Political Quotes

“I rise today with my colleague, Senator Capito, to introduce the Stopping Suspicious Orders of Opioids Act. In 2016, the opioid epidemic caused more than 42,000 deaths in the United States. In 2017, this epidemic was declared a public health emergency. Now, more than 400 State, local, and Tribal governments have filed suits (some consolidated, some individual) against opioid manufacturers and distributors for their alleged roles in fueling and perpetuating this devastating crisis. The U.S. Justice Department, or DOJ, has filed a statement of interest in these lawsuits, which are currently pending. As our Nation struggles to effectively address the opioid epidemic, one thing is clear: there is no silver bullet. Yet, it is also clear that law enforcement can play a critical role in preventing and reducing overdose deaths. That is why we must ensure that law enforcement has and uses the necessary tools to hold opioid manufacturers, distributors and others accountable when they fail to properly disclose to the Drug Enforcement Administration, or the DEA, opioid orders that are suspicious because of their size, frequency, or patterns. This simple disclosure could prevent millions of prescription opioid pills from ending up on the black market.…”