THE COMPREHENSIVE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY ACT - CARA; BILL & MARGOT GO TO WASHINGTON

Margot and I spent this past Wednesday and Thursday traveling to Washington, DC to testify before the House Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic: Families Impacted by Addiction, led by Congresswoman Ann Custer, NH and Frank Guinta, NH.  Wednesday night we went to a reception for the 129 families we joined in DC for CARA Family Day.  We got a chance to talk with Sens. Kelly Ayotte of NH, Amy Klobuchar of MN, and Rep. Tim Ryan of OH.  All have been longtime sponsors and leaders in moving CARA along. Thursday we participated in the CARA Family Day.  We began with a morning press conference outside the Capitol and had a chance to talk with Sen. Rob Portman of OH and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of TX.  We were interviewed by DC Patch http://bit.ly/25dMiO8, met with aides to  New York Senators Schumer and Gillebrand and Congressman Nadler.  Thanks to our friend Carol McDaid we had lunch with Dr. Oz, giving us an opportunity to share our story and help educate him some more about addiction. We then taped an interview for the Addiction Policy Forum.  We were accompanied for much of this by the most capable and wonderful Courtney Hunter of the Partnership for Drug Free Kids. CARA will continue to need everyone's attention and support if it is to pass and BE APPROPRIATELY FUNDED.  Stay tuned everyone.  The entire event was put together by Jessica Nickel and Casey Elliott of the Addiction Policy Forum, a remarkable achievement.  They were the most important leaders we came across during our two days.