Political Quotes

“I thank Representative Guinta for yielding and for his incredible and sustained leadership, along with Representative Kuster and others, on this important bipartisan work. I know that we all wonder if the work that we do here in the Nation's capital--the bills that we consider, the votes that we cast--is having an impact on individuals. I truly believe--and I know that each of us do--that, if we can pass the bills that are being discussed here tonight, we can get them through the Senate and on the President's desk. If they could become law, we literally could save lives. We could see families being saved. For some that we represent, the opioid drug use may seem a world away. But, sadly, the numbers remove any doubt about heroin's impact so close to home when we have heard those stories told over and over again this evening. By every metric, the effects of heroin has reached epidemic levels. I heard Representative Courtney earlier today here on the floor speak about the epidemic as a national emergency. With that I agree. In Pennsylvania, heroin overdoses and opioid abuse will kill more people than homicides or influenza. In some States, it is more deadly than automobile accidents. There are several reasons for the rising statistics, Mr. Speaker, including the increased supply and decreased cost of heroin and the increasing number of Americans addicted to opioid painkillers.…”