U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Announces New Funding for Wisconsin to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
Bipartisan Funding Agreement Includes $3 Billion Increase to Fight the Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the bipartisan spending package includes a $3 billion increase in federal funding to help fight the opioid epidemic, including more funding for states and tribal communities.
The government funding agreement contains key provisions led by Senator Baldwin, including an additional $1 billion investment for the State Targeted Opioid Response (STR) Grant at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for Fiscal Year 2018. This also includes more resources for tribal communities and for states that have been especially hard hit by the epidemic with high opioid mortality rates. Senator Baldwin has been pushing for expanded resources to help states and tribal communities better fight the opioid epidemic that is devastating communities and families across Wisconsin.
Baldwin and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Opioid Response Enhancement Act last month that would expand and extend the State Targeted Opioid Response (STR) Grant program, created as part of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, for five years and ensure states and tribes have access to additional funding for FY2018. Baldwin’s legislation would also provide flexibility to allow states and tribes to use some of the funding to help address other substance use issues such as methamphetamine abuse.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Baldwin has been a leader in calling for more federal funding to fight the opioid epidemic. Last year, she led a group of more than 30 Senators in sending a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, urging them to include increased funding to combat the epidemic in the FY2018 Congressional budget.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- County Executive Crowley, Chairwoman Nicholson Sign Legislation Approving $9 Million for Efforts to Compat the Opioid Crisis - County Executive David Crowley - Aug 15th, 2025
- How Are State’s Local Governments Spending Opioid Settlement Payouts? - Addie Costello - Aug 4th, 2025
- MKE County: How County Will Spend $9 Million in Drug Settlement Funds - Graham Kilmer - Jul 29th, 2025
- Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Announces Over $9 Million for Initiatives to Combat Opioid Epidemic - County Executive David Crowley - Jul 17th, 2025
- AG Kaul, 45 Other Attorneys General Plan to Join $720 Million Settlement with Eight Opioid Drug Makers - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Jul 14th, 2025
- Attorney General Kaul Announces Consent Judgment with Kroger Over Opioid Crisis - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Mar 21st, 2025
- Baldwin Votes to Strengthen Penalties, Step Up Enforcement Around Deadly Fentanyl - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Mar 17th, 2025
- Wisconsin Communities Get Millions From Opioid Settlement as Deaths Decline - Evan Casey - Mar 1st, 2025
- MKE County: County Creates Easy Public Access To Overdose Data - Graham Kilmer - Feb 18th, 2025
- Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the Office of Emergency Management Launch New Overdose Dashboard - County Executive David Crowley - Feb 18th, 2025
Read more about Opioid Crisis here
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