Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, what you see next to me is a tiny speck of fentanyl, just a few milligrams, a dose so small it could fit on the ear of Lincoln on a penny, yet that speck is enough to take a life and destroy a family. In 2023, over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses or poisoning, with fentanyl responsible for nearly 75 percent of those deaths. As a State senator, I eliminated preauthorization for medicated assisted treatment for substance use disorder. In Congress, I have the Alternatives to PAIN Act. I have also helped veterans to get access to substance use disorder treatment. This poison is flooding our streets and killing our children, parents, and neighbors. It is killing my constituents in Iowa. That is why we must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. This bill would make the temporary classwide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances permanent, ensuring law enforcement has the authority to seize these deadly drugs before they destroy more lives. If we fail to act, traffickers will continue to exploit loopholes, pushing even deadlier drugs onto our streets. The time for action is now. Lives are on the line. We must pass this bill to protect our families and stop this crisis.”