Political Quotes

“Members of the House, I rise in support of the House amendment to S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Before starting out on the merits of the legislation, I want to commend the Judiciary Committee chairman, Mr. Goodlatte, for shepherding our committee's five bills to House passage. I also commend the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, for authoring the legislation that is largely responsible for bringing us together today. I also want to recognize the leadership of the Crime Subcommittee ranking member, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who was an original cosponsor of the primary Judiciary Committee bill and who has helped us find common ground in addressing the issue of drug addiction and treatment. This week the House considered and passed a wide range of bills aimed at combating the devastating impact of drug abuse and addiction that is afflicting communities all across our Nation. We must take this action because our Nation is in the midst of a major public health crisis caused by an epidemic of prescription and opioid abuse. It is a crisis that affects Americans of all ages, of all races, and of all income levels. It has devastated communities across the United States. It affects families, the workplace, and also our Nation's economy. {time} 1115 Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related deaths in our Nation.…”