Political Quotes

“The simple truth is that we are in the midst of a real epidemic. Nearly every 12 minutes, someone in America dies of a drug overdose. The CDC reports over a quarter billion opioid prescriptions were written in the year 2012. The abuse of prescription painkillers and heroin has impacted, virtually, every single community. It is an epidemic that has no boundaries and does not discriminate. In my State of Michigan, we are seeing 10 times as many deaths today as there were 15 years ago. Sadly, the number continues to surge; but behind every statistic is a person who was loved, part of a family and community, and, yes, who was lost too soon. {time} 1045 It is a frightening reality, but we have to face this epidemic head on, and today's vote is an important step forward. Since the beginning of this process, our focus has been, and continues to be, on attacking this public health crisis from every side, from zeroing in on treatment for addiction and overdoses to reforming prescription practices in the delivery of medicines and working with law enforcement of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Specifically, this conference report addresses prevention care by requiring HHS to create an interagency task force to address chronic and pain management care and by reauthorizing NASPER, a piece of legislation the House has passed with very large bipartisan support.…”