>> President Trump: THIS
EPIDEMIC IS A NATIONAL HEALTH
EMERGENCY.
UNLIKE MANY OF US, WE'VE SEEN
AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR
LIFETIMES, NOBODY HAS SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON
NOW.
>> Martha: THAT WAS BACK IN
OCTOBER.
THE PRESIDENT PROMISED TO MAKE
THE FIGHT FOR THE OPIOID CRISIS
A TOP PRIORITY.
WHERE DOES THIS STAND NOW?
THIS WEEK, PATRICK KENNEDY WHO
WAS ON THAT COMMISSION SAID THIS
THING IS A CHARADE.
YOU CAN'T EXPECT
1 NARCOTICS OFFICER WHO WE SPOKE
TO LAST NIGHT LOST HIS DAUGHTER
TO ADDICTION.
WEREN'T ENOUGH OPTIONS FOR
>> NOT WHAT I WOULD CALL
EXPECTABLE TREATMENT.
A LOT OF THE TREATMENT
FACILITIES WE WENT TO, IT WAS
ALL BASED, DICTATED BY WHAT YOUR
INSURANCE WOULD PAY AND HOW LONG
THEY MIGHT ALLOW YOU TO STAY
JOINS ME NOW.
IT'S GOOD TO HAPPY WITH US
TONIGHT.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE
WHITE HOUSE TODAY TO FIND OUT
WHAT HAPPENED WITH US COMMISSION
ENDED.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK
FROM THEM.
WE HOPE THAT WE WILL.
WHO IS LEADING CHARGE NOW?
>> GOVERNOR CHRISTIE WAS
TERRIFIC.
HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
AS GOVERNOR, HE APPROPRIATED
250 MILLION
DOLLARS JUST FOR NEW JERSEY.
THAT WOULD MAKE IT NEARLY HALF
AS MUCH AS THE EXPENSE OF THE
WHOLE COUNTRY WHICH MEANS IT'S A
PITIFUL, PITIFUL STORY WHEN IT
COMES TO THE AMOUNT OF REAL
FEDERAL EFFORT AND LEADERSHIP ON
AIDS CRISIS, WE WERE SPENDING
$24 BILLION A YEAR TO TACKLE
THAT VERY CHALLENGING ISSUE.
WE WERE LOSING 53,000 AMERICANS
A YEAR TO HIV/AIDS.
THIS YEAR WERE LOSING 64,000, AS
I MENTION.
WE ARE NOT EVEN A HALF A BILLION
DOLLARS ON TACKLING AN EVEN
GREATER PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
THAN HIV/AIDS.
>> Martha: EXPLAINED TO ME.
PEOPLE LOOK OUT THERE AND SEE
HOW MUCH THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS
ON SO MANY THINGS AND SO MANY OF
THEM ARE A WASTE.
TO PUT THE AMERICAN TAX TOYS
THAT ARE NEEDED, AS YOU SAY,
TOWARDS US, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND
THAT, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
>> WE READ EVERY DAY ABOUT THE
FLU EPIDEMIC AND AMERICANS ARE
FINE ABOUT SAVING PEOPLE FROM
GETTING THE FLU AND GETTING THE
FLU SHOT.
TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING TO THE
EMERGENCY ROOMS.
IT'S CALLED SHORT AND LONG
ACTING -- IT CAN BEGIN IN ANY
ON TOP OF THAT, WE NEED TO TREAT
THIS LIKE THE MEDICAL ISSUE IT
IS.
THE GEMINI SPOKE TO LAST NIGHT,
THE FATHER, THERE'S NOT ADEQUATE
TREATMENT OPTIONS IN THIS
COUNTRY.
WHEREAS IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, THERE
WOULDN'T BE ANY PROBLEM WITH
THAT.
YOU HAVE ST. JUDE HOSPITAL TO
CALL UP.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO CALL WHEN
YOUR LOVED ONE IS DYING OF AN
ADDICTION?
WERE LOSING OVER 100,000
AMERICANS WHEN YOU CONSIDER NOT
ONLY OVERDOSE, BUT SUICIDE AND
THEN THINK ABOUT HOW MANY MORE
MILLION AMERICANS THAT ARE DYING
INSIDE BECAUSE THEIR LOVED ONE
IS SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION.
THEY HAVEN'T DIED YET, BUT THEIR
WHOLE FAMILY IS BLOWN APART.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH
EPIDEMIC.
>> Martha: THERE'S NOT ANY OF
US WHO DON'T KNOW OR LOVE PEOPLE
THAT HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THIS.
AND WE HOPE YOU'LL GET THE
FUNDING THAT YOU BELIEVE THIS