As Trump’s chaos convention comes to an end tonight, the opioid crisis continues to ravage families in Maine and across the country as a result of his failure in leadership. Trump promised Mainers that he would stop the opioid crisis and declared it a public health emergency three years ago.. 

Yet his emergency declaration has been just another broken promise to Mainers. Since then, Trump has taken no concrete steps to increase funding for the programs proven to prevent opioid deaths. Instead, he’s actually threatened some of those programs with proposed budget cuts and attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. As Trump has failed to act, the crisis has gotten worse, and drug overdose deaths have risen in Maine and across the country.

“Trump’s broken promises on addressing the opioid epidemic embodies how his failed leadership has damaged Mainers,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “While Maine’s legislative leaders have made progress addressing the crisis, they’ve done so with little help from the Trump administration. Trump declared an emergency declaration and then walked away, stopping only to sabotage life-saving programs for Mainers. Joe Biden has a plan to end the opioid crisis once and for all. We must elect him in November to save American lives.”

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S BROKEN PROMISES ON THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC

PROMISE: Trump told Mainers he would “stop the opioid crisis.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Bangor ME, 10/15/16]

PROMISE: After declaring the epidemic a public health emergency, Trump claimed “we’re making tremendous progress” in ending the crisis [Trump Remarks At The Rx Drug Abuse And Heroin Summit, Atlanta GA, 4/24/19]

REALITY: Trump’s “public health emergency” declaration did very little to combat the opioid crisis.

  • When Trump declared a public health emergency, he did not accompany the declaration with any additional funding to actually fight the opioid epidemic.
     
  • A 2018 GAO report found that the declaration accomplished very little.
     

REALITY: Trump’s budgets and health care priorities have constantly threatened to devastate vital programs that counter substance abuse.

  • Throughout his time in his office, this President has fought tooth and nail to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
     
    • Among its many feats, the ACA expanded health care to more than 1 million people receiving mental health and addiction treatment, and enshrined substance abuse services as one of 10 essential health benefits that insurers must cover.
       
    • Trump’s sabotage of the ACA jeopardizes these important support mechanisms for substance abuse.
       
  • Trump has also regularly called for policies and budget cuts that would severely damage access to addiction treatment.
     
    • His administration has made it easier for states to implement Medicaid work requirements, which often force people away from treatment while they are trying to get off of drugs.
       
    • Additionally, each of his budgets has included significant cuts to substance abuse and mental health services.

 

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