Manchin: ‘I Don’t Know How We Can Ignore Prescription Drug Abuse Much Longer’
On Senate floor, Manchin expresses disappointment over final FDA bill, which does not contain his amendment to make it harder to abuse prescription painkillers
**Audio, Video Available**
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) vowed today to continue his fight against prescription drug abuse and find a way forward for his hydrocodone rescheduling amendment.
Two weeks ago, the Senate unanimously adopted a Manchin-sponsored measure to make it harder to get hydrocodone pills for illegitimate reasons. Senator Manchin’s amendment to the FDA bill moved hydrocodone to the list of Schedule II substances from the list of Schedule III substances. Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a compromise version of the FDA bill that did not contain his provision. The Senate is now expected to also pass the bill without Senator Manchin's amendment, so that it is identical to the bill that passed the House.
In a speech on the Senate floor this afternoon, Senator Manchin expressed his deep disappointment that special interest groups were able to derail a strong amendment to fight the prescription drug abuse epidemic that is devastating communities all across this nation. The efforts of these lobbyists were detailed in the New York Times this week: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/19/health/policy/move-to-restrict-painkillers-founders-in-congress.html?_r=1&ref=politics
“They got their victory – but not at my expense,” Senator Manchin said. “The people who will pay the price are the young boys and girls in communities all across this nation who are seeing their families and their schools and their neighborhoods wrecked by abuse and addiction.”
The Manchin amendment would require patients to get a new prescription to get their pills refilled. Pills would have to be stored and transported more securely, and traffickers would be subject to increased fines and penalties. Senator Manchin said he recognizes that this amendment doesn’t necessarily fit into current business models, but historically public health concerns have prompted businesses to alter their original plans, hopefully voluntarily, but in some cases only as a result of government regulation – and this is one of those times. Senator Manchin also said he is not giving up the fight to get his amendment signed into law.
“It doesn’t look like my amendment will go in this bill, but I can assure you that it will not go away. And neither will the problem of drug abuse. I am determined to see this thing through. This measure will pass, whether it passes this year or next,” Senator Manchin said.
“Until we do something, there are going to be families that are separated and torn apart because of drug abuse, and little kids who come to me – and you – and plead for help because their Daddy is addicted, or their Mom is on drugs, or someone they know has overdosed or died.
“I don’t pretend that this amendment will solve the entire problem of prescription drug abuse. But when every law enforcement agency that we rely on to fight this war on drugs has supported this amendment and spoken out loud and clear that it would help them tremendously, I don’t know how we can ignore this problem much longer.”
Video of the Senator’s floor speech is available here:HD Version – http://sdmc-media.senate.gov.s3.amazonaws.com/Manchin/062112_MANCHIN_1_FTP.M2T
SD Version - http://sdmc-media.senate.gov.s3.amazonaws.com/Manchin/062112_MANCHIN_1_FTP.MPG
Audio is available here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdmc-media.senate.gov/Manchin/062112_MANCHIN_1_AUDIO.mp3
The full text of the Senator’s speech is included below:
M. President, I also rise today to express my deep, deep disappointment that the special interest groups that have a vested financial interest in this issue have derailed a strong effort to fight the prescription drug abuse epidemic that is devastating communities all across this nation.
They got their victory – but not at my expense. The people who will pay the price are the young boys and girls in communities all across this nation who are seeing their families and their schools and their neighborhoods wrecked by abuse and addiction.
What my amendment would do is simply this: It would require patients to get a new prescription to get their pills refilled. Pills would have to be stored and transported more securely, and traffickers would be subject to increased fines and penalties.
I am not trying to put anyone out of business. In fighting for this amendment, I asked anyone who was opposed to come straight to me to see if we could find a way to work together. We tried to accommodate the groups who were worried about additional administrative costs, like new security requirements for storing hydrocodone, or additional paperwork that would come as a result of rescheduling.
But at the end of the day, these groups seem more concerned with their business plans and the ability to sell more pills than the responsibility we all have to protect the future of this country and the future of the generation we are counting on to lead and defend this country.
Since the moment the Senate adopted my hydrocodone rescheduling amendment, lobbyists have been turning out in droves to fight this effort to limit people’s ability to get pills too easily and abuse them. Yesterday, these lobbyists got a victory when the House of Representatives passed a compromise version of the FDA bill that does not contain my amendment. And I assume that the Senate will do the same.
Just a few weeks ago, it was a different story. I was so proud when the Senate unanimously adopted this amendment – because this is a problem that affects every single Member in every single state. I don’t know of a person – whether it be in Congress or anybody in America – that hasn’t had a family member, or an extended member of their family or a close friend that has been affected by the abuse of prescription drugs.
M. President, where I come from, that’s an epidemic.
In fact, prescription drug abuse is responsible for about 75 percent of drug-related deaths in the United States – and 90 percent in West Virginia. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and it’s claiming the lives of thousands of Americans every day.
M. President, I understand that limiting the access to hydrocodone pills doesn’t necessarily fit into the model of selling more product. But I also understand this: we have a responsibility to this nation and most importantly to the next generation to win the war on drugs.
I have been a business person all my life. I understand that in business, you have to have a good business plan to be successful. You should also have the ability to alter that plan when necessary while still being successful.
I assure you that this is one of those necessary times. The health of our country and the public good are at stake.
I am hearing on a daily basis from people and businesses small, medium and large that are having a hard time finding qualified workers who can pass a drug test. We have folks who can’t get the type of education they need to be a part of the workforce because they are drug-impaired.
I have been in Washington a short time compared to some of my colleagues, but I have been here long enough to know the pressures that members face around here when special interest groups get entrenched.
Because of that, it doesn’t look like my amendment will go in this bill, but I can assure you that it will not go away. And neither will the problem of drug abuse. I am determined to see this thing through. This measure will pass, whether it passes this year or next.
M. President, until we do something, there are going to be families that are separated and torn apart because of drug abuse, and little kids who come to me – and you – and plead for help because their Daddy is addicted, or their Mom is on drugs, or someone they know has overdosed or died.
I don’t pretend that this amendment will solve the entire problem of prescription drug abuse. But when every law enforcement agency that we rely on to fight this war on drugs has supported this amendment and spoken out loud and clear that it would help them tremendously, I don’t know how we can ignore this problem much longer.
The fact is, we must act. And I can assure you that working together we will find a way to move forward with this vital piece of legislation.
M. President, I promise you that I will continue to fight this war on drugs and urge every one my colleagues to join me because this is a war that we cannot afford to lose.
Thank you M. President, and I yield the floor.
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