WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin heaped high praise on President Biden’s nominee to lead the U.S. Office of Drug Control Policy. The two Senators introduced Dr. Rahul Gupta at his Senate nomination hearing in Washington D.C.
“Throughout his career he’s done so much, but nothing more than what he’s done in the area covered under National Drug Control Policy. He understands the crippling effect of addiction and our state has been especially hard hit. I think he is uniquely situated to use this knowledge to serve our nation,” Capito said.
Gupta formerly served as the Chief Health Officer and Director of the Kanawha Charleston Health Department and was eventually hired as the State’s Chief Health Officer with the Department of Health and Human Resources. During his time in West Virginia he was at the forefront of the state’s battle with opioid addiction and helped lead the response as it evolved.
“When I was Governor, I had the honor of working with Dr. Gupta when he was director of the Kanawha County Health Department. So many times during this horrible ravage of opioid overdose, he would talk and converse with me about how we could overcome this problem,” said Manchin.
Capito also noted Gupta’s leadership during the water crises when he was in West Virginia. Both lauded his leadership and his qualifications for the job. Manchin noted bi-partisan support for Gupta’s nomination and Capito called him the perfect choice for the position.
“I can’t think of a better person to be on the front line who has ever been better prepared than Dr. Gupta,” Manchin said.