{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/news-releases?ID=36f83ded-8ed5-48b0-8b29-93ba91ffaf5a", "Klobuchar, Bipartisan Group of Senators Host Forum on Collateral Consequences of Addiction", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "MN", "Amy Klobuchar", "K000367", "www.klobuchar.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators hosted a forum today in the U.S. Capitol entitled \u201cAddiction: Understanding the Science and Addressing Collateral Consequences.\u201d Klobuchar and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) convened the forum, which featured panel discussions on the science of addiction and the ways in which current laws can create \u201ccollateral consequences\u201d for individuals in recovery by establishing barriers to education and employment.\r\n\u201cAs a former prosecutor, I\u2019ve seen firsthand the devastating consequences of drug addiction,\u201d Klobuchar said. \u201cFrom undermining education and employment to tearing apart families, addiction has far-reaching impacts that hurt communities across the country. We need to do everything we can to fight this growing epidemic, and I\u2019ll continue pushing efforts to expand the use of proven tools in the fight against addiction.\u201d\r\n\u201cIndividuals who have been convicted of drug crimes, have served their sentences, and have completed the path to recovery too often face additional penalties long after their release.\u00a0 From barriers to affordable housing and education, to limitations on employment options, these \u2018collateral consequences\u2019 can linger years after an individual has committed an offense,\u201d Whitehouse said.\u00a0 \u201cAs a whole, the collateral consequences of drug convictions impose costs not only on those directly affected, but on society as a whole.\u00a0 If education and employment are the best predictors of successful re-entry into society, we all pay the price of limiting their accessibility.\u201d\r\n\u201cThese forums are important because it gives us an opportunity to see firsthand what is working to reduce recidivism, drug abuse, and addiction in communities across the states we represent. Now we have to take what we\u2019ve learned and apply them here, to legislation coming out of Washington,\u201d said Portman.\r\n\u201cJust last week, I met with a New Hampshire family who tragically lost their 20-year-old daughter to a heroin overdose.\u00a0 Too many families in New Hampshire and across the country are finding themselves in the same place as this family,\u201d said Senator Ayotte.\u00a0 \u201cToday\u2019s bipartisan forum was an important opportunity to share insights and expertise as we look for the most effective ways to help our communities fight addiction and help individuals in recovery. We cannot arrest our way out of this problem \u2013 we need to take a multi-faceted approach that includes law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and education.\u201d\r\nIn September the Senators introduced the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, along with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).\u00a0 The bill would encourage states to adopt comprehensive responses to the nation\u2019s opioid abuse crisis, including steps designed to mitigate collateral consequences for drug offenders.\r\nIn addition to the Senators, speakers at the forum also included Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.\u00a0\r\nThe day\u2019s first panel discussion, \u201cUnderstanding the Science of Addiction,\u201d was moderated by Peter Palanca, COO of Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) Illinois and featured Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Dr. A. Thomas McLellan, Chair of the Board and Co-Founder of the Treatment Research Institute.\r\nThe day\u2019s second panel discussion, \u201cAddressing Collateral Consequences of Addiction,\u201d was moderated by Carol McDaid from Faces and Voices of Recovery.\u00a0 Participants included Amy Solomon, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s Office of Justice Programs; Gary C. Mohr, Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections; Bill Williams and Margot Head, New York residents whose son died from heroin use; Danielle Tarino, Public Health Advisor at the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration; and Linda Hurley, Director of Clinical Services and Chief Operating Officer at CODAC Behavioral Healthcare in Rhode Island.\r\nToday\u2019s event was the third in a series of bipartisan briefings looking at ways to better support addiction treatment and recovery.\u00a0 Earlier this summer, a briefing hosted by the Senators focused on Women and Addiction.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/news-releases?ID=36f83ded-8ed5-48b0-8b29-93ba91ffaf5a"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7962349336594343, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}