Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, H.R. 5272, and I want to thank Mr. Engel, the Democratic sponsor. The purpose of this legislation is to promote the increased uptake of evidence-based treatment by individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. {time} 1630 We know that increasing the utilization of evidence-based treatment for behavioral health disorders results in improved outcomes. This is particularly important for individuals with opioid use disorder, as we know that MAT is the gold standard for treatment and is associated with improved retention in treatment, decreased relapse rates, and decreased fatal and nonfatal overdoses. Expanding access to and uptake of MAT as well as other evidence-based behavioral health treatments, as promoted by this bill, is a critical piece to combating the tragic opioid epidemic, so I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).”