WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) spoke on the Senate floor today in support of the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act, reform legislation aimed at providing safer and more effective pain management services to our nation’s veterans. Senators Capito and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced the bipartisan legislation on Monday. Video of the speech and the full remarks as prepared for delivery are below.
Watch Senator Capito’s speech here.
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Mr. President, I come before you today, joined by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, in support of legislation that provides safer and more effective pain management to our nation’s veterans.
“Too many of our veterans have returned from overseas only to fight another battle here at home.
“The Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act takes necessary steps to address challenges faced by our veterans.
“It reforms the overreliance on painkillers by the VA while still ensuring that veterans receive appropriate medication.
“This legislation not only updates and strengthens the guidelines for opioid prescriptions, it requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand the scope of research, education, delivery and integration of alternative pain management.
“Chronic pain should not be something our veterans are forced to live with, and the VA must be on the cutting edge of developing effective pain management.
“This bill will elevate the role of patient advocates, require community meetings hosted by the VA, and establish a joint DoD and VA working group to improve coordination and communication at all levels of government.
“In an era where medical research and technological advancements have led to at least a 90 percent survival rate for our wounded soldiers, we must continue to focus on the battles veterans face when they return home, including treatment of the wounds that are not evidently visible.
“One Marine, Andrew White, returned home to West Virginia after serving in Iraq. Andrew displayed signs of PTSD, including insomnia, nightmares, constant restlessness and pain related to an injury.
“In addition to antidepressant and anti-anxiety pills, doctors placed Andrew on a strong antipsychotic drug and, over time, increased his dosage from 25 milligrams to 1600 milligrams—more than twice the dosage recommended to treat schizophrenia.
“Andrew died in his sleep at the age of 23.
“Andrew is a reminder of the physical and mental side effects of war.
“We must work together to provide the resources and care necessary to assist our veterans in their transition to civilian life.
“Expansion of the Opioid Safety Initiative and further development of the Opioid Therapy Risk Report tool will do just that.
“These measures will enable the VA to use the patient record database to detect those at higher risk of opioid abuse and submit information to the state prescription drug monitoring program.
“This real-time tracking of information will enable medical professionals to better diagnose and treat patients.
“This legislation also calls for more accountability within the VA through internal audits, reports to Congress and increased information sharing.
“We cannot allow bureaucracy to get in the way of delivering quality care to veterans, and we must prioritize the efficient delivery of care.
“In my home state of West Virginia, the tragic effects of opioid abuse have left families devastated. I have met with other families who lost their loved ones after struggling with the challenges of PTSD and traumatic brain injury, and I believe that more can be done to find solutions.
“Mr. President, it is incumbent upon us in this chamber to do right by our veterans. We should not allow one more veteran to be lost as a result of inaction.
“I thank Senator Baldwin for her work and leadership on a topic near and dear to my heart and would ask all of my colleagues to join with us in supporting this bill.
“Our best is not just the least we can do. It is our duty to those of whom we have asked so much.
“Thank you, and I yield the floor.”