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SCOREBOARD:
Toomey Voted Against An Amendment To Make $600 Million Available For Opioid-Prevention And –Treatment Programs. In March 2016, Toomey voted against a: “Shaheen, D-N.H., motion to waive applicable portions of the Budget Act with respect to the Enzi, R-Wyo., point of order against the Shaheen, D-N.H., amendment no. 3345 to the Grassley, R-Iowa, substitute amendment no. 3378. The Shaheen amendment would make available $600 million for opioid-prevention and -treatment programs.” The motion was rejected by a vote of 48-47. [CQ, 3/2/16; S.Amdt. 3345 to S.Amdt. 3378 to S.524, Vote 30, 3/2/16]
- Shaheen’s Amendment Included Funding To Help Law Enforcement. “Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked $600 million in emergency funding to help law enforcement combat heroin abuse and improve the monitoring of prescription drugs. In a 48-47 procedural vote, Republicans prevented the amendment from being attached to a larger bill aimed at fighting the heroin and opioid epidemic sweeping the U.S. The legislation, called the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act, would establish an interagency task force to create best practices for prescribing opioids, and shift federal officials toward prevention-driven drug policy and away from punishment. The emergency funding provision would have allocated $230 million to law enforcement initiatives, including treatment alternatives to incarceration. Another $10 million would have gone to state and local law enforcement units that oversee communities with high levels of drug use. ” [Huffington Post, 3/2/16]
- Senators Ayotte, Kirk, Portman And Graham Voted For The Senate Amendment 3345. According to the summary of the roll call vote on the United States Senate website, Senators Ayotte, Kirk, Portman, and Graham all voted in yea on S.Amdt. 3345 to S.Amdt. 3378 to S. 524 (Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016). [S.Amdt. 3345 to S.Amdt. 3378 to S.524, Vote 30, 3/2/16]
Senator Shaheen Likened Passing The Heroin And Opioid Abuse Bill Without Adding $600 Million To Fund It To “Giving A Drowning Person A Life Preserver That Has No Air In It.” “The Senate Wednesday rejected a Democratic effort to add $600 million to a bipartisan bill targeting heroin and opioid abuse. Supporters of the immediate funding won a majority of the Senate votes. But the 48-47 tally fell short of the 60 votes required for an attempt by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to add the money. Shaheen praised the underlying bill, which has sweeping bipartisan backing, but said ‘the reality is unless we provide the resources to make these programs work it’s like giving a drowning person a life preserver that has no air in it.'” [AP,3/2/16]
BACKGROUND:
PREVIOUS REPUBLICAN BUDGETS PROPOSED CUTTING IMPORTANT PROGRAMS FOR ADDRESSING THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS BY MORE THAN $1.5 BILLION
TOOMEY VOTED FOR THE FY 2014 AND FY 2013 RYAN BUDGETS
Toomey Voted For The FY 2014 And FY 2013 Ryan Budgets. [CQ, 3/21/13; S.Amdt. 433 to S.Con.Res. 8, Vote 46, 3/21/13; CQ, 5/16/12; H.Con.Res. 112, Vote 98, 5/16/12]
IN FY 2014, THE RYAN BUDGET PROPOSED TO CUT CRITICAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS BY NEARLY $802 MILLION IN ONE YEARALONE
The Republicans FY14 budget would’ve enacted a drastic 20% cut in non-defense discretionary programs that would improve the response to the heroin and opioid epidemics. In 2014 alone, the Ryan budget would cut funding for these programs by an additional 20% beyond the cuts already needed to comply with the BCA caps. This across-the-board cut is calculated relative to what funding would be compared to the BCA caps in FY14. The Senate-drafted appropriations bills for FY14 were drafted with the intent of replacing sequester, and are used as the baseline funding levels. [CBPP,3/27/13]
- Ryan Budget Threatened Large Cuts To Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services. “Major health and environment programs threatened with large cuts under the Ryan budget include: […] Mental health and substance abuse services. These grants help states prevent and treat alcohol and drug abuse and provide community mental health services to adults and children with serious mental illness. In 2008, over two million individuals attended substance abuse facilities that received federal funding; over six million received federally supported mental health services.” [CBPP, 3/27/13]
IN FY 2013, THE RYAN BUDGET PROPOSED TO CUT CRITICAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS BY MORE THAN $763 MILLION IN ONE YEAR ALONE
The Republicans FY13 budget would’ve enacted a drastic 19% cut in non-defense discretionary programs that would improve the response to the heroin and opioid epidemics. The 19% cut is calculated by taking the level Congress agreed to in the Budget Control Act for non-defense discretionary programs in 2013 and subtracting the proposed $406 billion cap for 2014 in the House Republican Budget. That’s a $95 billion cut that, when left undistributed, is a 19% cut to the 2012 level of services in every non-defense discretionary program. [WH, 4/6/12]
IN DECEMBER, TOOMEY VOTED DOWN AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET THAT WOULD HAVE PUT OVER $15 BILLION BEHIND ANTI-DRUG MEASURES BY MAKING MILLIONAIRES PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE IN TAXES
Dec. 2015: Toomey Voted Against Expanding Coverage For Addiction Treatment, Increasing Resources For Substance Abuse Prevention And Treatment. In 2015, Toomey voted against: “Shaheen, D-N.H., motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Enzi, R-Wyo., point of order against the Shaheen, D-N.H, amendment no. 2892 to the McConnell, R-Ky., substitute amendment no. 2874. The Shaheen amendment would require qualified health care plans to provide coverage for more than one FDA-approved addiction-treatment drug and would create a Substance Use and Mental Health Capacity Expansion Fund. The substitute, instead of repealing the 2010 health law’s requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance or face tax penalties, would remove the law’s penalties for noncompliance. The substitute also would reinstate in 2025 the tax on certain high-value employer-sponsored health insurance plans, which would be repealed under the bill, and would add a provision that would force individuals to pay back the full amount of any subsidy overpayments.” The Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 47-52. [CQ Floor Votes, 12/3/15; HR 3762, Vote 317, 12/3/15]
- Senator Shaheen: Amendment “Provides Over $15 Billion Of Needed Funding To States And Municipalities” Including Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants. In a Senate floor statement, Senator Shaheen said: “Finally, this amendment provides over $15 billion of needed funding to States and municipalities to help address the public health emergency in those States and communities that are the frontlines of this crisis. Through the substance abuse prevention and treatment block grants and the community mental health service block grants, this service is targeted to those most at risk for substance abuse and mental illness, giving the States flexibility to develop and fund programs that work best for them. This prevention, intervention, and treatment of substance abuse and mental health disorders have the potential to make the difference in millions of lives.” [Congressional Record, Senate Floor, 12/3/15]
- The Measure Was Paid For By Ending Tax Breaks For Millionaires And Corporate Offshoring. “Senator Shaheen’s amendment is fully paid-for by enacting the Buffett Rule, preventing corporations from moving offshore to avoid paying taxes, and closing tax loopholes that allow corporations to write-off executive bonuses.” [Office Of Sen. Shaheen Press Release, 12/3/15]
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