Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to highlight a couple of things. First of all, I will comment on a really important issue in my region. Upstate New York communities have suffered tremendously from the opioid crisis ravaging our Nation. In 2016, opioid overdoses rose by 121 percent in New York State and opioid deaths doubled in Broome County, which is part of New York's 22nd District, during the very same time. During the most recent district work period, the President signed into law the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention Act that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment--SUPPORT--for Patients and Communities Act, which included the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act, which I coauthored. This bipartisan legislation directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, to issue a report regarding perverse incentives that lead to overprescription of opioid-addictive drugs. This legislation is important in my district because studies have shown that 29 percent of patients prescribed an opioid for pain, go on to misuse the drug. The Federal Government should be doing all it can to prevent overprescribing. Enacting this important bill is a critical first step in this process. Recognizing Small Businesses”