Congressman Andy Barr convened his drug task force in Lexington Wednesday. The 6th district representative discussed how the recently passed national Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act will affect the panel’s recommendations to the federal government.
The task force brings together experts in education, prevention, healthcare, and other areas to formulate specific policy prescriptions for Kentucky’s drug epidemic.
The U.S. Congress recently approved a rare sweeping piece of legislation that puts more tools in the hands of medical and law enforcement professionals to help addicts – but questions remain about money for the package. Democrats had pressed for immediate funding, but Republicans said it could be handled during the appropriations process.
Barr told WUKY he’s optimistic Congress will put the necessary dollars behind it.
"I am confident it will be funded because a lot of these programs either were new programs, they're re-authorized programs, or consolidated programs that will provide better, more efficient deployment of scarce federal resources," he said.
Barr’s task force was formed in May 2015. Wednesday was the fourth meeting of the group.
