Political Quotes

“I have been coming to the floor every week for quite some time talking about an epidemic that we all have to fight through, and that is the epidemic of opiates--drug abuse. This is prescription--legal--drug abuse. We have come to a crisis in our country. I think both Democrats and Republicans realize this. This is not a partisan issue. It doesn't pick sides. It doesn't choose whether you are rich or poor, what race you may be, what religion you may practice. It basically attacks everybody. In 2014, 18,893 people died due to prescription opiate overdose. That is an average of 51 people every day. We are talking about legal prescription drugs. These are made by pharmaceutical companies that we depend on to make products needed for quality of life. They are also approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Basically, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for making sure the products we consume are safe. Then, they are prescribed to us by the most trusted person next to our family member, which is our doctor. So when we think about it, how could something that has been approved by so many reputable people and institutions do so much harm and then we not react to it? That is the hard thing I have to imagine. I can't say: You know what; I don't think it was anybody's intent, but it is what it is. We have a full-blown epidemic. Over 2,000 people have died since 1999. We talk about Zika, and we talk about Ebola.…”