Salinas Announces New Actions to Fight Fentanyl and Addiction in Oregon

Salem, OR – Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) announced new legislative actions she is taking to address the fentanyl and addiction crisis in Oregon. Rep. Salinas was joined by local law enforcement, county officials, and patient advocates for the announcement, which follows her successful post-Measure 110 listening tour earlier this year.
 

Click here to download a recording of the press conference

“Throughout my first term, I have been working to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to keep us safe, while also expanding access to treatment and recovery services. That is why I decided to embark on a “Life After Measure 110” listening tour earlier this year,” said Rep. Salinas. “During that tour, I met with law enforcement, district attorneys, county commissioners, and patient advocates to hear directly from the folks who know best how I – as a Member of Congress – can support their efforts and help them tackle this problem at the federal level. As a result of those conversations, I am proud to announce a series of new actions that I am taking to solve this problem and continue moving Oregon forward.”

During her announcement, Rep. Salinas outlined policies, letters, and funding efforts that are the product of conversations she had with local officials during her county-by-county listening tour. These actions include:

• New legislation to increase the size of in-patient facilities that are eligible for Medicaid coverage and provide funding for facilities to subsequently increase their capacity.
• Additional legislation that Rep. Salinas has cosponsored to help stop the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country and improve our mental and behavioral health infrastructure.
• Letters to state and federal partners to convey concerns related to the implementation of House Bill 4002, as well as the lack of federal resources for the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
  • Click here to read Rep. Salinas’ letter to Speaker Fahey and Senate President Wagner
  • Click here to read Rep. Salinas’ letter to Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Executive Director Gibson
• Requests for increased federal funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics & Quality (CBHSQ), Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act First Responders grants, and Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Centers (ROTA-R).

Several local officials and law enforcement officers joined Rep. Salinas for her announcement, expressing gratitude for her listening tour and bipartisan approach to solving the fentanyl and addiction crisis. 

“I want to thank you for the listening tour, with listening being the key word,” said Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter. “This is not just one layer that we need to address. This is multiple layers, from the prevention side to the treatment side, but also the vulnerability of our addicted population and truly addressing the enforcement side of trying to get those drugs off our streets. I appreciate the direction you’re taking with this bipartisan approach [of] “we need to do this for our state” – because this is a health crisis, not a law enforcement crisis – and everybody is involved in what that solution or pathway to get better looks like.”

“I really appreciate the Congresswoman’s visit to our county and getting the perspective of multiple counties. This bottom-up approach to policymaking is going to bear a ton of fruit in communities across the United States,” said Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon.

In addition to the new actions announced today, Rep. Salinas already supported several other policies prior to her listening tour that would help law enforcement combat and prevent fentanyl from entering our communities. Rep. Salinas voted with Republicans and Democrats to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, which would increase criminal penalties for fentanyl-related substances and help save lives. She also supports the Smart Border Protection Act, which would deploy additional personnel to our Southern Border and prevent these dangerous drugs from entering the United States. Beyond legislation, Rep. Salinas consistently meets with local law enforcement to discuss how Congress can better support their efforts to get fentanyl under control.

At the same time, Rep. Salinas has championed bills that would expand access to affordable treatment and supported more funding for school-based and community health centers that often help people who are struggling with substance use disorders. She also recently requested federal funding for the Beaverton Behavioral Health Court, which provides wraparound services to prevent people with substance use disorders from entering the criminal justice system if it can be avoided.

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