Let me thank you, Mr. Waxman, for your leadership on this issue and your leadership on this committee.

Let me thank the chairman for convening this important hearing today and particularly thank the witnesses for coming forward with your testimony.

In the last Congress, the House passed H.R. 2221, the Data Accountability and Trust Act.

As we have heard, 70 percent of non-medical prescription drug users get those drugs from family or friends.

One thing we have learned in Congress, if you say something over and over and over again, people will listen and sometimes believe it.

Disposing of these medicines properly must be a priority and we must work to reduce their negative impact on the environment.

I want to extend my personal condolences and concern to those families who have been directly affected.

Let me thank the chairman for convening this very important hearing today.

We need better education of patients and parents and friends and doctors and dentists and every person in society.

Do we have occurrences of medical malpractice in Texas?

As a Nation, we can only be as strong as our weakest link. We need to make sure that every community, every community is included as we work toward economic recovery.