Political Quotes

“our Nation is suffering through a public health crisis. Our Nation, our neighbors, our families--in fact, very few among us can say that we have not been personally impacted by the opioid crisis. The scope is simply staggering; 116 lives are lost every day to opioid overdose. There are 116 sons, daughters, husbands, wives, siblings, and parents who will never come home again--116 lives ended decades too soon, lost every day. Substance abuse disorders do not discriminate. We feel this pain in every region of our country--urban and rural areas and red and blue States. We know there is no silver bullet that will end this crisis overnight, but we do know how to fight it together, and that is what we are doing today. Tonight the Senate will pass the bipartisan Opioid Crisis Response Act, and this body will show a unity of purpose that, frankly, I wish we could show more often. As this important bipartisan legislation came together, I worked closely with my colleague Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia to make sure that our Nation's youth were not left behind. We know young adults are more than twice as likely to misuse prescription opioid pain relievers as compared to adults. One in five high school seniors knows where they can easily get heroin, and the problem continues to escalate. In Michigan, the rate of opioid overdose deaths among youth under 25 has doubled since 2012. These are empty seats at the dinner table, in classrooms, and in workplaces.…”