Political Quotes

“Mr. President, everyone in this Chamber knows how bad the opioid epidemic is. In my State, we have the second highest number of opioid deaths per capita in the country next to West Virginia. In my State, we also have more people die of opioid overdoses than any other State in the country. On average, 11 people died yesterday, 11 will die today, 11 will die tomorrow, and 11 will die on Thursday of opioid overdoses. Last month at the Cleveland City Club, I called for a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained public health campaign to fight addiction through education, prevention, treatment, and recovery. We know from history that we cannot arrest or execute our way out of this crisis, whether in Montana or in Ohio. I met with law enforcement officers in every corner of my State. They shoulder a huge burden. They all tell me the same thing: They need resources to fight this. That is why I joined Senator Portman and a bipartisan group of our colleagues on the POWER Act--to get State and local law enforcement the high-tech tools they need to effectively screen for dangerous opioids, such as fentanyl. We also know from history that those enforcement tools are just one piece of this fight. We need a comprehensive approach, and that means recognizing how important treatment and rehabilitation are. We don't write off thousands of Ohioans struggling with addiction. We simply don't write off entire communities. That is where drug courts come in.…”