Rob Portman: “First of all, I want to agree with my colleague from Michigan and thank her for her work concerning behavioral health…”

“First of all, I want to agree with my colleague from Michigan and thank her for her work concerning behavioral health and working with us in a bipartisan group on both behavioral health and addiction because, unfortunately, during this pandemic, the epidemic of drug addiction and drug overdose and overdose deaths has increased dramatically, and it is a heartbreaking reality because we were making progress, thanks to work here in this Chamber and in the States. Around the country, we were actually reducing not just the number of people addicted but the number of people who were suffering from overdose and overdose deaths. Unfortunately, this year we are now going to see the largest overdose death rate in the history of our country, we believe. That is a sad reality, and we need to address it--that is part of the COVID-19 package--along with the behavioral health issues that are also, unfortunately, being exacerbated by the isolation that comes with the COVID-19 issue and the helpless, probably, and the joblessness that we have been seeing. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.”