Donald Trump might be on a 17-day vacation, but he hasn’t forgotten about the opioid crisis.Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that he would hold a “major briefing” about the crisis at 3:00 p.m. from Bedminster, New Jersey — but apparently he spoke then at meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Service Tom Price, among others, off camera.The president was expected to declare a state of emergency around the issue after his opioid task force delivered a report, which urged the president take action, just last week.A national state of emergency would let Trump fast-track policies, like expanding much-needed access to Medicaid funding for treatment, requiring additional training for opioid prescribers, and tapping into federal grant money for public health emergencies.Watch below as Tom Price addresses the opioid crisis after his meeting with Trump.Update 8/8 5:23 p.m. ET: Following a meeting with the president regarding the opioid crisis, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price told reporters Trump wouldn’t declare a state of emergency right now.“We believe that at this point, the resources that we need or the focus that we need to bring to bear to the opioid crisis, at this point can be addressed without the declaration of an emergency, although all things are on the table for the president,” Price said.
Advertisement