Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3722, the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019. Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a public health emergency that has devastated communities across the country, including in my home State of Rhode Island. No matter your race, gender, age, or religion, Americans are suffering from the opioid overdose epidemic. In 2017, approximately 47,600 fatalities were attributed to opioid overdose. Fentanyl is exacerbating the problem. This powerful, synthetic opioid, 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin and 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, caused more than 15 times more deaths in 2017 than in 2009. The majority of opioids interdicted by the United States law enforcement agencies are seized at ports of entry. In fact, the southern border accounts for at least 75 percent of all opioids collected. I am pleased to offer a solution with my colleagues, Mr. King from New York, Mr. Rose, and Mr. McCaul, that will strengthen the Department of Homeland Security's fight against the drug crisis. This bill authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force to enhance the internal integration of the Department's border security operations to detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent narcotics, including fentanyl, from entering the United States in the first place.…”