WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee and the Bipartisan Working Group on Addiction, announced that Dr. James Baker will be joining her as her guest at the State of the Union. Dr. Baker is a Haverhill-based physician and substance use disorder advocate who was instrumental in the passage of Trahan’s Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act.

“When deciding who my State of the Union guest would be, Dr. Baker was the obvious choice. After the tragic loss of his son Max, Dr. Baker has been a champion in the fight to end the addiction crisis and save lives. After hearing Max’s story when I first took office, I knew we had to close the glaring gaps in our medical system that often prevent people fighting addiction from accessing lifesaving treatment,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “That’s why, with Dr. Baker’s help, I drafted and secured passage of the MATE Act to require that prescribers of highly addictive opioids are trained with the baseline knowledge to spot and treat patients struggling with addiction. This is a long overdue step in the fight against the addiction crisis, and it’s my honor to host Dr. Baker for President Biden’s State of the Union address tomorrow to celebrate this progress.”

“My son Max’s story is one that far too many families across our nation have experienced – addiction, recovery, and ultimately death if a relapse occurs, which for Max happened right after he had surgery. Right after Lori was elected to Congress, she called me and talked to me for an hour about what else could have been done to save Max, what I learned while trying to find him help, and what we can do differently to save lives,” said Dr. Baker. “That call started us on a path together to find solutions to make a difference in the fight against addiction, and it resulted in the MATE Act. Lori knew how important this legislation was to me and so many families of someone struggling with addiction, and I’m grateful that she never stopped pushing to get it signed into law. When I attend the State of the Union as Lori’s guest tomorrow, I won’t be alone – I’ll have a picture of Max next to my heart.”

Dr. Baker’s son Max died of an overdose after a prolonged fight with addiction. It was during his son’s battle that he encountered obstacles to treatment that prevent individuals with substance use disorder from getting the help they need. When meeting with his own doctor and asking what he should do to help Max, Dr. Baker’s primary care physician told him he didn’t have the expertise necessary to make recommendations. Max passed away shortly after, prompting Dr. Baker to become an outspoken advocate for policies to assist those struggling with addiction and save lives.

Shortly after Trahan took office in 2019, she met with Dr. Baker and brought him to Washington to share Max’s story with the Bipartisan Working Group on Addiction. The working group drafted a bipartisan addiction legislative package that included Trahan’s MATE Act. First introduced in 2019, this bipartisan legislation standardizes substance use disorder training to ensure that all prescribers of addictive medications possess baseline knowledge in evidence-based addiction prevention and treatments. The MATE Act has broad bipartisan support, including key bipartisan co-leads Representatives David Trone (D-MD-06), Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Annie Kuster (D-NH-02), and David P. McKinley (R-WV-01), and Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

The legislation cleared the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2022.