September 19, 2024
Senator Casey and Senator Heinrich introduced legislation to protect prison officers, staff, and inmates from fentanyl and other illicit substances entering the Federal Prison System through inmate mail. By directing the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to develop a strategy that guarantees all mail is screened for illicit contraband, the Interdiction of Fentanyl at Federal Prisons Act would reduce the risk of intentional poisoning or lethal exposure from illicit substances in federal prisons and support the 38,000 BOP corrections officers and staff that are dedicated to keeping prisons safe.
August 8, 2024
Senator Casey joined four other senators in introducing the bipartisan Fighting
Illicit Goods, Helping Trustworthy Importers, and Netting Gains (FIGHTING) for
America Act. This legislation cracks down on illicit goods including
fentanyl, counterfeits, and products made with forced labor entering the
country by tightening import restrictions on packages.
July 25, 2024
Senator Casey applauded the passage of the Preventing the Financing of
Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act, a bill that will direct the U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate how transnational criminal organizations finance synthetic drug trafficking and help the federal government to investigate how transnational criminal organizations finance synthetic drug trafficking and help the federal government target them more effectively.
May 16, 2024
Senator Casey introduced
the Preventing and
Treating Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults Act, a bill that will
help provide the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) with the resources it needs to improve treatment and prevention
services for older adults with substance use disorders. He also sent SAMHSA a
letter urging the agency to improve its collection of data about the prevalence
of older adults with substance use disorders to facilitate better treatment and
prevention.
May 9, 2024
Senator Casey and Senator Heinrich led 15 of their colleagues in a letter to Senate Appropriators urging them to provide the United States with the tools to combat the fentanyl crisis by continuing robust funding for border security and drug interdiction initiatives. In their letter, the Senators push for funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire additional agents and purchase more surveillance technology for official ports of entry along the southwest border, where illicit drugs are being smuggled in and firearms and currency are being trafficked out of the U.S. to be used by Mexican cartels. The Senators also request more funding for U.S. law enforcement to investigate trafficking crimes and the transnational organizations, including Mexican cartels, perpetuating the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
April 24, 2024
Senator Casey hailed
the FEND Off Fentanyl Act being signed into
law, saying, “in passing the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, we are finally
cracking down on the Chinese criminal organizations and Mexican cartels who
manufacture and traffic fentanyl into the United States.” Prior to the law’s
passage, Senator Casey traveled across Pennsylvania meeting with families impacted by the opioid crisis
to push for its passage.
April 8, 2024
Senator Casey cosponsored Tyler’s Law, a bill to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete a study on how frequently hospitals test for fentanyl in patients experiencing an overdose and to use the results of the study to issue guidance to hospitals on implementing fentanyl testing in emergency rooms.
January 16, 2024
Senators Casey and Kelly introduced the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act to reduce the flow of fentanyl into the United States by providing much-needed resources to secure the southwest border. This legislation would increase staffing capacity and technology to detect illicit drugs and other contraband being smuggled through ports of entry along the border.
December 13, 2023
Senator Casey cosponsored the Stop Arming Cartels Act, which would
disrupt firearms trafficking schemes that embolden Mexican drug cartels and
fuel the fentanyl epidemic. Specifically, this legislation would crack down on highly destructive
rifles favored by drug cartels due to their ability to destroy military equipment, rip through armored police cars, and down aircraft.
December 13, 2023
Senator Casey reintroduced the Grandfamilies Act to provide financial relief to grandparents raising grandchildren by increasing access to Social Security benefits for children and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). There are an estimated 2.7 million children being raised by grandparents and other relatives, and substance use is considered one of the most common reasons for grandparents and other kin caregivers to take on this new caregiving role.
December 4, 2023
Senator Casey cosponsored
the POWER Act, which would establish a new grant program through the Department
of Justice to aid state and local law enforcement organizations in securing
high-tech, portable chemical screening devices to identify illicit drugs and
substances, such as
fentanyl and xylazine. This bill would help law enforcement conduct more
effective drug investigations and prosecutions, and assist officers in quickly
alerting local health departments to help prevent accidental overdoses. This
legislation builds off the INTERDICT Act, which Senator Casey supported and was
signed into law in 2018.
November 15, 2023
The White House briefed Senator Casey’s office on the
details of a deal between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China
to crack down on companies in China that produce fentanyl precursor chemicals.
Senator Casey praised the deal but noted
that, “commitment is only as good as enforcement” and that the United States
needed “to hold the Chinese government to its end of the bargain."
November 14, 2023
Ahead of President Biden’s meeting with the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, Senator Casey wrote to President Biden and urged him to ensure President Xi commits to meaningful action and enforcement to combat China’s role in the ongoing fentanyl crisis. Senator Casey also called on President Biden to sign the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act into law if given the opportunity.
November 14, 2023
Senator
Casey cosponsored
the Fentanyl Safe Testing and Overdose Prevention Act, bipartisan
legislation to help prevent fentanyl poisoning deaths by expanding access
to fentanyl test strips.
October 26, 2023
Ahead of diplomatic meetings between U.S. and Chinese
government officials, Senator
Casey sent
a letter to President Biden urging his Administration to focus the discussion on
the role of Chinese-sourced
fentanyl precursors and ingredients in the illicit fentanyl supply chain.
October 19, 2023
Senator Casey led seven of his colleagues in pushing President Biden to prioritize additional resources to strengthen the security at the southwest border to stop the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl through ports of entry along the border. Specifically, the Senators pushed for additional Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to increase processing and screening capacity at ports of entry, as well as acquiring non-invasive inspection technology to stop drug smugglers. On October 20, President Biden responded to the Senators’ concerns and requested $13.6 billion in additional funding for border security.
September 29, 2023
Senator Casey cosponsored the bipartisan Targeting Online Sales of Fentanyl Act, which would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the methods used to enable the online sale of fentanyl, particularly related to the utilization of social media in facilitating transactions involving youth, and assess the efforts of federal law enforcement and online providers in combatting the issue.
September 26, 2023
Senator Casey introduced the bipartisan Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act, which would improve data collection on chronic pain and help researchers develop better alternatives to opioids for chronic pain treatment.
September 15, 2023
After the release of an analysis detailing overdose rates of Pennsylvanians under 40, Senator Casey called for the passage of the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the fentanyl supply chain from the chemical suppliers in China to the cartels that traffic the drugs from Mexico.
Early September 2023
Senator Casey attended a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence classified briefing on the southern border, including fentanyl trafficking.
August 4, 2023
Senator Casey and 15 other Senators sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary Blinken calling for a crackdown on illicit tobacco trafficking, noting linkages to fentanyl trafficking.
July 18, 2023
Senator Casey cosponsored the bipartisan Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, a bill to crack down on and schedule the highly dangerous sedative, xylazine. Xylazine is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent with fentanyl and has led to increased overdoses across the Nation.
Mid July 2023
Senator Casey attended a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence classified briefing on fentanyl and the People’s Republic of China.
July 6, 2023
At the urging of Senator Casey, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated Lehigh County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This designation steers more resources to area law enforcement to fight drug trafficking and abuse.
May 10, 2023
Senator Casey cosponsored the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the fentanyl supply chain from the chemical suppliers in China to the cartels that traffic the drugs from Mexico.
April 13, 2023
Senator Casey and 15 other senators sent a letter to appropriations leaders calling for funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Drug Overdose Data Program.
March 31, 2023
Senator Casey and other 27 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders supporting funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
March 30, 2023
Senator Casey and 38 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders urging them to fully fund the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. The letter cites the increasing need for CASA services due to the opioid epidemic driving a drastic increase in the number of children in foster care.
March 15, 2023
Senator Casey reintroduced the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency Savings (MORE) Savings Act, which would eliminate costs for opioid treatment and recovery support services for people with private insurance plans and for people enrolled under a new Medicare pilot program, while increasing federal funding for Medicaid treatment programs.
December 22, 2022
An investigation by Senator Casey revealed that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) webpage on Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution, which contains critical information on preventing opioid overdoses and instructions on obtaining and using naloxone, is not in compliance with federal law on website accessibility for Americans with disabilities.
December 20, 2022
Senator Casey cosponsored the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe buprenorphine for substance use disorder treatment. The MAT Act became law in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.
November 29, 2022
Senator Casey reintroduced the Hide No Harm Act, which would hold corporate wrongdoers, like opioid company executives, accountable for knowingly withholding information that risked the lives or safety of consumers and workers.
September 29, 2022
Senator Casey reintroduced the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act, which would eliminate costs for opioid treatment and recovery support services for people with private insurance plans and for people enrolled under a new Medicare pilot program, while increasing federal funding for Medicaid treatment programs.
Late September 2022
Senator Casey attended a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence classified hearing on Latin America, including counternarcotics.
July 26, 2022
At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on the fentanyl crisis, Senator Casey asked experts about the links between adolescent mental health issues and opioid use disorders.
July 13, 2022
At the urging of Senator Casey, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated Lawrence County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This designation steers more resources to area law enforcement to fight drug trafficking and abuse. US Attorney Cindy Chung thanked Senator Casey for securing this designation for Lawrence County.
July 11, 2022
Senators Casey and Collins introduced the Supporting the Well-Being and Mental Health of Grandfamilies Act to formally authorize the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren for an additional four years, with a specific focus on mental health, substance use disorder, and the impact of trauma on grandfamilies and kinship families.
June 23, 2022
Senator Casey reintroduced the Grandfamilies Act to provide financial relief to grandparents raising grandchildren and other kinship caregivers by increasing access to Social Security benefits for children and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). There are an estimated 2.7 million children being raised by grandparents and other relatives, and substance use is considered one of the most common reasons for grandparents and other kin caregivers to take on this new caregiving role.
June 9, 2022
Senator Casey requested community project funding for the Hyndman Area Health Center to expand their physical capacity and increase their ability to offer medication-assisted treatment to address opioid use disorder. In December 2022, Senator Casey successfully secured $852,000 for this project.
May 25, 2022
Senator Casey and 17 other senators sent a letter to appropriations leaders urging them to fund the CDC Overdose Data to Action program.
May 19, 2022
As chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Senator Casey held a bipartisan hearing entitled, “Mental Health Care for Older Adults: Raising Awareness, Addressing Stigma, and Providing Support,” which examined opportunities to improve mental health services for older adults and address gaps in services to support seniors with mental health or substance use disorders.
May 12, 2022
Senator Casey and other 34 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders supporting funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
March 17, 2022
Senator Casey announced five Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission, including $845,000 for the Somerset County Foundation for Higher Education for opioid education for allied health professionals.
March 10, 2022
Senator Casey highlighted the inclusion of a $25 million increase for the State Opioid Response grants in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 federal spending bill.
December 16, 2021
Senator Casey cosponsored the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 2021, which would provide $100 billion over ten years to combat the opioid epidemic.
September 20, 2021
Senator Casey cosponsored the bipartisan NO PAIN Act, which would help lower barriers to non-opioid paid management through Medicare. The legislation was signed into law in December 2022.
September 14, 2021
Senator Casey wrote a letter of support for Wayne County’s application to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court grant program to continue services at the Wayne County Drug and Treatment Court. Wayne Court was awarded $198,000 for this grant in FY 2021.
July 8, 2021
Senator Casey wrote a letter of support for Washington County’s application for a DOJ grant to target low-level driving under the influence (DUI) drug offenders by providing intense follow-up, assessment and treatment services, and staff training in order to reduce opioid use and supply through a non-conviction diversionary program. Washington County received a $900,000 grant.
July 7, 2021
Senator Casey and 17 other senators sent a letter to appropriations leaders, urging them to fund the CDC Overdose Data to Action program.
July 7, 2021
Senator Casey advocated for the City of Erie Police Department’s DOJ grant application to help build capacity and secure resources for new diversion, follow-up, and referral programs designed to help individuals and families impacted by opioid and substance use. The city was awarded a $459,576 grant.
June 22, 2021
Senator Casey and 31 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders supporting funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
Mid-June 2021
Senator Casey attended a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence classified hearing on Latin America, including counternarcotics.
October 27, 2020
Senator Casey sent a letter calling for the inclusion of provisions from the Blocking Deadly Fentanyl Imports Act in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021. While the provisions would not be included in the final NDAA for FY 2021, it would become law as part of the FY 2022 NDAA.
September 29, 2020
Senators Casey and Young introduced the Informing Grandfamilies Act to require states to communicate information about available resources to grandfamilies and kinship families who receive or are applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. There are an estimated 2.7 million children being raised by grandparents and other relatives, and substance use is considered one of the most common reasons for grandparents and other kin caregivers to take on this new caregiving role.
June 4, 2020
At the urging of Senator Casey, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated Westmoreland County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This designation steers more resources to area law enforcement to fight drug trafficking and abuse. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Brady thanked Senator Casey for his help in securing this designation for Westmoreland County.
May 19, 2020
Senator Casey and 18 other senators sent a letter calling on congressional leaders to increase funding for substance use disorder treatment to address increase of overdoses during the pandemic.
May 8, 2020
Senator Casey advocated for Fayette County’s application for an ARC POWER grant. In October 2020, Fayette County is awarded a $917,368 grant to create a “telemedicine program to address substance use disorder, COVID-19, and chronic conditions facing communities” in Cambria, Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties.
March 24, 2020
Senator Casey and 41 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders supporting funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
March 20, 2020
Senator Casey and 25 other senators sent a letter to appropriations leaders that supported funding for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) opioid detection equipment.
September 19, 2019
At the urging of Senator Casey, Senator Toomey, and Representative Fitzpatrick, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated Bucks County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This designation steers more resources to area law enforcement to fight drug trafficking and abuse.
August 21, 2019
Senator Casey joined five of his Senate and House colleagues to champion a pilot program to curb the influx of synthetic drugs through prisoner mail at U.S. Penitentiary (USP Canaan).
May 23, 2019
Senator Casey introduced the Grandfamilies Act to provide financial relief to grandparents raising grandchildren and other kinship caregivers by increasing access to Social Security benefits for children and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). There are an estimated 2.7 million children being raised by grandparents and other relatives, and substance use is considered one of the most common reasons for grandparents and other kin caregivers to take on this new caregiving role.
May 14, 2019
Senator Casey cosponsored the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 2019, which would provide $100 billion over ten years to combat the opioid epidemic.
May 13, 2019
Senator Casey introduced his Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act, which would increase public and private insurance coverage of opioid treatments and medication-assisted treatments.
April 16, 2019
Senator Casey and 33 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders supporting funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
April 9, 2019
Senator Casey and 48 other senators sent a bipartisan letter to appropriations leaders urging funding for drug courts and veterans’ treatment courts.
March 26, 2019
Senator Casey cosponsored the Blocking Deadly Fentanyl Imports Act, which would require foreign countries to cooperate with U.S. drug enforcement efforts in order to receive U.S. aid or favorable treatment.
October 3, 2018
Senator Casey secured the inclusion of several of his proposals to combat the opioid crisis in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which would be signed into law by President Trump a few weeks later. The new law included Senator Casey’s provisions that provided for Medicare coverage for certain opioid treatment services, a study on management controls and medication-assisted treatment, support for plans of safe care for opioid exposed infants, and a requirement that Medicaid provide coverage for foster youth until age 26.
September 25, 2018
Senator Casey introduced legislation to protect first responders from exposure to fentanyl.
September 24, 2018
At the urging of Senator Casey and Senator Toomey, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington Counties as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This designation steers more resources to area law enforcement to fight drug trafficking and abuse. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Brady thanked Senator Casey for his help in securing this designation for Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington Counties.
July 27, 2018
Senator Casey led a letter of support for the Mid-Atlantic Network for Youth and Family Services’ (MANY) application for the Multi-State Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative through the DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs (OJJDP). The application sought to strengthen and/or expand existing mentoring activities in multiple states that assist youth at highest risk for delinquency and/or victimization. MANY, now called Youth Collaborative, was awarded $4,000,000.
July 26, 2018
Senator Casey cosponsored the Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative Act, which would establish an initiative at NIH to support pain-related research.
July 25, 2018
Senator Casey cosponsored the Border and Port Security Act, which would require Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to increase field operations officers and to report on the infrastructure needed to prevent opioid smuggling into the United States.
July 18, 2018
At a hearing held by the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, Ranking Member Casey praised the work customs officers do to stop opioid shipments and called for more staffing to address an acute staffing shortage of customs officers.
July 12, 2018
Senator Casey wrote a letter of support for the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission’s grant application to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program. The application is for funding for the Commission’s Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine/Naloxone Treatment for Opioid Dependance and 24-Hour Recovery Support Access programs. The Commission was subsequently awarded a $200,000 grant for the program its efforts to address the increase in substance misuse disorder-related admissions in area hospitals and clinics.
July 7, 2018
Senator Collins’ and Senator Casey’s Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act is signed into law by President Trump. The SGRG Act created an Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in order to identify, promote, coordinate, and disseminate information and resources to support grandfamilies and kinship families. In September 2018, Senators Casey and Collins urged U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar to swiftly implement the law.
June 12, 2018
Senator Casey cosponsored the STOP (Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention) Act of 2018, which would require the United States Postal Service (USPS) to receive Advanced Electronic Data that helps authorities discover illegal shipments of fentanyl. The bill was signed into law by President Trump later that year.
May 23, 2018
Alongside Chair Collins, Ranking Member Casey held an Aging Committee hearing on “Preventing and Treating Opioid Misuse Among Older Americans.”
May 22, 2018
Senators Casey and Heller introduced their bipartisan Enhancing Patient Access to Non-Opioid Treatment Options Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop guidance for state on non-opioid treatments that may be offered under Medicaid.
May 8, 2018
Senator Casey released a report showing the opioid crisis cost Pennsylvania over $54.77 billion in 2016.
May 2, 2018
Senator Casey wrote a letter of support for Beaver County’s application for funding through the Enhancement and Expansion of Treatment and Recovery Services for Adolescents, Transitional Aged Youth, and their Families Program provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This funding would support Beaver County’s efforts to expand the county’s comprehensive system of care by focusing on substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental disorders. The funding would also help improve overall quality of life for youth and their families by linking treatment, recovery and/or peer support services. Beaver County was subsequently awarded $541,350 for this program.
April 24, 2018
Senator Casey announced that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed three of his bills to address the opioid crisis: the Supporting Infant Plans of Safe Care Implementation Act, the Protecting Moms and Infants Act, and the Restraining Entrance and Strengthening the Requirements on Import Controls for Trafficking (RESTRICT) Illicit Drugs Act. The RESTRICT Illicit Drugs Act was signed into law by President Trump later that year.
April 23, 2018
Senators Casey and McConnell introduced the Protecting Moms and Infants Act. This legislation requested a report from HHS on the implementation of the Protecting Our Infants Act and would increase grant funding for residential treatment of pregnant and postpartum women.
April 23, 2018
Senators Casey and Portman introduced the Medicare Opioid Addiction Treatment Act. This legislation would break down existing barriers to treatment, by providing coverage for methadone under Medicare Part B and allowing seniors and people with disabilities to receive this important medication in their doctor’s office.
April 18, 2018
Senator Casey introduced the Medicare Beneficiary Opioid Addiction Treatment Act, which would provide Medicare coverage of methadone treatment of opioid use disorder.
March 21, 2018
Senator Casey announced the Senate omnibus appropriations bill includes $3.3 billion in funding to address the opioid epidemic, consistent with his efforts to secure more funding.
February 7, 2018
Senator Casey announced that the bipartisan agreement to fund the government includes funding for the opioid epidemic that he fought for.
January 12, 2018
Senator Casey and 10 other senators sent a letter to President Trump urging him to extend the public health emergency for the opioid crisis and to work with them to secure substantial funding to address the opioid crisis.
November 30, 2017
Senator Casey wrote a letter of support for the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission’s grant application to HRSA’s Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program. The application is for funding for the Commission’s Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine/Naloxone Treatment for Opioid Dependance and 24-Hour Recovery Support Access programs. The Commission was subsequently awarded a $200,000 grant for its efforts to address the increase in addiction-related admissions in area hospitals and clinics.
November 7, 2017
Senator Casey cosponsored the INTERDICT Act, which authorized $15 million for CBP screening devices for ports of entry to catch illegal fentanyl imports. The bill was signed into law by President Trump later that year.
October 31, 2017
Senator Casey thanked President Trump for declaring the opioid epidemic a nationwide public health emergency and urged the President to work with him to pass his Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act.
July 28, 2017
Senator Casey voted with 47 other Democratic senators and 3 Republican senators to defeat the so-called “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act, preserving insurance coverage and services vital to fighting opioid epidemic.
July 12, 2017
Senator Casey released a statement warning that latest version of the Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act would pull “the rug out from under those who need treatment for an opioid addiction” and that “those suffering from addiction and their families need coverage and long-term quality treatment, not some grant.”
June 22, 2017
Senator Casey blasted the Republican health care bill for proposing to take away coverage for substance use disorder treatment, which would have devastated efforts to fight the opioid epidemic.
June 20, 2017
Senator Casey, Senator Manchin, and law enforcement leaders from Pennsylvania (Berwick Police Chief Ken Strish), Ohio, and Kentucky, warned the Republican health care scheme’s slashing of Medicaid will undermine efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
May 25, 2017
Senator Casey and 23 other senators sent a letter to President Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mulvaney highlighting the impact of their proposed cuts—including a 20 percent cut to the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse—would have on veterans.
May 17, 2017
Senator Casey and 31 other senators wrote to Senate appropriations leaders urging them to increase funding for opioid and substance use disorder programs.
March 31, 2017
Senator Casey led a letter to President Trump urging him to make 21st Century Cures opioid treatment funding available immediately and not cut other opioid and substance use disorder funding.
March 21, 2017
Along with Chair Collins, Ranking Member Casey held an Aging Committee hearing entitled, “Grandparents to the Rescue: Raising Grandchildren in the Opioid Crisis and Beyond.”
December 7, 2016
Senator Casey announced he secured $1 billion in funding to help states respond to the opioid epidemic as part of the 21st Century Cures Act.
August 2, 2016
Senator Casey and 28 other senators sent a letter to Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt, asking him to remove substance use disorder treatment for adults from the Institutions for Mental Disease Exclusion, in order to better address the opioid crisis.
July 13, 2016
Senator Casey and 36 other senators wrote a letter to Senator McConnell urging him to support a $600 million supplemental appropriation for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act programs immediately. This letter follows another from Senator Casey and 31 other Senators to appropriations leaders urging them to fund anti-opioid programs in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.
May 27, 2016
Senator Casey wrote to Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt urging him to reconsider CMS’s decision to decrease reimbursement rates for opioid use testing ordered by doctors before prescribing opioid drugs.
May 26, 2016
Senator Casey introduced the John Thomas Decker Act of 2016, which required a study and report on information given to young athletes about the dangers of opioid use and alternative treatment for sports injuries. The bill was later enacted into law as the Information Materials and Resources to Prevent Addiction Related to Youth Sports Injuries section of the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act on July 22, 2016.
March 15, 2016
Senator Casey and 30 other senators sent a letter calling for Congress to fund President Obama’s FY 2017 budget request of $1.1 billion to address opioid misuse.
March 10, 2016
Senators Casey, Brown, and Whitehouse led a coordinated effort on the Senate floor to call for increased funding to battle the Nation’s opioid and heroin epidemic.
November 17, 2015
Senator Casey and Senator McConnell announced their bipartisan Protecting Our Infants Act, which seeks to address prenatal opioid use and infant opioid withdrawal, passed Congress. The bill was later signed into law by President Obama.
October 5, 2015
Senator Casey cosponsored the Treatment and Recovery Investment Act, which would increase funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant and create a grant program to fund treatment and recovery in states with high levels of heroin and prescription painkiller misuse, increase funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, and create a grant program to fund treatment and recovery in states with high levels of heroin and prescription painkiller use.
October 1, 2015
Senator Casey cosponsored the TREAT Act, which would expand the types of providers who can administer medication-assisted therapy, and the number of patients each provider could treat.
December 9, 2014
Senator Casey announced that he secured language to protect counterdrug centers in the National Defense Authorization Act.
April 11, 2014
Senator Casey launched a bipartisan group of Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee members to tackle the increasing crisis of prescription drug and heroin use.
March 13, 2014
At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, Senator Casey pressed FDA Commissioner Hamburg on the FDA’s approval of a highly addictive pain killer, Zohydro, and urged the FDA to review the status of naloxone as a prescription drug.
February 27, 2014
Senator Casey cosponsored the Increasing the Safety of Prescription Drug Use Act of 2013, which would provide new training for prescribers, promote safe medication disposal, and require the FDA review the status of naloxone to see if it could be made available without a prescription.
February 27, 2014
Senator Casey called for the passage of legislation to train prescribers, provide grants to states to educate consumers about the dangers of opioids, and create a national registry to track opioid deaths.
January 31, 2014
Senator Casey requested DEA assistance for Pennsylvania law enforcement investigating a fentanyl-tainted heroin batch that killed at least 22 Pennsylvanians.
September 26, 2013
Senator Casey cosponsored the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2013, which would institute new training requirements before health providers can prescribe opioids and methadone, implement consumer education efforts regarding opioid use, and comprehensive reporting of opioid-related deaths.
June 5, 2012
Senator Casey and Senator Alexander sent a letter to the Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the agency to use all available resources and provide as much information as possible to combat rising rates of prescription drug misuse among pregnant women.
May 25, 2012
Senator Casey announced the Senate passed the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act that included his and Senator Alexander’s proposal to require the FDA to review and enhance federal programs to better track and promote safe use of medicines through data collection. The bill was signed into law on July 9, 2012.
April 29, 2011
Senator Casey highlighted a nationwide prescription drug “take-back” initiative. A study he requested noted the connection between prescription drug misuse and heroin use.
April 8, 2011
At Senator Casey’s request, the National Drug Intelligence Center issued a threat assessment on drugs and gangs in Eastern Pennsylvania. The report notes that prescription drug misuse often leads to heroin use due to the lower cost of heroin. Senator Casey wrote to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to urge him to provide federal resources to Eastern Pennsylvania to combat drug and gang-related crime.
March 8, 2011
Senator Casey cosponsored legislation to crack down on the theft of prescription drugs and medical devices.
