Opioid Abuse- It's Time to Fight Back

Last Thursday, I was joined by local health officials, community leaders and concerned citizens for a roundtable in Oshkosh to discuss the opioid abuse epidemic in our country and what we can to help fight it.

I also introduced a bill that would help fight the epidemic of opioid abuse in America. The Responsible Opioid Prescription Act would reform the program with the highest rate of opioid addiction, Medicaid, by reducing initial opioid prescriptions to a 7-day supply, and each subsequent refill to a 30-day supply. Patients receiving hospice or palliative care, treatment for cancer or are living in a long-term care or skilled nursing facility would be exempt from these limits.

When a patient receives more medication than is needed, two things can happen. First, they may take the medication until the bottle is empty because they were told to by a doctor, at which point they may develop a dependency. Second, when opioids get left in a medicine cabinet, an adolescent, relative or visitor can access them or distribute them for recreational use.

What this bill aims to do is limit distribution of these drugs at the source by aligning Medicaid’s prescribing guidelines with the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control.

Opioid abuse has been a problem in America for years now. While I still believe that it is an underpublicized problem, I am happy to see the press giving it more attention. I am hopeful that my legislation helps stem the drug dependency problem.

For more information, please click here.

Sheboygan Air Quality Field Briefing- UPDATE!

Last Tuesday, I was joined by Senator Ron Johnson and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at UW-Sheboygan for a field briefing on pollutants, ozone standards and the impact on local jobs.

For years, Sheboygan County has been classified as a non-attainment zone by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for air pollution created outside of the county that is picked up by sensors within the county. This job-killing classification is holding Sheboygan County back. The catch is, the pollution that puts the county into non-attainment status cannot be controlled by the businesses within the county as it is largely created by Chicago and other more industrialized areas, then blown over Lake Michigan and into Wisconsin.

Finally, after years of letting the EPA know that there is a misplaced sensor in Sheboygan County that is picking up this foreign pollution and that the county should not be penalized for the misdeeds of others, the EPA has listened. Not by coincidence, the very same week I brought the House Oversight Committee to Wisconsin, the EPA announced that that large portions of Wisconsin will be taken out of non-attainment status, freeing both citizens and businesses from the shackles of over-regulation.

To read more about the field briefing, please click here.

Fighting Anti-Semitism Today

I had the privilege to speak with Zionist Organization of America.

We enjoy so many freedoms in America that people is other countries don't, so it is easy to forget about, or not even realize that around the world there are so many groups of people being opressed.

People of the Jewish faith, to this day, face challenges around the world and are targeted for their beliefs. It's unfortunate that we still need to discuss ways to combatnanti-Semitism, but it’s the only way we will triumph over those who wish Israel and the Jewish people harm.

Weekly Update

I was proud to assist Dick Vander Velde of St. Cloud in receiving the medals he earned during his service in the Vietnam War. Thank you for all you've done for our country!

Earlier this week, I spoke with Spectrum about ways Congress is helping to restore jobs, freedom and security to Wisconsin. Stay tuned for a link to the full video!

This week was Habitat for Humanity's National Women Build Week. I’m proud of my staffer, Sadie, for chipping in. National Women Build Week invites women to devote at least one day to help families build strength, stability and independence through housing. Learn more by clicking here.

It's always great to see AAHOA members in DC, especially the ones from Wisconsin!

Happy Nurses week! I was happy to speak with the Wisconsin Emergency Nurses Association about their experiences and ways we can improve our broken health care system.

Contact Me

As your congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the 6th District.

Sincerely,

Glenn Grothman
Member of Congress