House OKs bipartisan drug abuse bills, but Dems want money

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a mountain of bills addressing the nation's opioid abuse crisis, fueled by lawmakers' bipartisan craving for election-year action on the deadly epidemic.

By huge bipartisan margins, the House approved 18 drug-related bills this week setting up federal grants, new rules and studies of the problem, including three measures on Thursday.

More than 2 million people were abusing prescription opioid painkillers and nearly 500,000 more were addicted to heroin in 2012, the government says, and both parties are eager to show voters they are addressing a problem that afflicts inner cities and rural communities alike.

To the dismay of leading House Republicans, this week's work on the bills was overshadowed by the GOP presidential campaign and the buildup to Thursday's meeting between presumptive candidate Donald Trump and the party's top elected official, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Underscoring Republican efforts to draw attention to the legislation, Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong issued a statement addressed to journalists on Tuesday saying, "While politics may have your attention right now, we hope you'll have time to review and write on this important and thoughtful action the House is about to take to tackle the disturbing opioid epidemic."