JAMESTOWN – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was in Jamestown on Monday to share details of the Opioid Addiction Prevention Act, a proposed piece of bipartisan legislation that would limit the amount of prescription opioids a physician can prescribe to treat acute pain. The bill, cosponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and modeled after New York State law, would limit the supply of an initial opioid prescription for acute pain to seven days.

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand provided details of her opioid addiction prevention legislation during a stop at the Mental Health Association in Jamestown on Monday, July 25.

According to Sen. Gillibrand, many individuals become addicted to opioids after taking prescriptions for acute pain, such as a broken bone or wisdom tooth extraction. If enacted, the proposed legislation would require medical professionals to certify, as part of their DEA registration, that they will not prescribe an opioid as an initial treatment for acute pain in an amount that exceeds a seven-day supply, and may not provide a refill as part of that initial prescription.

Gillibrand said the legislation is an effort to help reduce the amount pain medication that is given to the public, as well as to help reduce the number of people who become addicted to opioids.

“We know that one of the main sources that is fueling the addiction epidemic is the over-prescription of opioids like percocet, vicodin, and oxycontin for acute, short-term pain,” Gillibrand said. “Every year we have thousands of men and women going in for routine treatments that require more than a small dose of pain medication and they’re leaving with far more medicine than they need. And then they become addicted, or they give the extra pills to a friend or family member who misuses the medication, or they leave it in their medicine cabinet where a younger person may see it and steal it and bring it to a party.”

Gillibrand added that the seven-day limit does not apply to the treatment of chronic pain, pain being treated as part of cancer care, hospice or other end of life care, pain treated as part of palliative care, or addiction treatment.

The Senator made her comments at the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County, which has seen an increase in the number of people who come through its doors seeking help to battle addiction.

L to R: Leanna Luka-Conley (The Resource Center), Kia Briggs (Mental Health Association), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

“In 2017 we’ve had 8500 visits and of these, 411 separate individuals have received peer services,” Said MHA executive director Kia Briggs. “The MHA Has assisted 359 gaining access to treatment or medical services, 67 gaining employment, and seven enrolling in college, 13 gaining their GED, and 130 gaining stable housing. We know that addiction is complex matter and appreciate that our community has come together to make real change in the way that people are treated and parity toward gaining access for treatment.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data this month that shows that the over-prescription of opioids continues to be a serious public health problem in the United States. While the overall amount of opioids prescribed in the U.S. decreased between 2010 and 2015, the amount prescribed in 2015 was still three times as high as the amount prescribed in 1999. In response to this latest report, CDC Acting Director Anne Schuchat said the amount of opioids prescribed in 2015 was enough “for every American to be medicated around the clock for three weeks.”

According to Gillibrand, the number of prescription opioid-related deaths rose by over 1,600 percent in Western New York between 2005 and 2015.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – Republican leaders are steering the Senate toward a crucial vote on their bill eviscerating much of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s health care law. The pending vote has been buoyed by the near theatrical return to the Capitol of the ailing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

On Monday McCain announced through his office that he would be back in Washington for the critical roll call on beginning debate on the legislation. The 80-year-old has been at home in Arizona since he revealed last week that he’s undergoing treatment for brain cancer.

Meanwhile, Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) said he’ll oppose any healthcare legislation that comes out of the U.S. Senate that does not include an amendment that removes the local cost of Medicaid.

Reed released a statement on Monday and reiterated it during his weekly conference call with the media, saying that the Faso-Collins Amendment that was included in the final house version of the American Health Care Act also needs to be included in any final version the Senate puts forth.

“Standing with our local taxpayers is something I care deeply about and this opportunity -to do the right thing by putting the burden at the state capitol that controls medicaid, and can design medicaid, and therefore is ultimately responsible for that system – to me is the right thing to do,” Reed said. “Without it in the legislation I just don’t feel comfortable moving forward with the Senate health bill if it doesn’t have that provision in it.”

The Faso-Collins Amendment – sponsored by Republican congressman Chris Collins and John Faso of New York, would requires every state in the country to assume all costs of Medicaid.  It is specifically aimed at New York State, which is currently the only state in the country that still requires local county governments to pay a portion of the Medicaid cost.

The argument in favor of the amendment is that it would help reduce local property taxes but eliminating the Medicaid burden. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state leaders have argued against the bill, saying the removal of the local share would drive up costs at the state level by $2.3 billion – meaning the state would likely have to find ways to offset that increase, including the possibility of reducing local aid.

In Chautauqua County for the 2017 budget which totals $233 million, a total of $30.3 million was budgeted for Medicaid.

It was reported last week that major portions of the Senate Republican health bill — including the Faso-Collins Amendment — likely will end up on the cutting room floor, thanks to a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian, who ruled that major portions of the health bill are policy-making measures that can be struck from the bill unless 60 senators vote to keep them.

With Republicans struggling to even get the 50 votes they need to pass the health bill, the ruling puts Democrats in the position where they could challenge and defeat several provisions in the bill, from the Faso-Collins amendment to a provision barring federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ) have announced bipartisan legislation to combat opioid addiction by limiting the supply of an initial opioid prescription for acute pain to seven days.

According to a release from Senator Gillibrand’s office, many individuals become addicted to opioids after taking prescriptions for acute pain, such as a broken bone or wisdom tooth extraction.

The legislation would require medical professionals to certify that they will not prescribe an opioid as an initial treatment for acute pain in an amount that exceeds a seven-day supply, and may not provide a refill.

The limit does not apply to the treatment of chronic pain, pain being treated as part of cancer care, hospice or other end of life care, or pain treated as part of palliative care.

The federal legislation is modeled after laws in several states, including New York and Arizona.

Studies show that people who are addicted to prescription opioids are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Thursday said she plans to vote against the waiver required for retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to serve as Donald Trump’s defense secretary.

Gillibrand’s early opposition to the waiver came less than an hour after Trump announced he would tap Mattis for the Pentagon.

The popular commander, nicknamed “Mad Dog,” is still expected to become the first defense secretary nominee in more than 60 years to win the congressional waiver that’s necessary to install him as the military’s civilian leader given his recent service in uniform.

Gillibrand said in a statement that “While she deeply respects General Mattis’s service, she will oppose a waiver, adding that Civilian control of the military is a fundamental principle of American democracy, and she will not vote for an exception to this rule.

The law requiring a waiver for defense secretaries who have recently served in uniform dates to 1947, and Congress indicated that it did not expect exceptions to the rule after allowing retired Army Gen. George Marshall to lead the Pentagon under President Harry Truman in 1950.

Because the waiver is legislative, it could ultimately prove subject to a 60-vote threshold for Senate approval — meaning that the GOP would have to secure at least eight Democratic votes in the upper chamber.

Gillibrand sits on the Armed Services committee, whose chairman, John McCain (R-Ariz.), hailed Mattis’ imminent nomination and vowed to act on his confirmation “as soon as possible in the new Congress.”

John Plumb

JAMESTOWN – Candidate for Congress John Plumb (D-Lakewood) has picked up an endorsement from a former member of Congress who served the Chautauqua Region area.

Former Congressman, Lt. Governor, and Mayor of Jamestown Stan Lundine announced Tuesday his endorsement of Plumb for Congress in New York’s 23^rd district.

In endorsing Plumb, Lundine said that his military experience and strong roots in the Southern Tier will make him an excellent and independent advocate for the entire region.

“I’m excited about John Plumb’s candidacy for Congress.”” said Mr. Lundine. “I believe he will serve with the honor and integrity that has been ingrained in him through over two decades of service as a U.S. Navy Officer. And as a candidate from the Jamestown area, I think he is exceptionally well-qualified to represent the hardworking men and women that live in rural communities all along the Southern Tier.”

In other news from Tuesday, Plumb will no longer be holding the title of “Commander” John Plumb.  During a ceremony Tuesday night in his hometown of Randolph, Plumb was promoted to the rank of “Captain.” Captain in the Navy is the equivalent of a Colonel in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps and is the same rank that Sen John McCain achieved.

The promotion was conducted during a ceremony last night at the Randolph American Legion by Rear Admiral John Mustin, one of Plumb’s colleagues and a fellow submarine officer.

Plumb is challenging Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) for his seat in the 2016 general election. Over the past two decades he’s served as a submarine officer in the Navy and later as an official at the Department of Defense. Most recently he’s served as director of defense policy and strategy at the National Security Council. He graduated from Randolph High School in 1988.

Reed is an attorney and former mayor of Corning who was elected to Congress in 2010 and has represented Chautauqua County since January 2013, when redistricting created the new boundaries for the state’s 23^rd congressional district.

On Tuesday the Senate voted 67-33 to end debate and move toward approving the so called Murray-Ryan Compromise, named after Senate Democrat Patty Murray of Washington and House Republican Paul Ryan of Wisconsin – the two lawmakers who crafted the spending plan.

In addition to all Senate Democrats, 12 Republicans also voted to move forward on the budget deal, including Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Orrin Hatch of Utah and John McCain of Arizona.

The bill’s framework would set top-line federal spending levels for the next two fiscal years, partially ease across-the-board cuts known as sequestration and offer some modest deficit reduction.

The Republican-controlled House had already overwhelmingly supported the bill last week and Chautauqua County’s Congressman Tom Reed, a Republican, was one of the many who approved the plan.

“I supported the budget agreement because as I have said repeatedly, I didn’t go to Washington to maintain the status quo,” Reed said on Monday. “If there are steps being made in the right direction, I will join with the efforts to take baby steps, if not large steps, to get our debt under control and get this economy going again.”

Reed said specifically, there were two specific reasons for his approval. He said first and foremost, the deal ends the process of Government by Crisis. Secondly, he said it’s a start in the reduction of mandatory federal spending, something he’s been pushing for all along in the House.

“By no means are these the large mandatory spending reforms that we are going to have to obtain in order to get the debt crisis under control, but at least it cracks the door and gets us into the realm of mandatory spending on the federal side. By doing that, is a step in the right direction, albeit a small step.”

Following Tuesday’s vote in the Senate to end debate, just one more hurdle remains to get the budget deal in place, and that is a final vote on the budget. Only 51 votes are needed for that to go forward.

President Obama has said he will sign it when it reaches his desk.