Political Quotes

“now that the Senate has passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, I wish to take a few moments to reflect on what I believe are going to be additional steps that are needed to really put an end to the horrible opioid epidemic. This is a horrible, horrible health scourge that has carved a path of destruction throughout communities in Oregon and across our country. Now, over the last several weeks, I have traveled around Oregon to spend time listening to experts. We heard powerful testimony in the Finance Committee, and I have spoken with colleagues here in the Senate about the urgency and the important scale of this national crisis. The message has been very clear: Our country is paying for a distorted set of priorities. Our citizens get hooked on opioids, there is not enough treatment, and enforcement falls short. My view is that is a trifecta of misplaced priorities. What it says to me is that our country needs a fresh approach where prevention, better treatment, and tougher enforcement work in tandem. We have to have all three working together to really get on top of this horrible, horrible health scourge. The Congress ought to be working overtime on policies that start moving our Nation towards this tandem approach that I have described. Now, my view is that the bill that was passed by the Senate takes the first step toward updating the country's out-of-date approach to substance abuse.…”