Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., called for the U.S. government to increase the response to opioid addiction.
Baldwin noted that President Donald Trump gained attention by calling for the death penalty for certain drug dealers. "But I think accountability goes much further, if you think about how many became addicted because of a prescription," she said Thursday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"Let's look at the drug corporations. Let's look at the insurance companies that are saying yes to reimbursing drug treatment for pain, but saying no when somebody's seeking a drug-free alternative to heal and treat their pain."
The senator also referenced the $1.3 trillion spending bill's funding for the opioid crisis. "There's an extra $3 billion of funding for opioids, which will really help in my state in areas of the state where treatment and recovery assistance are not available in proximate location to the people who need it," Baldwin said.
She is one of five U.S. senators who would lose their bids for re-election if the election was held today, an Axios-Survey Monkey poll found on March 8.
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