Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to address a national epidemic: opioid addiction and abuse. Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate based on age, education, or wealth, and it even happens in small town Minnesota. Recently I learned firsthand that addiction knows no bounds. Unfortunately, like too many people today, I have seen the danger and the devastation caused by addiction up close and personal. I come from a small town in Minnesota with a population of, approximately, 5,000 people. We pretty much know everybody. I have had the great fortune to raise seven kids in this great little town, and as a youth hockey coach for almost 20 years, I have had the opportunity to work with and to get to know many of the kids in our community--kids who have big hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, because of the opioid and heroin crisis in this country, two of them left us way too soon. Today, nearly one person dies every 12 minutes of a drug overdose. This must stop. It is going to take more than government policy to fight this epidemic, but I am so grateful for the efforts here in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, to take on this epidemic. I just want to thank my colleagues for all of their work on this important issue. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience. ____________________”