Four members of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse are participating in a forum hosted by Operation UNITE during the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in April.

Those members participating in the forum are:

• Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, R-California 45th District, founder and co-chair of the Caucus and chairwoman for the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade.

• Congressman Jack Kingston, R-Georgia 1st District, Caucus member and chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies.

• Congressman Nick J. Rahall II, D-West Virginia 3rd District, Caucus member and ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and former chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.

• Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, R-Kentucky 5th District, founder and co-chair of the Caucus and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

The forum will be moderated by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has led the fight in Florida against prescription pill diversion since taking office in January 2011.

These four members have led the fight for curbing the nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic as it is now classified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The members will, among other topics, discuss three bills that have been introduced by members of the Caucus related to prescription drug abuse: HR 1065, the Pill Mill Crackdown Act; HR 1925, the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; and HR 2110, the Ryan Creedon Act.

Following these presentations there will be a question-and-answer session to hear concerns and comments from those impacting the issue on the front lines.

“We certainly appreciate the efforts of these members of Congress and their staff’s for leading the fight against prescription drug abuse,” said Karen Kelly, CEO of Operation UNITE, host of the Summit. “Each of these members have been speaking out on this issue for years and fighting this terrible epidemic that is destroying our families, schools and communities.”

The bi-partisan Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse was established in 2010 to raise awareness of abuse and to work toward innovative and effective policy solutions, incorporating treatment, prevention, law enforcement and research. Caucus members collaborate to gather relevant information from stakeholders involved in prescription drug abuse initiatives and disseminate their findings and recommendations to fellow Congressional members.

The Summit, which will be held in Florida April 10-12, 2012, is intended to foster better understanding and cooperation between all groups – state and national leaders, law enforcement officials, medical professionals, community advocates, treatment experts, educators, private industry leaders, and others – who are finding success in battling this nationwide epidemic.