Former Gov. Steve Beshear: Congress must help states keep fighting opioid battle | Opinion

My experience as a former Governor of Kentucky, a state that has been at the epicenter of the opioid crisis for over two decades, has taught me one simple truth: this crisis demands sustained leadership and moral clarity. Governing is never easy. Budgets are never simple. But some decisions rise above politics and party. Some decisions are about life and death. And this is one of them.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned that, as Congress considers the next federal budget, critical programs helping to save lives and rebuild communities could be left behind—leaving states like Kentucky to face this crisis without the federal partnership we need.

Recently, the CDC released data showing that drug overdose deaths in the United States dropped by nearly 27% over the past year. That’s not just progress, it’s proof that the system we’ve built with bipartisan support and federal leadership is working. In Kentucky, under the leadership of my son, current governor Andy Beshear, overdose deaths have now fallen for three years in a row. That’s hundreds of lives saved in our state alone.

These lives weren’t saved by luck. They were saved by treatment and recovery services funded through Medicaid, the largest payer of substance use disorder treatment in the country, and by naloxone distribution programs that allow first responders and everyday Kentuckians to reverse overdoses in real time. They were saved by community programs supported through State Opioid Response grants, mental health block grants, and other federal investments that helped build a system that works.

Kentucky’s recent progress under the bipartisan leadership of Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and the Republican legislature underscores just how effective these programs have been. In the past year alone, Kentucky has distributed 170,000 doses of naloxone, expanded access to addiction treatment for over 142,000 Kentuckians through Medicaid, and provided targeted services to more than 17,390 individuals through the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE). Recovery services including housing, employment assistance, and transportation have been extended to over 17,980 Kentuckians. Twenty-one counties are now certified as Recovery Ready Communities, representing nearly 1.5 million people. And programs like the Kentucky State Police Angel Initiative continue to break down stigma and connect people to care without fear of arrest.

These efforts are working. According to the 2024 Kentucky Overdose Fatality Report, overdose deaths in the Commonwealth declined by 30.2% in a single year, the largest single-year drop in recent history. Among Black Kentuckians, overdose deaths fell by 37.3%, reversing long-standing disparities. These aren’t just statistics. These are lives—mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters—who are alive today because Kentucky has built a stronger, more compassionate system of care.

But this progress is fragile. And if Congress enacts budget proposals that would slash funding for Medicaid, state opioid response grants, and other critical services, states like Kentucky will be forced to make impossible choices. Without sustained federal support, the very programs that are saving lives today could disappear tomorrow.

These programs are not luxuries. They are lifelines. And they’re working, not only to save lives, but to lower incarceration rates, reduce emergency room visits, and help Kentuckians get back to work. Every dollar we invest in prevention and treatment saves several more in long-term costs. But more importantly, these programs give people a second chance. They give a child their parent back. They give employers a reliable workforce. They give hope to communities long burdened by this epidemic.

To my friends in Congress: this is not about red or blue. It’s about doing what’s right. These programs are saving the lives of your neighbors, your friends, your family members, and your constituents. We cannot afford to walk away now.

Budgets are complicated. But doing the right thing is never the wrong answer.

I urge Congress and the Administration to reject harmful cuts, protect the progress we’ve made, and continue investing in the tools that are giving Americans a fighting chance. Every life is worth saving.

Steve Beshear is the former Governor of Kentucky.