WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, had to delay his Tuesday conference call with the press because he was on the Senate floor speaking about the opiate epidemic and the continued need for funding to support recovery and combat sources of addiction. That was a theme that continued throughout his call from budget issues to healthcare.

Portman opened the call by noting his speech on the floor and addressing leaked documents that suggest the Trump administration may plan to cut funding to the Office of National Drug Control Policy by up to 95 percent. Portman said that he was “very upset” by the proposed cuts.

“This is not the time to be pulling back,” Portman said. “At a time when the Drug Free Communities act (is showing progress).”

Other programs, like CARA, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, are beginning to show results as well, he said, as is research into non-addictive pain medication.

When asked about the possibility of reconciliation with Democrats on healthcare, Portman said he, “would love to see (healthcare reform) be a bipartisan effort.”

“I don’t doubt that there’s some Democrats that would like to work with us.”

But, he said that the shortcomings of the Affordable Care Act are too numerous to attempt to preserve it. While he doesn’t support any bill that would cut expanded Medicaid coverage, especially for mental health services and drug treatment, he said that the “choice” that the ACA had promised has now been taken away as insurers leave the marketplace and both premiums and deductibles are increasing.

“People can’t handle… increases in deductibles and premiums,” he said. “There is a consensus that the current system is not working well.”

“But we have to protect people… from having the rug pulled out from under them,” Portman said of expanded Medicaid patients, in explaining his choice not to support the House’s American Health Care Act.

In Ohio, he explained, the number one payer of medical costs is Medicaid. In regards to expanded Medicaid, he said that about 30 percent of the expansion consisted of individuals who “are getting treatment for mental health or substance abuse.”

He said that while he wants progress on healthcare reform, though, he isn’t willing to sacrifice those in need on the altar of expediency.

“We need to get it right,” he said, “rather than have an artificial deadline.”