Political Quotes

“I would like to thank Chairman Upton; Ranking Member Pallone; Messrs. Guthrie, Katko, and Himes; Eleanor Holmes Norton; and Congressman Jolly, all for helping to bring this bipartisan bill up today in order to officially identify these dangerous synthetic substances and address the public health crisis presented by their continued proliferation throughout the country. I have been working for several years to bring attention to the very serious threat that synthetic drugs pose to the health and safety of communities both within Pennsylvania and across our Nation. Although initially successful after placing a number of synthetic cannabinoids on schedule I and enhancing the DEA's authorities to protect the public from these drugs through legislation that was signed into law in 2012, we have begun to see a renewed rise in both the number of new substances on the streets and the number of victims affected by these products. This bill simply adds 22 compounds to schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, and these are, frankly, the very worst of the worst compounds out there. The products targeted by this bill are primarily labeled as synthetic marijuana, bath salts, or synthetic opioids, which are sold under the labels like K2, Spice, and Flakka that allow them to be marketed to unsuspecting young people and some of the most vulnerable members of our society.…”