I am encouraged by the FDA's increased attention to the growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and abuse and the need to improve treatment options for chronic pain.

In Wisconsin, water issues are on everyone's mind, as our rural communities are facing many challenges to protect their water quality.

Certainly, Wisconsin is not a State where we have many forest fires, but we have a significant part of our Northwoods with a very active timber industry.

I certainly continue to hear from my constituents in Wisconsin who are deeply shaken by the deaths of Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee, Tony Robinson in Madison, among others.

I have to tell you I was very pleased to see the Department choose former Madison, Wisconsin, Police Chief Noble Wray to lead this initiative.

I appreciate your holding this hearing.

I am encouraged that both NIH and CDC have joined the more than 2 dozen government organizations worldwide in pledging to share scientific and research data related to Zika to speed up our response to the virus.

One thing that we know that No Child Left Behind got wrong was its one-size-fits-all intervention scheme.

We have to remain vigilant and ensure that our first responders have what they need to prevent attacks and respond to them if they do occur.

Like many of my colleagues, I hear from constituents frequently about their very real fears of being attacked in their own communities--and these concerns are not unwarranted.

I ask unanimous consent that following my remarks, Senator Brown of Ohio be permitted to speak. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Student Debt Crisis

I come to the floor today because I think that higher education should be a path to prosperity, not a path to suffocating debt; however, today in America we have a student debt crisis that demands action from Washington because it is…