Oxycodone was one the the first opioid painkillers to be aggressively marketed beginning in the 1990s. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images Amid a drug overdose epidemic, and with just a few days left in the legislative session, Congress is attempting to hammer out a wide-ranging bill to curb opioid overdose deaths and expand treatment for addicts. The bill is being worked on by a group of House and Senate members from both parties. But without funding, many Democrats and some addiction experts believe the Republican-led effort will have little impact besides providing congressmen a campaign platform.