New York’s Junior U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is once again at odds with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over a recent decision to cut a program that provides opioid overdose medication and training for first responders. Gillibrand expressed her concern, stating that the move puts lives at risk. She has written to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioning the decision.
The program in question, funded under the First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, provides $56 million annually for the distribution of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, to law enforcement, community-based organizations, and tribes across the country. In 2024 alone, the program distributed over 280,000 naloxone kits, which have been crucial in saving lives during opioid-related emergencies.
Gillibrand emphasized the importance of maintaining federal support for local efforts to combat the opioid crisis. "Terminating a proven tool without clear, transparent justification places countless lives at needless risk," she said. She called on HHS to provide a detailed explanation of how the administration plans to sustain investments in opioid overdose mitigation strategies and whether stakeholders were consulted before planning to terminate the program.
Since the program began in 2014, New York law enforcement has administered naloxone over 12,000 times, highlighting its effectiveness in preventing overdose deaths. Gillibrand stressed that the federal government’s actions should be guided by public health expertise and a commitment to sustaining effective policies and funding.
Gillibrand's letter to Secretary Kennedy includes several inquiries to ensure that HHS understands the dangers of terminating this funding. She asked for details on how the administration intends to support first responders, what new initiatives will be funded if the program is reallocated, and whether an analysis of the potential public health impact has been conducted.
