Warmbier, drugs, healthcare and Russia

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH, held a conference call with reporters on Tuesday discussing topics important to Ohioans, but also making headlines across the nation.

Portman began the call by discussing the opioid epidemic and a recent trip to Metro Health in Cleveland, where he helped launch a new opioid treatment clinic. He then went on to discuss the need, “to educate providers on prescription drug issues (to stop addiction stemming from prescription abuse)… and to help the healthcare field deal with (treatment).”

He also discussed his STOP Act, to pressure the U.S. Postal Service to implement package-tracking technology that could discourage mail transport of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. He said that, “sadly, we’re seeing more synthetic opioids,” and, “more evidence of it being sprinkled into cocaine,” and other drugs as well.

He noted that Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco told him they have already seen two-thirds as much this year as they saw in all of last year, and they were only halfway through the year. Most of these deaths, he said, were related to synthetic opioid overdoses, and, with it being added to non-opioid drugs like cocaine, it wasn’t just those using opioids that needed to worry anymore.

The Republicans revealed their new healthcare bill early Thursday morning, but Portman, who hadn’t seen it yet at that time, couldn’t say if he would support it or not until he had seen it.

“It’s important to know what the costs are, and what the coverage numbers are,” he said.

He noted the problems created across Ohio with Anthem pulling out of the marketplace, and worried that if rising insurance costs weren’t reigned-in, more and more Ohioans would find themselves unable to afford their deductibles.

He also discussed problems with the previous House bill not “going far enough to help those on expanded Medicaid.”

“I’m still working with leadership… to deal with high costs and come up with something that helps Ohio,” he said. He explained that he was looking for the, “right balance to reduce costs, but not pull the rug out from under those that need Medicaid.”

“This is such an important issue,” he said, “we’ve got to get it right.”

He also discussed Russian accountability and standing with our Ukrainian allies, as well as holding Russia accountable for their interference in elections there and elsewhere. He noted that the Iranian sanctions legislation that he had voted for recently also included sanctions designed to hold Russia accountable for, “interfering in Ukraine and in elections in the U.S.” and elsewhere.

“I think it’s important to have a relationship with Ukraine,” Portman said, “that shows we’re with them… (and) to push back against Russian aggression.”

He said he hopes the House will pass it soon, and that the president will sign it into law.

But when it came to discussing Otto Warmbier, Portman’s typical composure began to crack, along with his voice, as he discussed the “very kind and accomplished young man,” who died after falling ill while in the custody of North Korean officials after being found guilty of stealing a propaganda poster. Portman, who said he has spent time with the Warmbier family while trying to help them secure their son’s release, and since Otto came home, said that the family has, “had to endure more than anybody has had to,” before thanking the State Department for their work in bringing Warmbier home.

“I don’t think Americans should go (to North Korea),” Portman told journalist. “It’s just too dangerous.”

“They’ve shown a new level of depravity,” he continued. “Not allowing us to get help to him was barbaric.”

He added that while, “Yes, there needs to be accountability, (legislation) is not what comes to me first. What comes to me first is sympathy as a father.”

However, he said Congress would be, “looking at options,” to hold North Korea accountable.