Senators wear purple ribbons to State of the Union to bring awareness to opioid crisis
Senators in attendance at President Trump's first State of the Union address will be wearing purple ribbons to bring awareness the opioid epidemic on Tuesday evening. Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, D-New York, was seen wearing a purple ribbon at the event, and several senators tweeted selfies wearing a purple ribbon.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, said the federal government needs to be doing far more to address the issue, and while Mr. Trump declared a national emergency last year, the money to pay for treatment and prevention programs has not yet materialized, CBS News contributor Ed O'Keefe reports.
Manchin is hoping Mr. Trump will address the crisis in a meaningful way Tuesday night.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, posted an image of himself wearing the ribbon on Twitter before the address. "We cannot leave communities suffering from the [Opioid Crisis] without help and without hope," Markey tweeted. "I won't stop fighting for funding for prevention and treatment programs."
We cannot leave communities suffering from the #OpioidCrisis without help and without hope. Tonight, I am wearing this purple ribbon to the #SOTU to raise awareness about this national epidemic. I won’t stop fighting for funding for prevention and treatment programs. pic.twitter.com/XjeNl6vkA8
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) January 31, 2018
On Monday night, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, also announced she'd be wearing the ribbon to raise awareness to the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders. "This is an important opportunity to send the message that more must be done to address this crisis," Shaheen tweeted.
I'll be wearing a purple ribbon during the President's State of the Union to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic & substance use disorders. This is an important opportunity to send the message that more must be done to address this crisis. pic.twitter.com/2ag94G8JzP
— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) January 29, 2018
Sens. Tom Carper, D-Delaware, and Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, also tweeted they would be wearing the purple ribbon.
Other attendees plan to wear Time's Up buttons that celebrities have recently worn at award shows while others plan to wear black in solidarity with actresses and singers raising awareness to sexual assault and harassment, O'Keefe reports.