The size of this problem and the need for a new paradigm of treatment can't be understated.

I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mr. Thornberry, for yielding. I am also grateful to Ranking Member Smith for the opportunity to discuss the issue of mental health treatment for our military…

You've heard my thoughts about the Government-sponsored promotion of what I've characterized as addiction maintenance.

I also want to use today's hearing as an opportunity to hear from these Federal agencies about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Are we fighting heroin or not? I'm really frustrated with this, so I really--give me some more guidance on plan one.

We must do better, and we have much work to do.

I look forward to hearing from Dr. Frank and others about how the Affordable Care Act is transforming the landscape for behavioral health services.

Now, I don't believe in better living through dependency.

I don't want to see another statistic of 44,000 more people die of overdose.

Look, I want to thank you. As I said last time, too, you know, if this was about a single airplane crash, this room would be filled with media.

This is our Nation's single biggest public health concern.

Today I am introducing the Enhancing Veterans Access to Treatment Act, legislation that eliminates bureaucratic hurdles so veterans using the VA can continue to receive the same lifesaving mental health medication they access while on…

If we do not reverse the current trend, where is this going to end?

We need to tear down Federal policy and funding barriers that keep us from treating both simultaneously.

The numbers indicate we are failing as a Nation, and we darn well better come to terms with that.

This will mean that millions of people will have access to the tools they need to break their addictions.

But we have had more people die in the last year from drug overdose deaths than the combination of every airplane crash in North America from 1975 to the present.

Today we convene the third in a series of hearings examining the growing problem of prescription drugs and heroin addiction that is ravaging our country.

Thank you so much for your valuable input.

Every minute we delay, needed treatment costs lives.

Let me state clearly so as to leave no room for doubt: Our current strategy just isn't working, and I am not going to stop until we start moving in the direction of success, defined not just as getting individuals off of street drugs and…

No treatment option is perfect, and I strongly support further research that will help us create more effective treatments.

I am puzzled and amazed to read one particular priority included in their press release, and I quote, 'Exploring bipartisan policy changes to increase use of buprenorphine and developing the training to assist prescribing.'

We are not going to end this opioid epidemic by increasing the use of opioids.

Each and every year, I have spent Super Bowl Sunday in a soup kitchen, working alongside and serving individuals of the addiction recovery community.