Some liberal lawmakers want to add more punitive action — like fines and heavy industry regulation — to Congress' response to the opioid epidemic.
Between the lines: This congress isn't going to pass anything like the bill that Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced last week. But liberal support for such a measure could grow as the industry players who pushed and profited from opioid sales continue to go undisciplined by Congress.
Where it stands: Congress' work right now is largely focused on curbing the epidemic and treating those addicted.
Yes, but: Some Democrats – like Sanders – want to go further. He has proposed fines on drug companies that falsely market opioids as nonaddictive; criminal liability for top executives; and a $7.8 billion fine for any company that is found liable for contributing to the opioid epidemic.
Why you'll hear about this again: Cosponsors of the Sanders bill include Kamala Harris and Kristen Gillibrand.
And the moderates? Sen. Joe Manchin has a bill that would impose a one-cent tax for each milligram of opioids in a pain pill. The funds raised by the tax would then be used for substance abuse treatment. Cosponsors include Democrats across the ideological spectrum, like Amy Klobuchar, Heidi Heitkamp and Elizabeth Warren.
