Rep. Greg Walden has been busy lately working on, and especially talking about, the opioid crisis. It’s indeed a crisis, with 72,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. in the past year. And it’s indeed far past time to address it.
The CDC and Oregon Health Authority report that during Walden's time in office, more than 350,000 Americans, including nearly 5,000 Oregonians, have died from opioid overdose. The death rate from prescription opioid overdose is now five times what it was in 1999 when he took office. And here in Walden’s own district, the rate of overdose and hospitalization exceeds the state average. As we listen to Mr. Walden self-congratulate on his current efforts, we might wonder why in the world he’s just now addressing it. Well, it is election season...
The bill Walden recently sponsored (HR6) is a weak, piecemeal approach to addressing the opioid crisis. It rolls together 50-plus other bills, giving 50-plus other lawmakers a chance to say that they're doing something about this national crisis in an election year. It presents many little bandaids but no real, comprehensive plan, and definitely no significant funding.
Walden drove HR6 through — and is crowing about it plenty — to distract from his outrageous assaults on his constituents’ healthcare. He’s attempted to repeal or defund or destroy the ACA more than FIFTY times.
Looking us right in our faces at town halls, he’s promised to uphold protections for people with pre-existing conditions, then has voted consistently to strip away those protections. He’s also voted to make deep cuts to CHIP, Medicaid, and Medicare in order to gift the wealthiest 1 percent with huge tax breaks.
Walden’s generous support from the pharmaceutical industry makes his current belated efforts even more suspect. His Energy & Commerce Committee has been investigating opioid manufacturers and distributors while at the same time Walden has accepted tens of thousands of dollars in donations from them.
Jamie McLeod-Skinner is by far our best chance for honest leadership, solid healthcare, and a rep who works for her constituents’ well-being.
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