WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he’s declaring the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency and vowed to fight drug addiction. “I am directing all executive agencies to use every appropriate emergency authority to fight the opioid crisis,” he said during a White House event. In fact, he wants to cut federal spending on the opioid crisis. Trump’s 2018 budget calls for reducing funding for the opioid epidemic by $97 million compared with 2017 levels, said Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), who represents a state hit hard by the opioid epidemic, said Trump should have gone with the disaster declaration.

Source: Huffington Post October 26, 2017 21:31 UTC