Frank Pallone: “Mr. Chair, I appreciate what the gentleman from California is saying. The bottom line is, if these programs are…”

“Mr. Chair, I appreciate what the gentleman from California is saying. The bottom line is, if these programs are successful under the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, and I agree they have been, the numbers in terms of people dying, people who are severely impacted by opioid use and overdoses, clearly they have gone down because of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act programs, but that is the very reason why the Republicans should speak out against the administration that is rescinding a billion dollars in grants that are going for these treatment centers. It is why they should speak out against the budget on the part of President Trump that I have cited several times today that eliminates these programs. It is why they should speak out against these cuts in the staff for these programs. It is the very fact that the programs have been successful is why the administration should prioritize the programs. The Republican leadership on our committee and in the House should say: What you are proposing, what you are doing, President Trump, is not acceptable because it is going to reverse this.”