With the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump officially dismissed by the United States Senate, Congress now turns its attention to a busy work slate before them, which includes passing legislation to keep the government running, extending certain expiring tax provisions, and more. Complicating matters, of course, is the coming elections in November which makes legislating in 2020 difficult.
So, with that in mind, what are our opportunities to pass meaningful legislation, including policies to prevent opioid addiction like the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (“NOPAIN”) Act? One opportunity may be an upcoming deadline to extend certain expiring health policy items. Because most policy measures expire or “sunset”, Congress is forced into a decision about whether or not they should be extended. As a result, most years, Congress passes a package of policy items known as “extenders”.
It is widely expected that Congress will consider and pass such a package this year. On May 22nd, several of these items are due to expire absent Congressional action. This means that a legislative package to extend these items is likely to move through Congress. It also means that it is an opportunity for a piece of legislation – like the NOPAIN Act – to be included in this legislative package. Voices and our partners will be urging lawmakers to have this important piece of legislation included in this package.
But we need your help. Members of Congress need to hear from their constituents about the need to have the NOPAIN Act included in this piece of legislation. If you’re interested in getting involved and urging support for the NOPAIN Act, please fill out our Advocate form here and a member of our team will be in touch on how you can get involved!
