Mother Of Veteran Who OD'd To Be Schumer's SOTU Guest

SOMERS, NY — A Somers resident and mother of a veteran who overdosed on heroin, while waiting to be seen at his local VA hospital, will be the guest of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer at the State of the Union address in Washington, DC Tuesday. Schumer announced Monday that he is bringing Stephanie Keegan to President Trump's first State of the Union address.

Schumer has invited Keegan in order to draw more national attention to an issue that is very important to them both: preventing and treating those addicted to opioids.

Earlier this month, Schumer joined Keegan in Westchester County to bring attention to a CDC report that says life expectancy in the United States has fallen for the second year in a row, the first time it has done so in more than 50 years. Researchers suggest the decline is in part due to the opioid epidemic.

In 2016, the rate of drug overdose deaths across the country was 21 percent higher than the rate in 2015.

In Westchester and Rockland, overdose deaths skyrocketed by 30 percent in only one year’s time.

With the looming budget deal in Congress, Schumer said now is the time to push for increased federal funding to better support the federal agencies that are fighting on the front lines of this crisis, like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and are providing the prevention, treatment and recovery service programs that Hudson Valley communities desperately need.

"I'm very pleased to announce that Ms. Stephanie Keegan, Daniel’s mother, will be my guest at President Trump's State of the Union Address tomorrow, which will draw much-needed national attention to an issue near and dear to our hearts: beating back the opioid scourge and treating those afflicted by addiction, including our vets,” Schumer said.

“Ms. Keegan’s trip to Washington is just one example of her great strength in the face of the tragic loss of her son Daniel, and I hope that together we can rally support for additional grant funds in New York that could help Westchester and Rockland Counties beat back the opioid epidemic,” he said.

Schumer said that Westchester and Rockland have not been spared by the drug abuse epidemic. According to the NYS Department of Health in 2016, there were a total of 143 opioid-related deaths throughout the counties, which was 33 more incidents than 2015. In addition to this, 68 deaths were related to heroin in 2016, and 105 were related to pain killers, with a number of deaths caused by both. Schumer said those numbers could have been higher if not for the increased use of the life-saving antidote, naloxone.

Schumer said congress must increase in funds to combat opioid addiction in New York State. Specifically, Schumer pointed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants provided under the 21st Century CURES Act. These grants are provided to each state to help combat the opioid crisis. The pot of funding is administered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and supports prevention, treatment, and recovery service programs.

In Fiscal Year 2017, $485 million in Opioid Crisis Grants were awarded to states across the country. Of that, New York State received $25 million. Schumer said that, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the economic cost of the opioid epidemic was $504 billion in 2015.

Schumer today said, as Senate minority leader, he will do everything in his power to fight for an increase in opioid crisis grant funds for New York State. Schumer said that the Hudson Valley including Westchester and Rockland Counties, in particular, depend on the upcoming budget deal to beat back its opioid scourge and that organizations in the Hudson Valley could use the funds for prevention and treatment programs throughout the borough.

Photo credit: Alex Brandon/Associated Press.