Brett Guthrie: “I thank the chairman of the subcommittee for organizing this event. On behalf of the 1,419 Kentuckians who died of an…”

“I thank the chairman of the subcommittee for organizing this event. On behalf of the 1,419 Kentuckians who died of an opioid overdose in 2016, and the countless more who are currently suffering from opioid addiction, I rise today in support of legislation to combat our Nation's opioid epidemic. Everywhere I go in Kentucky's Second District, I hear from people who have felt the impact of the opioid crisis. The range of people falling victim to opioid use disorder is vast--from babies born with opioid withdrawal, to adults of all ages and backgrounds, even students, brothers and sisters, moms and dads. It doesn't matter if someone becomes addicted to opioids after they have sprained an ankle or following major surgery--anyone who has been prescribed opioid painkillers could be at risk, and we need to find a way to help the thousands of people who have, in fact, become addicted. I recently introduced two pieces of legislation to combat our widespread opioid crisis. The first is the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act of 2018. I was proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with the Health Subcommittee ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon), and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray Lujan). This bill addresses the current lack of comprehensive treatment options available to opioid use disorder patients.…”