Political Quotes

“Mr. President, last March this body passed CARA, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Unfortunately, at the same time, we didn't fund it. We didn't provide any additional funds to support the treatment and recovery of people throughout the country. Since we passed that bill and failed to fund it, 15,000 people--78 a day, 3 an hour--have died because we haven't acted on funding. A group of us got together on March 2 and brought forth an amendment to provide $600 million of emergency funding to give some substance to this bill, which had so much promise, and to provide support for recovery and treatment. That amendment was defeated. Passing that bill without funding is like sending the fire department to a five-alarm fire with no water. We don't have the means to do what has to be done to defeat this scourge, which has taken the life of a constituent or more in every State in the Union. Every one of us has lost lives in our State because of this. Treatment works. Recovery is possible. It is hard, but the greatest tragedy--the greatest tragedy--is when someone struggles with this awful disease, is ready to seek help, seeks help, and is told: Sorry, there is a 3-month waiting list. That is unconscionable. This is something that is taking lives right now. This isn't an abstract, ``maybe this will happen in the future.'' This is right now, today, in Maine, in Florida, in California, in Arizona, in Washington, in Nebraska, in Texas--all across this country.…”