White House frames government funding request around opioid crisis

The White House employed a new tactic Wednesday in pursuit of a “bipartisan” government funding package that frames President Joe Biden‘s budget request as a critical step in addressing the national opioid crisis.

This latest missive comes just over two weeks ahead of the Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government and avert a shutdown.

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The White House claimed in a Wednesday memo that Biden’s request includes “$1.2 billion to counter fentanyl trafficking and more than $1.5 billion in State Opioid Response grants to strengthen addiction treatment, overdose prevention measures, and recovery support services.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promises — lowering costs for families, protecting American lives from the devastating impacts of challenges like the climate crisis and the opioid epidemic, and ensuring America can compete to win in the global marketplace. At the same time, additional resources are needed to meet the needs of the American people, support our communities, and protect our nation and its interests,” the memo reads. “The White House continues to call on Congress to reach a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement to fund the government and provide the emergency resources requested by the Administration for critical bipartisan national security and domestic priorities.”

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The White House estimated that the State Opioid Response grants have extended treatment to more than 1.2 million people and prevented roughly 500,000 overdose deaths. Officials say that Biden’s budget, and Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy, would expand those services across tribal territories and all 50 states.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that keeping the government open was a top priority but suggested that he would rally Republicans around another stopgap legislation rather than meet the president’s funding request.