WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the following statement regarding her vote to confirm Michael Botticelli as Director of National Drug Control Policy:
“As Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy, Mr. Botticelli visited Huntington and Beckley last summer and witnessed first-hand drug addiction’s devastation in West Virginia.
“He met with local law enforcement officials, visited The Healing Place of Huntington and toured Cabell Huntington Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where drug-dependent babies are treated. He was also helpful in designating Harrison and Berkeley counties as High-intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.
“Mr. Botticelli’s understanding of West Virginia’s drug problem will be instrumental in addressing this growing issue. I invite him to visit West Virginia again soon and I’m hopeful that together we can attract more attention and resources to assist with education, prevention and treatment efforts.”
Combatting West Virginia’s drug epidemic is a top priority of Sen. Capito. Last week, she joined with Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) to introduce the Stop Drugs at the Border Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation that seeks to help combat heroin and methamphetamine trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sen. Capito believes we need a spectrum of strategies to curb drug abuse in West Virginia. This legislation paired with the appointment of Michael Botticelli as the new Drug Czar is a positive step forward for West Virginia families who have been devastated by the drug crisis.
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