A third-generation Marylander, Ben Cardin has been a national leader on health care, retirement security, the environment and fiscal issues while representing the people of Maryland in the U.S. Senate, and before that in the House of Representatives. He has worked across party lines to further U.S. national security and to ensure that good governance, transparency and respect for human rights are integrated into American foreign policy.
First elected to the Senate in 2006, Senator Cardin currently serves as Chair of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, which is at the forefront of rebuilding our economy. He is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Finance, and Environment & Public Works committees.
Every county in Maryland has a significant opioid problem. It is still growing across the country and became more severe during the COVID-19 pandemic as social isolation contributed to spikes in anxiety, depression, substance abuse, domestic violence and suicide. Maryland ranks among the top five states in terms of opioid-related overdose deaths, with particularly high rates of heroin-related deaths. There is no simple answer. We need to have public health services available — but it is much more. This problem did not appear overnight; defeating it will require continued engagement and collaboration with federal, state, and community partners.
In September 2018, I was pleased to help pass the bipartisan Opioid Crisis Response Act that took the first steps in addressing the epidemic. I successfully fought to include language to expand the use of telehealth services for the treatment of substance use disorder under Medicare, to provide for coverage of medication-assistant treatment (MAT) under Medicare, and to study promising state strategies to support individuals who struggle with substance use. Specifically, my bills will result in reports to Congress on successful state Medicaid peer support programs and housing-related services for individuals struggling with both homelessness and substance use disorders.
In addition to public health strategies, we must support law enforcement in cracking down on people who are creating and distributing illegal drugs. I have strongly supported the coordinated initiatives of the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which includes numerous cities and counties in Maryland. I collaborated with members of the Maryland Congressional delegation to obtain federal funding to support state law enforcement agencies in combatting the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription opioids. In previous spending bills, I have also secured federal funding for the state to address the problem. Ending this devastating epidemic will remain one of my priorities in the Senate.