Well, thank you, Chairman Coffman, and thank you for being with us here in New Hampshire.

I think it is definitely a critical component.

The good news is that the VA has shown success in reducing the amount of opioids prescribed to veterans, but I share the chair's concern that without access to effective alternative treatments and therapies to manage chronic pain, access…

I have also been involved with Congressman Guinta and our bipartisan task force to combat the heroin epidemic.

One of the concerns that I have is reports across the country that some veterans with chronic pain who have their opioid prescriptions reduced have not been given sufficient support services.

There is growing awareness that the long-term prescription of opioids to manage chronic pain can have severe and sometimes tragic consequences.

I was proud to join Congressman Guinta in helping to introduce, and I believe Congressman Coffman as well, the Jason Simcakoski Promise Act, which would help improve opioid prescription practices at the VA.

Can you speak right into the mike?

We need to make sure that people have access to treatment, to lifelong recovery, and, of course, we need to support our law enforcement.

We will not solve the opioid use epidemic in New Hampshire or in the country or help our veterans without dedicated and coordinated efforts.

Today I rise to honor a group of men who played a crucial and unique role in the Allied victory in World War II. The Army's 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, also known as the Ghost Army, used tactical deception to divert enemy troops…

We need to change the incentives to try to keep people in that program.