Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Walden for those words. This is a fight that is critical to the country, and I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Walden, and Mr. Pallone and the other members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for reporting out for consideration today this multipronged assault on this cruel epidemic that is ravaging the country. The committee has responded, and I thank Chairman Walden for all of these bills that are here with us today, especially the bill that we are debating now, and that is the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act. We have invested billions of dollars in treatment and recovery services. As the gentlewoman from Massachusetts has just said, only 10 percent of Americans with a disorder actually receive treatment; 90 percent go without treatment. That situation is even more dire in small communities. Far too often, when our rural constituents recognize their addiction, they are not able to find treatment or recovery services anywhere close to home or at all. Those who do enter the treatment profession often don't stay long due to the stress of the job. They don't work in areas most in need of their services, or they have difficulty repaying these sizeable student loans. If we want to maximize our downpayment for the future, these professionals are the key. H.R. 5102 creates a substantial student loan repayment benefit for a broad spectrum of medical professionals who enter this noble vocation.…”