Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in July 2016, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, otherwise known as CARA. The statistics then were shocking, and, unfortunately, they have not yet subsided. In 2016, more than 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids. This figure has nearly doubled in the past decade. Part of CARA created a comprehensive opioid abuse reduction program at the Department of Justice which directs Federal resources for drug abuse programs targeted at the opioid problem within our criminal justice system. By establishing this competitive grant program, CARA gives States and localities maximum flexibility to attack opioid abuse issues unique to their communities. States are now able to use the grant funds for a variety of important criminal justice programs, including alternatives to incarceration, treatment programs for incarcerated individuals, juvenile opioid abuse, investigation and enforcement of drug trafficking and distribution laws, and significant training for first responders in carrying and administering opioid overdose reversal drugs, like naloxone. States can enlist nonprofit organizations, including faith-based organizations, in the fight against opioid abuse. In 2016, CARA authorized this new program at $103 million annually over 5 years.…”