Steve Daines: “when most people talk about the fentanyl crisis crippling our communities today, they talk the numbers. And the numbers…”

“when most people talk about the fentanyl crisis crippling our communities today, they talk the numbers. And the numbers are very powerful. In 2022, synthetic opioids like deadly fentanyl claimed over 75,000 lives in our country. In fact, it is estimated that over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to the synthetic opioids, the most common one being fentanyl. But today, what I really want to tell you about is one person. I want to tell you about Reilly Schrapps from Butte, MT. Reilly was born November 6, 1997. We have four children. Our youngest of four was born in 1996. This all hits way too close to home. You see, Reilly loved his mother and his father, Tom. Incidentally, Tom was my guest at the State of the Union Address earlier this year. His stepmother, his brother, his stepsiblings, their family's two dogs, were all loved by Tom. In fact, according to those who knew him best, Reilly was an avid fisherman, he was a sportsman--so much like most Montanans--and he spent his free time enjoying the great outdoors in Montana with family and friends, floating the Big Hole, skiing Discovery, and camping Canyon Ferry. Reilly was also an artist. He enjoyed all these things and more until July 30 of 2022, the day Reilly died taking a pill laced with fentanyl. Reilly was in Montana when this happened. He was just 24 years old. Reilly lives on in the stories that families and friends tell about him. But that shouldn't be the case.…”