Congress just passed a bill to address opioid addiction.
Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden voted for it, but called it a “half measure” undeserving of a victory lap.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Wyden said the bill leaves on the table a lot of opportunities to fight addiction. He said 80 percent of people hooked on painkillers or heroin aren’t getting any treatment.
“I want everybody to understand Mr. President, under this bill, those waiting lines aren’t going to get much shorter,” he said.
The bill authorizes addiction treatment and prevention programs, but it doesn’t contain a penny to pay for them. Republicans say they will allocate funding when lawmakers return from the summer break.
The House approved the bill last week and it’s headed to the President’s desk.