Governor Mike Pence and the US Senate to approve legislation to stop opioid overdose deaths

Gov.

Mike Pence, a Republican, has been the chief sponsor of legislation to curb the spread of opioid addiction in the US.

In his final State of the Union address on Monday, Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that they had voted to approve the Pain Relief Act, which would prohibit federal funding to health care providers that offer opioid-based medications to opioid-dependent patients.

The measure would also block federal funding from Medicaid, which is the largest health care provider to opioid addiction.

The opioid crisis has become a top concern for lawmakers, who are grappling with how to handle the issue, especially in a time when many states have implemented laws that make it easier for people to obtain painkillers.

“Today’s vote marks the culmination of many years of hard work by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as our dedicated public health experts, to address the opioid crisis,” Pence said in a statement.

“It is an important step in addressing this public health crisis and providing relief to those most in need.”

The bill passed by the House last week also requires opioid manufacturers to obtain patient information and submit them to state and local health departments.

Pence has argued that it will help curb the opioid epidemic by increasing public awareness of the opioid painkiller epidemic and by allowing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to coordinate more effectively with state and county health departments on the prevention and treatment of opioid-related health problems.

The legislation was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday.

Democrats on Capitol Hill are not expected to block the legislation, but Republican leaders in the House and Senate will have to take up the bill.

If passed, the Pain Respiratory Health Reform Act would prohibit the use of opioids by anyone in the United States unless they are medically necessary and for their own recovery.

The measure is intended to prevent people from using opioids for chronic pain, and would require that patients be supervised and monitored for their use.

Pence told CNN that the legislation is a good first step in the fight against the opioid addiction crisis.

“It is a first step,” he said.

“And we are going to keep working on it and I think it is important for people in the American people to know that.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for McConnell said that the bill would “send a clear message to doctors and nurses that this is not a health care crisis and that the Trump Administration is going to do everything in its power to protect our citizens.”

“The opioid epidemic is a national crisis and it is one that requires a federal response.

It is time to stop the needless suffering of Americans and to help our doctors and hospitals treat opioid-addicted patients in a compassionate way,” the spokesperson said.