Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced Dr. Rahul Gupta, a fellow West Virginian and nominee to be the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), during his nomination hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I am proud that yet another West Virginian has been nominated to serve the American people, and I have no doubt that Dr. Gupta will be a dedicated Director of the ONDCP. As a longtime resident of our home state, Dr. Gupta served as the Health Commissioner of West Virginia under both a Democrat and Republican governor and led the state’s response to the drug epidemic that continues to ravage our state and other states across our country. As a primary care physician, Dr. Gupta intimately understands the needs of communities across America, and would be the first physician ever to hold this position,” said Senator Manchin.
“His work leading efforts to combat the drug epidemic in a state with one of the worst overdose rates in the nation, where we lost 1,377 West Virginians to fatal drug-related overdoses last year, makes him well-prepared to lead similar efforts on a national scale. Dr. Gupta is a dedicated public servant and has served West Virginians admirably throughout his time as Health Commissioner. I am proud to introduce him to the committee, and I strongly support his nomination to be Director of the ONDCP.”