Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Guinta) and the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster) for organizing this Special Order this evening, and also for the participation with the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic; and to also recognize the individuals from New Hampshire, Kriss and Mark, who came down, and for the bravery in sharing the story of Amber and how it is important for all of us to be reflecting on this very serious crisis that we have. Many of our communities have been hit hard by the opioid abuse epidemic. Like other regions of the country, this brutal epidemic is affecting western Pennsylvania, destroying lives, breaking up families, and claiming far too many of our loved ones. Vonda Probst from Friedens, Pennsylvania, knows firsthand the devastating reality of losing a loved one to drugs. Nearly 2 years have passed since Ms. Probst lost her son, Jared Carter, to a heroin overdose. Jared enjoyed motorcycle riding, four-wheeling, fixing old cars, and just being outdoors. He would have turned 30 this last summer. {time} 2045 There are far too many stories like Jared's in Pennsylvania and throughout our Nation, lives full of potential and value that are cut short by drug abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, last year alone there were well over 10,000 heroin overdose deaths. This number reflects a six-fold increase in the number of heroin deaths since 2001.…”