Political Quotes

“Next to me is a map of the United States which shows the sickening increase in overdose deaths in this country due to heroin and opioid use over the last decade or so. The first map is a map from the Centers for Disease Control statistics in 2004, when roughly 7,000 Americans lost their lives to opioid overdose. Again, the red color shows the intensity of regions where deaths occurred in excess of 20 per 100,000. The blue is 10 per 100,000 or less. {time} 1015 In 2014, over 28,000 Americans lost their lives to heroin and opioid overdose deaths. As you can see, the red portions of the country are increasing at an alarming rate. We have not gotten the 2015 statistics yet from the Centers for Disease Control, but by all indication from State numbers that are coming out, this map is actually going to get worse for the 2015 numbers. Mr. Speaker, we have an epidemic in this country which far surpasses any challenge that is presented by any natural disaster. If we had an attack on the homeland that took the number of lives that these maps represent, this Congress would be on fire in terms of trying to move resources and help to communities all across the country. Again, it is indiscriminate. It hits rural America, it hits suburban America, it hits urban America, and it hits age groups and ethnic groups across the board. Today we are going to be taking up some legislation, H.R. 4641 and H.R. 5046. The first bill has 2 cosponsors; the second has 10 cosponsors.…”