Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation. I thank my colleagues and friends, Representative Guthrie and Representative Kuster, for their work on the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. As you may know, I serve as co-chair of the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus, or better known as the ATR Caucus. The ATR Caucus is a bipartisan group of over 70 members committed to advancing bipartisan solutions to the country's multifaceted addiction crisis. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the caucus, the first in Congress to recognize that addiction, indeed, is a disease. As a longtime champion for those facing addiction, I am all too familiar with the devastating impact of the disease for individuals, their families, and their communities. This is a loss many of us know too well--the loss of a daughter, a son, a father, a mother, a sister, or brother. The loss of a neighbor dying much too young and leaving behind a grieving family and communities being ripped apart by poison seemingly beyond their control. Last year, in our Nation, there was an estimated 109,680 overdose deaths. That is 109,680 lives lost. Let's think of how many people that is every day needlessly dying and having their lives cut so short. Think of the magnitude of all those impacted by those 109,680 loved ones.…”