Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. We all know and appreciate his background and his experience in healthcare and the wonderful wisdom that he brings to us on the Education and the Workforce Committee, not only on this issue, but on so many issues facing Americans today. As the gentleman pointed out, the health and stability of our communities are in serious trouble because of opioid abuse across the Nation. Since 1999, the opioid death toll has quadrupled. There are many estimates of how many Americans die in a single day because of opioids, and we are so sorry to hear of any deaths from opioids. {time} 1730 It is heartbreaking that all of those estimates are in the hundreds. These people were fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. They were real people in our communities. I have had families from the Fifth District come to see me to share their heartbreaking stories of family members, often adult children, who have died from opioids. My own heart breaks for them and the pain they are feeling for their tragic loss. There are newspaper stories and obituaries in newspapers reporting on opioid abuse and deaths and its devastating impact every day. As opioids continue to claim the lives of Americans in cities and towns across the Nation, it is our responsibility to work together to find solutions that will bring relief to American communities.…”