Washington, DC – Every day, 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose. In Illinois, more than 2,400 people died from an opioid overdose in 2016. And this year, more than 2 million Americans will suffer from addiction to opioids. This crisis affects every community, including those in the 16^th Congressional District of Illinois, and in every corner of the country.

As a Member on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) has been a leader in addressing the opioid crisis plaguing the United States, including introducing legislation to help communities combat drug abuse from the front lines. Below are a few of the major pieces of legislation that the Congressman has helped pass in Congress:

S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA): Congressman Kinzinger served as a conferee on the bipartisan, bicameral conference committee responsible for drafting this final legislation, which included the Congressman’s bill H.R. 1818, the Veteran Emergency Medical Technical Support Act.

H.R. 6, the 21^st Century Cures Act: Congressman Kinzinger was a cosponsor of the bipartisan package and voted in favor of the bill, which modernized our health care system and incentivized for more research, with a special focus on rare diseases.

H.R. 1625, Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018: Congressman Kinzinger voted in favor of the funding bill that provided the largest investment to date in combating the opioid crisis with an allocation of $4 billion to help address prevention, treatment, and enforcement issues.

H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act: Congressman Kinzinger joined his House Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues in passing over 50 measures for this bipartisan legislative package. One of the measures included in H.R. 6 was Congressman Kinzinger’s bill H.R. 5590, the Opioid Addiction Action Plan.

In talking with his constituents, several advocacy groups, individuals in recovery, and from his own experience witnessing an overdose at his local gym, Congressman Kinzinger continues to fight this epidemic from all angles. This snapshot video below highlights his efforts to end opioid abuse in #IL16 and across the country: 

RELATED: Below is a brief timeline featuring some of Congressman Kinzinger’s work over the years to address opioid abuse and drug addiction.