The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is months late on delivering a congressionally mandated strategy to address the nation’s opioid crisis, according to USA Today.
President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in October 2017. The order waives regulations and gives states more flexibility in how they use federal funds to combat the crisis. The White House is legally required to submit a National Drug Control Strategy to Congress every February. The Trump Administration did not produce the report in 2017, and has not yet produced this year’s report, the article notes.
In May 2017, the White House proposed a cut of 94 percent to the ONDCP budget. The office has operated without a Senate-confirmed leader since Trump took office.