Donnelly Urges Trump To Renew Opioid Epidemic Declaration

ACROSS INDIANA -- Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) is part of a group of senators urging President Donald Trump to renew the public health emergency on the ongoing opioid epidemic that was first issued in October, but is set to expire Jan. 23. Inside Indiana Business reports the letter from the group suggests there hasn't been enough action taken to battle the opioid epidemic since President Trump made the Oct. 26 declaration. IIB says Indiana University Kelley School of Business economists estimate the annual impact of the state's opioid epidemic tops $1 billion.

At the time of the Oct. 2017 declaration, Donnelly praised President Trump, saying it will take an "all-hands-on-deck approach" to tackle the issue.

The state's opioid epidemic is at the center of Indiana University's third Grand Challenges initiative, involving a $50 million investment to develop what the school says will be one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive state-based responses to the epidemic, IIB reports.

RELATED: IU, Gov. Holcomb Announce $50 Million Initiative To Fight Opioid Crisis

You can see the letter from the senators via insideindianabusiness.com

Joe and a group of senators urged President Trump to renew the public health emergency on the #opioidepidemic that was first declared last October. https://t.co/gPfRApTDFH
— Senator Joe Donnelly (@SenDonnelly) January 16, 2018

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