Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota). Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding. I was anxious about the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee yielding because his alma mater team, West Point, lost to my alma mater Annapolis this weekend 31-13 at the premier football game, so I appreciate the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the fight against fentanyl and xylazine is a battle that we cannot afford to lose, and right now the United States is at a crossroads. Our communities are grappling with a devastating crisis as lethal drugs like fentanyl and xylazine continue to wreak havoc across our country. Today, we have a chance to deliver solutions. The amended version of my DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act is back before us and it is a stronger, more comprehensive tool to tackle this epidemic. Every year, over 100,000 precious American lives are lost to drug overdoses. In 2023 alone, opioids were responsible for more than 81,000 deaths. Fentanyl, accounting for nearly 90 percent of synthetic opioid fatalities, claimed tens of thousands of lives, shattering families and leaving communities in mourning. These numbers are tragic reminders of the lives we are losing every day. {time} 1230 Now, xylazine, a tranquilizer known on the streets as tranq, is being mixed with fentanyl, creating an even deadlier and harder to detect combination. This toxic mix does not spare anyone.…”