WASHINGTON – Former North Dakota First Lady Kathryn Burgum has been appointed to co-chair a new initiative.
It’s called the Great American Recovery Initiative.
“I’m signing a historic executive order to combat the scourge of addiction and substance abuse,” President Donald Trump said.
Burgum will serve as a Senior Advisor to the White House and co-chair with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“Addictions touch this administration in real and profound ways,” Burgum said.
She said each of the stories shared by Administration members ‘matter because they are not isolated.’
“They reflect the reality of the over 190 million Americans, that’s half our nation who are impacted in some way by the disease of addiction, and I am one of them,” Burgum said.
She went on to share her story of addiction and the time when it ended.
“15 years later, I found myself somehow standing in front of people as first lady of North Dakota, thanks for him (Doug Burgum), but I was asking people to share their stories about addiction, so give limited to shame and stigma, so more people would reach out for help and more lives to be saved,” Kathryn said. “And today I’m standing here in this incredibly beautiful Oval Office, and if not for the grace of God, I would be alive today with over 23 years in recovery.”
