April 24, 2018

Manchin Applauds Extension of Opioid Public Health Emergency Declaration

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the President’s decision to extend the opioid public health emergency declaration.

“There is no question that the opioid epidemic is a national public health emergency, which is why I applauded the President’s emergency declaration in October. My hope then was that federal agencies and resources would be mobilized immediately to take action to combat the epidemic in West Virginia,” Senator Manchin said. “Since the declaration, federal agencies have taken steps to fight the opioid epidemic, but we must mobilize federal agencies faster and I will continue to fight to make sure maximum resources are available to West Virginia communities.”

On October 26, 2017, President Trump declared a public health emergency with the goal of mobilizing federal resources and strengthening the federal response to the opioid epidemic. On January 12, 2018, Senator Manchin urged President Trump to renew the opioid public health emergency declaration. Read the full letter below or click here. This is the second extension of the emergency declaration with the previous extension having taken place on January 23, 2018.

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