victims of this terrible and heartbreaking epidemic, I thank you for your consideration of this request.