Congressional Record, Volume 162 Issue 73 (Tuesday, May 10, 2016)

[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 10, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H2195-H2203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

NATION'S OPIOID EPIDEMIC

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Young of Iowa). Under the Speaker's
announced policy of January 6, 2015, the gentlewoman from Massachusetts
(Ms. Clark) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the
minority leader.

General Leave

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special
Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my
colleagues for joining us this evening for this critically important
discussion.
I thank the chairs of the bipartisan task force on the opioid
epidemic for their leadership and tenacity in pushing reforms. I thank
Congresswoman Kuster and Congressman Guinta.
This week the House will debate solutions to our Nation's opioid
crisis. If there has ever been a time to put away partisan differences
and ideological rhetoric, it is now. I am proud of the work of the task
force in supporting bipartisan bills to help stem the tide of this
epidemic.
This is a public health crisis that reaches into every community. It
is an equal opportunity killer, without regard for age, gender, race,
or economic background. It does not care if you are a Democrat or a
Republican.
In Massachusetts, just last year we lost nearly 1,400 lives to this
opioid crisis. Half of all of the deaths in Massachusetts of opioid
overdoses involve heroin, but prescription opioid overdoses are also
surging. Between

[[Page H2196]]

2013 and 2014, they increased by over 90 percent. In my State more than
others, the epidemic is claiming the lives of our young people ages 25
to 34.
Too many parents are trying to save their child from opioid
addiction's deadly grip, and they are counting on us for help. That is
why we are here this evening--to do everything we can to save lives.
At the center of this debate are the families at home who speak out
and bravely share their stories so no other parent has to endure the
pain of losing their child.
Tonight I am thinking of Debbie Deagle, who I met in October during a
town hall in Revere, Massachusetts. In front of a large audience she
told the story of Stephen, her only child, who she lost to opioid
addiction. In her words, she was inconsolable and it was difficult to
make it through each day. She was also angry because not a month had
gone by in the last 15 years she hadn't heard of somebody overdosing,
but nobody wanted to talk about it and everybody was too ashamed.
Debbie talked about the shame her son felt. She described him as
brilliant, her miracle child. She raised him as a single mother and,
while it was hard, his beautiful life was a gift she cherished.
He was smart, witty, a songwriter, and a musician. He had a bright
future. He had graduated with honors from St. John's Prep and went to
Northeastern University, where he became a computer science major,
which was his gift.
It was four impacted wisdom teeth his freshman year of college and
the opioids that he took for pain that started him on his road to
addiction. When his substance abuse disorder derailed Stephen's life,
Debbie started reading blogs where people commented: They are only
junkies. They should just cull the herd. That is what got her angry.
She thought: These aren't animals. These are children.
On their own, Debbie and her son battled addiction, insurance
companies, and the courts. In the end, it was a battle they lost. On
January 8, 2015, Stephen Deagle passed away after his excruciating
struggle with opioids, and his mother lived her worst nightmare saying
goodbye to her only son.
When we asked Debbie if we could share her story, her request was
simple: Please get Congress to do something. We deserve real solutions
now.
So my request to this Congress is to listen to Debbie and the pleas
of too many other moms like her. This crisis is an urgent calling for
Congress to act and save lives.
This week we will have the opportunity to pass legislation that will
give critical tools to address this crisis. Ultimately, however, we
must also provide the financial resources to our State and local
partners to change the course of this epidemic.
I thank you for all the work that is being done.
I yield to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Guinta).
Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clark for yielding,
and I extend my gratitude to her for joining me tonight in this Special
Order.
I am also grateful for the opportunity to join bipartisan members--
Republican and Democrat--from around the country to talk about heroin
abuse, an increasingly deadly public health crisis.
Last year I joined with my colleague from New Hampshire,
Congresswoman Kuster, to create The Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the
Heroin Epidemic. We strive to fight the tragedy of opioid addiction and
fatal overdose from around the Nation.
Since its creation last October, our task force has grown to 80
members. Our growth and impact is a testament to the depth of the
crisis and the focus of the Members of this body.
In my home State of New Hampshire, abuse and overdose claimed the
lives of 430 people in 2015. To put that number in perspective, that is
1 out of every 3,000 residents died of an overdose last year. The CDC
reports that, nationally, overdose deaths have tripled over the last 10
years.
I am proud of the work we have done so far to combat this epidemic.
But as many struggling families and ailing communities know, there is
much more work to be done.
A few weeks ago the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin
Epidemic proposed a legislative agenda. Our bills would assist law
enforcement, treatment providers, and recovery personnel in their
battle against the epidemic.
During this Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week, we will see our
legislation come to the floor for a vote. I am pleased that my
colleagues have tirelessly worked to protect our loved ones from this
epidemic, and I am proud to cosponsor many bills coming to the floor
this week, including the House response to the Comprehensive Addiction
and Recovery Act.
To address the comprehensive nature of this epidemic, we must provide
a comprehensive legislative package to bolster the efforts of those
helping our communities.
I have filed several amendments to this package for this week. They
will increase grants for medication-assisted treatments and long-term
recovery.
I also have filed legislation that would reauthorize recovery court
programs for 3 years, and I am grateful that my bill, the Good
Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016, passed by suspension in the House
earlier today. I hope this provision will be included in the conference
report.
Very simply, these provisions are absolutely crucial to aiding those
in need. My colleagues and I have committed to seeing the House of
Representatives pass the strongest and most comprehensive plan
possible.
I believe we will do our due diligence to pass this plan, go to
conference with the Senate, and put a bill on the President's desk
before June.
Our plan is urgently needed. Nearly 129 people die every day from an
opioid overdose. In my district and around the country, I hear from
families and friends who know someone coping with substance use
disorder.
We will only make a dent in this great challenge by listening to its
victims. We need to hear fathers like Doug Griffin of Newton in New
Hampshire's First District. His daughter, Courtney, fell victim to
heroin abuse at just 20 years old.
Doug remembers Courtney as a bright, lively girl with a great sense
of humor and a deep passion for life. She played music. She loved
s'mores. Courtney told Doug she planned to become a marine and serve
her country.
But 3 years later she was lost on the streets, in and out of rehab
facilities. Prescription pills, fentanyl, and street heroin ensnared
Courtney into a fatal web of addiction. She lost the will to live.
Because Courtney's pain was so great and because she had so few
options for treatment, Doug says he and his family hid the truth from
the outside world. To help others, they are speaking out now, just as
this body is this evening.
Doug is courageously telling everyone he knows about the warning
signs of heroin abuse and the deficiencies in our public response.
Millions of Americans share Courtney's story and Doug's anguish. It is
only by speaking out and sharing grief that we will remove the stigma
preventing far too many from seeking help.
Tonight it is about telling the truth. It is about finding the
solutions we need and why we need them. It is about putting political
disagreements aside and cooperating for the common good, for the common
good not just of our constituents, but our country.
As the House considers this vital legislation, I encourage my
colleagues to listen to their constituents, hear their stories, share
their struggles, and help them fight back. We could win this public
emergency, and it starts this week with the comprehensive CARA
legislation.
I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for working so
judiciously and in a manner that I think puts people ahead of anything
else that this body is doing. I commend my colleagues, and I am honored
to work with them on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the congresswoman from the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts just to the south of my district.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Guinta.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr.
Courtney).
Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clark for organizing
this really important discussion here this evening.

[[Page H2197]]

The scope of the problem in terms of what is facing our Nation is
pretty astonishing when you look at the statistics from the Centers for
Disease Control.
In 2004, 7,000 Americans lost their lives to heroin overdoses. Fast-
forward 10 years and that number is now over 27,000. Again, the
statistics land in suburban America, rural America, and urban America.
But at the end of the day, behind every one of those numbers is a
story of a human being and a family. That is why this discussion is so
important tonight.
Next to me I have a chart showing the face of Justice Kelly, who is a
21-year-old from Tolland, Connecticut. Tolland, Connecticut, is the
quintessential small-town New England community. It is about 5 miles
from where I live. Her mother, Jennifer, moved there hoping that this
was going to be a great community to raise her child, and she went
through the public school system.
Battling depression, she fell victim to heroin addiction and for the
last number of years has been battling this with methadone treatment in
and out of facilities and programs.
Last summer she really finally went to her family and just begged
them to get access to a long-term rehab program. Unfortunately, the
waiting lists were months. The facilities in Connecticut, like so many
other parts of the country, were full.
In August of 2015, when she again was in a predicament where she lost
her asthma medication, the combination of suffering from asthma and a
heroin overdose resulted in her being rushed to the hospital with an
overdose condition.
The good news is that the folks at the emergency room were able to
save her life. But as her mother said, ``As we pulled into the parking
lot of the ER, I knew at that moment I was losing her. All I remember
from that moment on was being more scared than I have been in my entire
life. I saw a whole team of people come outside and try and save my
baby's life. I stood there helpless and alone. All I could do was look
to God.''
She now is in a permanent vegetative state, as the photograph next to
me indicates, and there really are no signs of improvement.
Her mother went on to say, ``They saved my daughter's life that day,
but it's been a very hard journey. Justice's injury is so severe that
the likelihood Justice will ever recover is very slim. More than
likely, I will have to make the decision to bring my baby home with
hospice.''
This story shows that this problem extends far beyond even the
fatalities. It also is going to leave people with chronic life-changing
conditions, like this beautiful young girl from Tolland, Connecticut.

{time} 1930

Mr. Speaker, this issue is now coming to the floor this week with a
number of measures authorizing different changes and approaches to this
program.
I want to, again, emphasize the fact that I come from the State with
the highest per capita income, but even in Connecticut, people cannot
find access to treatment beds. That is why at some point we have to
bring this discussion to a higher level and realize that we need to get
resources out to the communities so that law enforcement can at the
front lines deal with this issue in emergency situations, so that we
have treatment options for families like the Kelly family in Tolland,
Connecticut, and so that we go upstream in terms of prevention and
education so as to get to the root causes of the pathways to heroin and
opioid addiction. This is going to require an all-hands-on-deck
approach.
Yes, let's support the legislation that is coming forward this week,
let's make smart policy changes, and let's authorize different
programs. At the end of the day, we need to put our money where our
mouth is in that we need to treat this like it is a natural disaster.
As a Nation, we would instantly respond to a hurricane that is taking
human lives at a clip much slower, in fact, than what is happening with
the heroin opioid crisis.
Let's move forward with the $600 million request for emergency
supplemental funding, which is before the Appropriations Committee, so
that we will not just talk about solving this problem but, again, put
the resources out there so that the police, the addiction counselors,
the treatment folks, and all of the families who are out there who are
desperate for help will know that our country is going to treat this as
the true crisis that it is and will know we will get the resources all
across the country.
Again, I thank Representativ Clark for organizing this discussion.
Jennifer Kelly, Justice's mother, thanks the gentlewoman for letting us
have an opportunity to tell the story about her daughter.
As a Nation, let's move forward with all of the resources and good
ideas because that is the only way we are ever going to come to terms
with this problem and solve it.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Please extend our thanks to Jennifer's
family for sharing that story, and I thank the gentleman for his
advocacy.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).
Mr. KATKO. I thank the gentlewoman.
Mr. Speaker, during my 15 years as a Federal prosecutor in Syracuse,
New York, I witnessed firsthand on a daily basis the devastating
impacts of drug use, in general, and of heroin, in particular, and the
terrible impacts it had on the well-being of our children, on the lives
of those directly involved, and on the safety of our community.
Tragically, the devastating impact of heroin and other opioids has
gotten much worse in recent years.
As a Federal prosecutor, I have seen every possible drug known to man
on the streets. I have never seen anything that has had the devastating
effects that heroin has had on our communities. Literally, fatal
incidents are happening on a regular basis.
One of my top priorities during my time in Washington has been to
facilitate a community dialogue on this public health epidemic to
discuss ways of treating and preventing addiction. At every forum, at
every town hall, at every business I visit, at every hospital I visit,
I hear from my constituents of the devastation this epidemic is
inflicting on our communities. I hear tragic stories about friends or
family members succumbing to heroin addiction. I hear from medical
workers and first responders about the strain this epidemic is placing
on their resources. I hear stories of pain and loss, and I want to
share a few of those with you to illustrate what I am talking about.
During the course of the six town halls I have conducted or have
participated in throughout my district over the last several months, we
have routinely heard of the stories of victims. In particular, families
have told of the loved ones they have lost. One individual really
caught my attention. They all caught my attention, but this one was
pretty devastating.
Morgan Axe was a beautiful young woman and a great athlete--just a
great kid overall--who battled addiction with heroin for several years.
At 24 years old, she became pregnant and she stopped taking heroin
completely in order to protect her baby. She stopped taking any drugs
that would have helped her with her cravings, and she was doing great.
At the fifth month--at 5 months of being clean--a boyfriend thought it
would be a good idea to give her a dose of heroin. We have the
telephone records to show it. She took that heroin and she died, as did
her baby.
Her mother had to come to that forum and talk about this. I applaud
her for the openness with which she talked about it, for the pain that
she shared with us, and for the lessons that can be learned from this.
It can happen to anybody. It is not an inner city drug. When we were
growing up, we used to think of heroin users as individuals who would
be under a bridge somewhere or in an alley, but that is not the way it
is. It affects those in the suburbs, the wealthy, the poor, and
everyone in between.
I have one other quick story. When I was renting my congressional
office, the individual who was showing me the office had a sad look in
his eye. He began to tell me the story about his daughter, who was the
Final Four MVP for the NCAA Junior College Lacrosse the year before.
She died of a heroin overdose because she got into heroin after that
championship.
It is an epidemic with enormous consequences, and it is getting
worse. The epidemic of addiction is claiming the

[[Page H2198]]

lives from every age, class, and race, like I mentioned. I know that
society doesn't like to talk about drugs, addiction, and overdose, but
this is a problem that we can no longer ignore, and it is one that we
must absolutely, positively, address. The scourge must be stopped.
I am absolutely proud to be part of the House action that is being
taken this week on several measures that will help to fight against
this growing opioid epidemic and through the passage of my drug kingpin
bill earlier today. Much remains to be done, and I hope that Congress
will build on the actions this week and will continue to work on
efforts in a bipartisan manner so we can fight back and save people
from addiction.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. I thank the gentleman for sharing
Morgan's story with us.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the western part of the
Commonwealth, Mr. Neal.
(Mr. NEAL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. NEAL. I thank Congresswomen Clark and Ann Kuster and Congressman
Frank Guinta for the good work that they have done in calling attention
this evening to this crisis that now threatens to overwhelm
rehabilitation centers across the country. What I want to specifically
cite in my comments for the next few minutes is a very human story. Her
name is Bethany, and she wrote to me on January 18 of this year.

Dear Congressman Neal:
I am writing to you regarding the heroin prescription pill
crisis our State and Nation is currently entrenched in. I am
a physician assistant who graduated from Wake Forest Baptist
Medical School in their Physician Assistants program in 2003.
I have worked in various outpatient clinics, as well as at
Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, and
at the Cooley Dickinson emergency room operations in
Northampton, Massachusetts. I have treated overdose patients,
have been alongside physicians who have pronounced patients
deceased from an overdose, as well as having referred
patients to crisis support teams, outpatient treatment, and
rehabs.
After all of this, I never expected that I would become
addicted to prescription painkillers after a series of
surgeries and illness. I suffered in silence, alone in fear,
shame, and guilt. I was a functioning professional who
referred my addicted patients to various resources, but when
I tried to reach out for help, I hit roadblocks.
For instance, the emergency room I worked in was outsourced
so that when I went to the emergency room director on two
separate occasions to ask to go to the Employee Assistance
Program, I was told that those resources were only available
to hospital employees. I tried outpatient therapy and 12-step
programs, but I kept sliding backwards.
After years of struggling, I couldn't keep silent any
longer. I confessed my addiction to a coworker. I felt that,
finally, help would come. Instead, I was fired for cause and
without benefits. The fear that had kept me silent for all of
those years was now my reality. My husband was a stay-at-home
dad.
And now how could we support our three children?
I felt like my life was falling apart. Little did I know
that what I was doing was actually falling into place. With
family support, I found a rehab program for 6 months where I
could go with two young children. I saw my oldest on the
weekends.
After graduating rehab, I interviewed and signed up with
the Massachusetts professional reporting system. For 5 years,
I have called in daily. I am subjected to at least 15 random
drug tests a year. I go to 2 to 4 hours of recovery meetings
every week and attend a professionals in recovery meeting
weekly. It was in the professionals meetings that I finally
found a sense of belonging. It was the vital piece of the
puzzle that had been lacking as I searched for recovery but
kept backsliding.

She writes in this letter to me of her strong faith and how it helped
to get her through this very difficult time in her life, but she also
points out that the system is broken, that the emergency room funding
for reaching individuals is inadequate, that pain management is
inadequate, that pain scales, treatments are inadequate.
She writes:

I found myself overtreating pain at times because I was
taught that we could get sanctioned from not treating pain. I
felt obligated to treat someone's subjective pain without
objective findings or reason.

She writes of all of the challenges that she faced, all having
started because of surgeries and illnesses that she had that required
medication that, in fact, in the end, she could not successfully
escape.
She testified in a forum that I held. She was courageous enough to
get up and talk about the problems that she had.
Do you know what?
She is doing better.
So we call attention to those tonight who might find a path forward
from the grim reality of heroin that sells on the streets of
Springfield and Hartford for $3 a bag. This was an individual who had a
normal working relationship with colleagues. This was an individual who
went to work faithfully, had a professional designation, and found
herself caught up in the opioid crisis because of the prescriptions
that had been given to her early on.
I know of the maintenance plan that is being proposed and of the
suggestions that are being offered for more physicians to secure
training and how opioids might be extended to those who need them, but
I would implore this Congress to act favorably upon that proposal and
that legislation.
We all regularly go to caucus meetings, we go to a host of get-
togethers, at which we always attempt to upgrade our skills. There is
nothing that will upgrade your skills like the coarseness of a
campaign--I can tell you that--but we all find that professional
opportunity to challenge ourselves to do better in this institution.
That should not be unlike those who are outside of the institution.
Where you regularly require courses for attorneys, CPAs, and others,
why not for physicians so they may receive the training that today
would be readily available with the assistance of this Congress,
hopefully after the vigorous activity that we will take this week?
I close as I opened. I thank Congresswoman Clark for her leadership,
Congresswoman Kuster for her leadership, and Congressman Guinta for his
leadership on this issue. I am telling you, across western and central
Massachusetts, this is devastating families. There is an opportunity
here for the Congress to respond.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. I thank Mr. Neal for the critical story
that Bethany shared with him and that the gentleman shared with us. We
know how devastating this crisis has been in western and central
Massachusetts, and we thank the gentleman for all of his leadership on
it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik).
Ms. STEFANIK. I thank Ms. Clark.
Mr. Speaker, first, I want to take a moment to thank my colleagues
Mr. Guinta, Ms. Kuster, and Ms. Clark for their work and tireless
efforts to combat the heroin epidemic that is sweeping across our
Nation.
Over the last 15 years, heroin-related deaths have quadrupled,
leaving families and communities across this country shattered. This
crisis has been felt acutely in my district where the region is a major
pipeline for illicit drug trafficking.
Last November, law enforcement in Washington County, New York, made
11 arrests in one morning of individuals who were illegally selling
heroin, cocaine, and prescription drugs. In New York's North Country, I
have seen and heard from those in recovery and from those still
struggling that heroin addiction and prescription drug abuse is a
lifelong challenge. In my district, heroin addiction tragedies have
caused parents to bury their children and have left spouses widowed and
young children parentless.
These drugs reach out and impact even the strongest members of our
communities. Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate. The
support offered by treatment centers like St. Joseph's Addiction
Treatment & Recovery Center in Saranac Lake is critical to those who
suffer from this disease. Several veterans whom I had the opportunity
to visit with at St. Joseph's have seen the harsh reality of war and
are now fighting battles at home--one against heroin and opioid
addiction and another against posttraumatic stress disorder.
Heroin abuse touches our communities, our homes, and our families in
ways that have grave effects on everyday people and everyday lives. As
heroin use has increased, police departments across this Nation have
seen a rapid rise in related crimes, such as sex trafficking, domestic
disputes, larceny, burglary, and prostitution--all tied to heroin use.
This week, I am honored to stand with my colleagues from both sides
of

[[Page H2199]]

the aisle to advance legislative solutions to this widespread and
insidious crisis. As a member of Representatives Guinta's and Kuster's
bipartisan task force to combat heroin abuse and assist law enforcement
efforts, we have worked tirelessly to find solutions. The legislation
we present this week provides critical tools to medical personnel and
law enforcement for stemming the flow of drugs and enhancing treatment
options and availability.
These are real problems that need to be addressed through innovation,
cooperation, and thoughtful action. I am confident that we can secure a
better heroin-free future for our Nation. These efforts are not the end
of the House's work on this issue. We will continue to seek solutions
to this crisis that has touched families across my district and across
our Nation.

{time} 1945

On behalf of the families, communities, and veterans in New York's
21st Congressional District and across the country, I urge my
colleagues to join those of us here tonight as we work to eliminate the
heroin epidemic facing this country.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Stefanik for
telling us of the work of St. Joseph's and highlighting the importance
of the impact of this crisis on veterans.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I first thank my colleagues, Congresswoman
Clark for leading this effort, Congressman Guinta, as well as
Congresswoman Ann Kuster, who have worked tirelessly to move the heroin
task force agenda forward. I applaud their persevering efforts and
House leadership's acknowledgement of the danger and devastation the
heroin and opioid epidemic has caused across our great Nation.
This serious situation impacts every county in the 9th District of
Ohio, stretching across all of northern Ohio. We have been impacted
more heavily due to the major Ohio turnpike, I-80/I-90, and easy
transport networks that link to international smuggling access points.
The largest of our district's five counties, Cuyahoga County,
recently declared a public health emergency because of record rates of
overdoses. The county lost a staggering 181 citizens in the first 4
months of 2016, a rate of overdose death that, if continued, would more
than double the 2015 numbers for that county.
Mayors across our district report to me the dramatic increase in
emergency calls connected to the epidemic. For northern Ohio, spikes in
opioid overdoses are outpacing the ability of local hospitals and
rehabilitation facilities to respond effectively.
This week's legislative activity is imperative to communities across
America. I encourage our colleagues in leadership to work expeditiously
to conference the legislation. Send it to the President with funding
immediately. People's lives and local community stability and safety
are waiting for our action.
Tonight I would like to share the stories of three young adults--two
named Matt and one named Tracy--who have been victimized by the heroin
and opioid epidemic.
The first is Matt who was 29 from Toledo, Ohio, who never thought he
would become a drug addict. He never knew anything about drugs. He
never even smoked cigarettes as a youth. He had a great upbringing and
a good home with an amazingly loving family. He went to private schools
from kindergarten through high school, then to college at a Division I
university on a full athletic scholarship for baseball after graduating
with a 4.0 GPA.
So what happened, you ask?
He tore his rotator cuff as a sophomore in college and was given a
prescription for 90 percent Percocet. It only took about a week before
he became physically dependent and totally reliant. Percocet became the
gateway portal to self-annihilation.
To sum up, his next year, Percocet pills got expensive, and he
dropped out of college. And one day, not being able to find any pills
because of the price and lack of availability, he was offered heroin,
which was cheaper and stronger. And from that day on, he was hooked and
injected heroin for 9 years.
Matt transformed into a shell of who he used to be, a shell of who he
wanted to be and who he always imagined to become. Matt lost everything
and everyone in his life because of heroin. After 13 arrests in four
different states, he is now a convicted felon. He overdosed and died,
having been kept alive for 5 days by machines in ICU.
How could this have happened to such a promising young man?
Heroin and opioid abuse sees no boundaries. It is death masquerading
as medicine.
In Toledo, there are only 16 federally funded detox beds for an
estimated 10,000 opiate addicts. We simply have to have legislation
that allows for more detox facilities. There are programs like Team
Recovery that have made a difference in the lives of individuals like
Tracy, whose story I will place in the Record.
Let me just say that if there are families out there who need
assistance, one can call 1-800-662-4357 for advice and direction. That
is an addiction hotline, 1-800-662-HELP. The life you save may be your
own or that of a relative, friend, or loved one.
Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank my colleagues Frank Guinta and Ann
Kuster who have worked tirelessly to move the Heroin Task Force agenda
forward. I applaud their persevering efforts and House Leaderships'
acknowledgment of the danger and devastation the heroin and opioid
epidemic has caused across this great nation.
This serious situation impacts every county in our 9th Ohio district
that stretches across all of northern Ohio. We have been impacted more
heavily due to the major Ohio Turnpike, I-80-90, and easy transport
networks that link to international smuggling access points.
The largest of our district's five counties, Cuyahoga County,
recently declared a public health emergency because of record rates of
overdoses. The County lost a staggering 181 citizens in the first four
months of 2016, a rate of overdose deaths that if continued, would more
than double 2015 numbers for the County.
Mayors across our district report to me the dramatic increase in
emergency calls connected to the epidemic. For Northern Ohio, spikes in
opioid overdoses are outpacing the ability of local hospitals and
rehabilitations facilities to respond effectively. This week's
legislative activity is imperative to communities across America. I
encourage our colleagues and leadership to work expeditiously to
conference the legislation. Send it to the President, with funding,
immediately.
People lives and local community stability are waiting for our
action.
Tonight, I want to share the stories of three young adults--two named
Matt--and one named Tracy. Individuals from our district who have been
victimized by the heroin and opioid epidemic.
The first is Matt, who was 29, from Toledo, Ohio. He never thought he
would become a drug addict. He never knew anything about drugs, not
even wanting to smoke cigarettes as a youth. He had a great upbringing
in a good home, with an amazingly loving family. He went to private
schools from kindergarten through high school, then to college at a
Division 1 university on a full athletic scholarship for baseball after
graduating with a 4.0 GPA. So what happened, you ask?
He tore his rotator cuff as a sophomore in college and was given a
prescription for 90 Percocet. It only took about a week before he
became physically dependent and totally reliant. Percocet became the
gateway portal to self-annihilation.
To sum up--his next year, Percocet pills got expensive and he dropped
out of college. One day, not being able to find any pills because of
the price and lack of availability, he was offered heroin, which was
cheaper and stronger. From that day on he was hooked, and injected
heroin for 9 years.
Matt transformed into a shell of who he used to be, a shell of who he
wanted to be--and who he always imagined to become. He lost
everything--and everyone--in his life because of heroin.
After thirteen arrests in four different states, he is now a
convicted felon. He overdosed and died, having been kept alive for 5
days by machines in ICU. How could this have happened to such a
promising young man? Heroin and opioid abuse sees no boundaries. It is
death masquerading as medicine.
In Toledo, there are only sixteen federally funded detox beds for an
estimated 10,000 opiate addicts. Another young man also named Matt was
one of the lucky ones who was able to secure a detox bed through Ohio's
Drug Abuse Response Team, or DART program. Today, it has been almost
eight months since he was able to secure the bed, which has changed his
course completely.
In detox, along with three friends, all of which remain sober, Matt
started Team Recovery, an advocacy group for addicts that makes
recovery available and achievable. Team Recovery strives to change the
stigma attached to addiction and make people realize addicts are not
bad people. They are people who need medical help.
Team Recovery speaks to Ohio students between 6th grade and college-
age, about

[[Page H2200]]

drugs and alcohol, and offers assistance to family members and friends
of those who need healing and support. They hope to eventually spread
their efforts across the nation.
Today, Matt has turned his life around and reconnected with family
and friends. He speaks daily with police, judges, coroners, doctors,
treatment providers, police & fire chiefs, all in an effort to
collaborate in this fight against opiates. His message is positive and
clear. Recovery is possible, and it is beautiful.
Working alongside Matt at Team Recovery is Tracy, 39 years old, who
point blank told me that she is a recovering addict. Tracy started
smoking marijuana when she was 15, to numb the pain from past sexual
abuse, not otherwise knowing how to cope in a healthy way. She moved
from Toledo, to Chillicothe, Ohio in 2001, where she met a man who
introduced her to opioid pills and cocaine. At age 24, she started
using cocaine and it wasn't long before she used it every day.
Eventually, she started to smoke it and even inject.
For 6 years her addiction was so bad she lost everything: jobs,
friends, family, everything she owned, even her dignity and morals. She
was alone fighting the worst battle of her life.
In 2007, she was caught with possession of cocaine, after reoffending
shortly after, she was sent to prison. Rather than give Tracy any
chance to seek treatment, she was sent to prison for 5 years.
In prison, she realized there were just as many drugs in prison as on
the street. Being there did not help. She needed treatment, not a
prison sentence. It is nearly impossible to find a treatment facility
because there are so few available.
From the age of 15 until May 4, 2007, Tracy abused drugs. What drove
her to sobriety? She was so tired of losing everything, living couch to
couch, doing illegal things to get drugs and having her dignity and
morals stripped away because she was chasing a high. She was ready for
a change, to take back the life she lost during her addiction.
Today, her life has changed dramatically. A week ago, on May 4th, she
celebrated 9 years of sobriety. Now, she uses her experience of moving
past addiction to help others. She is in college, studying psychology
to become a substance abuse counselor. She started a job at a recovery
house as a resident advisor and is also an active member of Team
Recovery.
The legislative action the House will address this week will provide
much needed correction to our justice and health systems--which have
not adapted fast enough to this crisis.
I wish to emphasize a few lessons Team Recovery highlighted to me.
These are the recommendations of individuals who understand the plight
of heroin and opioid addiction better than most:
1. There needs to be more funding for detox beds. They should not be
limited to 16 beds per facility.
2. Medicaid should not cap facilities to 16 detox beds.
3. Prevention, education, and awareness are paramount! The innovative
approach of Team Recovery's school presentations allows students to
better relate, impacting their understanding and behavior.
4. Better monitoring of prescription prescribing and over-prescribing
is needed. Creating stricter limitations on prescription counts is
highly necessary.
5. Suboxone and Methadone (opioids) are not the solution to an opiate
epidemic for everyone, but cannot be ruled out as an option for some.
6. Vivitrol is a key resource and should be utilized more.
7. Recovery is possible but detox and treatment are paramount. Jail
without addiction treatment fails those who need help.
8. Opioids impact the way the brain functions. Recovery can take
months, if not years, if it is to be effective.
Finally, if anyone listening is facing this terrible monster of
addiction, or you know a friend or loved one who is, call 1-800-662-
HELP.
That's 1-800-662-4357 for advice and direction.
The life you save may be your own, or that of a relative, friend or
loved one.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Kaptur for
putting a face to this addiction with the moving stories of Matt and
Tracy.
I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Clark and Mr. Guinta for their
hard work in making this Special Order happen tonight and in moving
forward on this very, very important issue.
Mr. Speaker, opioid use is an epidemic in this country, and
unfortunately the problem is only getting worse.
I want to also commend Senator Rob Portman for his leadership in
introducing and passing in the other body CARA, legislation to combat
opioids, especially heroin. I would expect that whatever we pass here
in the House--and we are considering a number of bills--will ultimately
be reconciled with the Senate and Mr. Portman's bill over in the
Senate. This will help many struggling Americans.
I talked to a member of a city council in one of the smaller
communities in my district back in--I represent the greater Cincinnati
area--in Lorain County. It happened to be North Bend.
According to the last census, there are only 857 people who live in
the entire village, so it is pretty small. But the first councilperson
that I talked to talked about the heroin problem they are having in
this community. This is a very small community, kind of a normal,
middle class area. There are great people, families, hardworking
people. Yet, heroin is becoming a scourge in this community.
William Henry Harrison, one of our earlier presidents--he has his
monument and was buried--is from this community. It is just amazing to
me to think that if it is hitting a small community like this, it is
hitting virtually everywhere.
Simply put, we must find workable solutions to this epidemic. High
income, low income, urban, suburban, rural, it really doesn't matter.
This epidemic is impacting communities all across this country.
In fact, in my home State of Ohio, 13 out of 16 congressional
districts are designated as high intensity drug trafficking areas by
the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Back in 2014, just a little
over a year ago, we had a staggering 2,744 heroin deaths in our State
alone. Obviously, States all over the country are having this problem
as well.
Mr. Speaker, in searching for an answer to this problem--I happened
to be the dean of the Republicans in Ohio--we had a briefing with the
head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli.
We actually learned an awful lot about what is happening in our State
and nationally.
Basically what we learned is that there are two fronts. It is
reducing the supply and it is eliminating the demand. Supply reduction
is a complex issue. Since much of the heroin is coming across the
Mexican border, obviously, increased border security is important.
Treatment is absolutely important.
The Drug Enforcement Agency often has take-back days where people can
drop off old prescriptions to licensed agents for disposal. What we
have seen are that an awful lot of especially young people who are
getting hooked on heroin start out with prescription drugs, and
oftentimes it is something that they got from a family member in their
own home.
Despite additional control mechanisms, if there is one thing we have
learned over the years, it is almost impossible to completely cut off
the supply of any particular drug. So we must also eliminate the
demand.
We need to focus on drug treatment and prevention programs. For
example, in Cincinnati, we have something called the Talbert House,
which is one of many nonprofits that help folks in southwest Ohio and
northern Kentucky to combat substance abuse. So there are many, many
programs that we already have. We need to have more.
I want to, again, commend the fact that this is happening in a
bipartisan manner. We have a lot of Members in the House, both
Republicans and Democrats, who have come together and have a lot of
good plans. They have talked with the folks in their districts. I
commend my colleagues for working on this together in a bipartisan
manner.
Let's reconcile what we pass here with the Senate, let's get this
passed into law, and let's move this forward on this very, very
critical issue.
I thank the gentlewoman from Massachusetts for pulling this Special
Order together this evening.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Ohio for reminding us that even rural America has not been spared this
epidemic.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this is an emotional night for me. I
thank the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark) for guiding us. I

[[Page H2201]]

also thank Representatives Guinta and Kuster. I am so moved by the fact
that we are here on a bipartisan statement.
As I spoke to Ms. Kuster and indicated, as a ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations
count me in, as she began to expand the tragic window of the impact of
drug addiction, particularly opioids. Let me speak very quickly because
I have a lot to say.
This is an epidemic that has gone beyond reason. Between 2000 and
2014, almost half a million people died from drug overdoses. In 2014
alone, more than 47,000 people died of drug overdoses. The largest
percentage of overdose deaths in 2014 were attributed to opioids like
prescription painkillers, methadone, morphine, and heroin.
Today in the Rules Committee, we made it clear that we want to work
with doctors and law enforcement. We also said that we understand the
use of painkillers during end of life. We understand that, so we are
not here to condemn. We are here to help.
I am so glad that the Judiciary Committee will have on the floor this
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that responds to this crisis.
It is a treatment bill where we will bring together law enforcement
and substance abuse treatment persons.

This emergency is compounded due to the perilous connection between
prescription painkillers and heroin. Approximately three out of four
new heroin users report that their use began with their abuse of
prescription drugs.
Not only were 11 million people at risk of overdosing due to their
abuse of prescription painkillers, 11 million people were also at risk
of becoming addicted to heroin with its attendant risks.
We have heard the stories, and let me share some with you very
quickly. I read one on the plane as I came up. It was a very painful
story. A woman was detained in a fatal car wreck. In that car was her
little 2-year-old and a little 7-year-old. She was on hydrocodone. She
sideswiped two cars and then killed a person on a motorcycle. That
person's family does not have them anymore. This woman will be
subjected possibly to life imprisonment. Those children will not have a
mother.
What about the situation in Ohio?
We don't know what the circumstances were, but eight persons of a
family were killed execution style. Drugs were behind it.
What about this mother who supplied hydrocodone and alcohol to her
son and his date on prom night?
There is an epidemic that we must confront. There are those who would
do wrong, but those who are addicted.
This is evidenced by a study, ``How the Heroin Epidemic Differs in
Communities of Color.'' It is important, as I stand here and look at
the suburban and rural areas, that we, again, remember how it has
doubled among African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans and that
we look to the kind of resources that would include all.
In conclusion, let me share these numbers with you that I think are
so very important. They are startling. The increase in overdose by
rates: 267 percent by the White population from 2010 to 2014. 213
percent by African Americans from to 2010 to 2014. 137 percent by
Hispanic. And Native Americans, 236 percent. Not one person can be
counted out that needs to be included in our work here on the floor of
the House.
I am glad that we are making this statement today and next week
because now America knows the Congress is speaking, the bully pulpit
will be heard, and I hope we can save lives.
I am pleased to join my colleagues of the Bipartisan Task Force to
Combat the Heroin Epidemic to speak on this important issue impacting
all Americans.
I want to thank Congressman Frank Guinta (R-NH) for his leadership in
elevating this issue to a national forum that has drawn unprecedented
attention and concern.
We must take action because today a leading killer of Americans is
drug overdose.
Between 2000 and 2014, almost half a million people died from drug
overdoses.
Many of these deaths were preventable.
In 2014 alone, more than 47,000 people died of drug overdoses.
The largest percentage of overdose deaths in 2014 was attributed to
opioids--like prescription painkillers, methadone, morphine, and
heroin.
Specifically, 28,647 people overdosed and died because of an opioid
in 2014.
We are experiencing an emergency that impacts citizens in every
state, city, and town in this country--that is prescription painkiller
and opioid abuse.
This emergency is compounded due to the perilous connection between
prescription painkillers and heroin.
Prescription painkiller abuse is the strongest risk factor for future
heroin use.
Approximately three out of four new heroin users report that their
use began with their abuse of prescription painkillers.
Heroin use becomes appealing to those addicted to prescription
painkillers because it is cheaper and easier to obtain.
Due to its potency, heroin use tends to lead to addiction.
Heroin addiction is often deadly, leading to overdose or other
chronic diseases.
The rate at which the occurrence of heroin overdose deaths increased
is cause for alarm.
In the four years between 2010 and 2014, heroin overdoses more than
tripled.
More than 10,500 people died from heroin overdoses in 2014.
In 2013, more than 8,200 people died from heroin overdoses.
In that same year, 11 million people admitted to improper use of
prescription painkillers.
Not only were 11 million people at risk of overdosing due to their
abuse of prescription painkillers, 11 million people were also at high
risk of becoming addicted to heroin--with its attendant risks and
dangers.
This current crisis requires an immediate and comprehensive response
and the bill before us today is one element of a broader strategy.
I am proud to say that I have worked with my colleagues on the
Judiciary Committee and with members of the Heroin Task Force to
introduce and cosponsor legislation that help combat this deadly
epidemic.

Legislation Supported by Jackson Lee

1. Bipartisan Comprehensive Legislation:

H.R. 953--Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015;
Representative Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5] (Introduced 2/12/
15); 124 Cosponsors (84 Dems--including SJL, 40 Reps); * No Sentencing
Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 3719--``Stop the Overdose Problem Already Becoming a Universal
Substance Epidemic Act of 2015'' or the ``STOP ABUSE Act of 2015'';
Representative Guinta, Frank C. [R-NH-1] (Introduced 10/08/2015); 8
Cosponsors (4 Dems, 4 Reps); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 4697--Prevent Drug Addiction Act of 2016; Representative Esty,
Elizabeth H. [D-CT-5] (Introduced 03/03/2016); 2 Cosponsors (Reps); *
No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.

2. Legislation to Improve Pain Management Practices:

H.R. 4499--the ``Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing Act of
2016'' and as the ``PROP Act of 2016''; Representative Mooney,
Alexander X. [R-WV-2] (Introduced 02/09/2016); 31 Cosponsors (18 Rep,
13 Dem); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.

H.R. 2805--Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention,
Education, and Enforcement Act of 2015; Representative Brooks, Susan W.
[R-IN-5] (Introduced 06/17/2015); 41 Cosponsors (23 Reps, 18 Dems); *
No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 1821--Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2015; Representative
Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] (Introduced 04/15/2015); 6 Cosponsors (4
Reps, 2 Dems); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 2335--Stop Tampering of Prescription Pills Act of 2015;
Representative Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] (Introduced 05/14/2015); 9
Cosponsors (5 Dems, 4 Reps); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 4599--Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016; Representative
Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] (Introduced 02/24/2016); 14 Cosponsors (10
Dems, 4 Reps); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 4063--Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act; Representative Bilirakis,
Gus M. [R-FL-12] (Introduced 11/18/2015); 30 Cosponsors (17 Reps, 13
Dems); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.

3. Legislation to Improve Treatment:

H.R. 2536--``Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act'' or
the ``TREAT Act''; Representative Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] (Introduced
05/21/2015); 25 Cosponsors (18 Dems--including SJL, 7 Reps); * No
Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 4076--The Reforming and Expanding Access to Treatment Act or the
``TREAT Act''; Representative Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10] (Introduced
11/18/2015); 6 Cosponsors (all Dems); * No Sentencing Enhancements or
Penalties.
H.R. 3865--Cradle Act; Representative Jenkins, Evan H. [R-WV-3]
(Introduced 10/29/2015); 38 Cosponsors (30 Reps, 8 Dems--including
SJL); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.

[[Page H2202]]

H.R. 4586--Lali's Law; Representative Dold, Robert J. [R-IL-10]
(Introduced 02/23/2016); 3 Cosponsors (2 Dems, 1 Rep); * No Sentencing
Enhancements or Penalties.
H.R. 2872--Opioid Addiction Treatment Modernization Act;
Representative Bucshon, Larry [R-IN-8] (Introduced 06/24/2015); 5
Cosponsors (4 Reps, 1 Dem); * No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties.

Sentencing Reform Legislation:

H.R. 3713--Sentencing Reform Act of 2015; Representative Goodlatte,
Bob [R-VA-6] (Introduced 10/08/2015); 65 Cosponsors (48 Dems--including
SJL original, 17 Reps)
We must make our best efforts to prevent individuals from moving from
painkillers to heroin by making treatment for addicts more accessible
by encouraging the use of evidence-based programs, such as medication-
assisted treatment.
Life-saving overdose reversal drugs, like naloxone, are most valuable
in the hands of trained individuals who regularly come in contact with
individuals who are prone to drug overdoses.
It is important that we support these measures that will increase the
use and availability of naloxone and other overdose reversal drugs to
first responders.
Addiction is a disease that affects the brain and eventually changes
the behavior of addicts, causing them to experience mental health
issues and encounter legal problems.
Treatment is the most reasonable and effective approach to diverting
these individuals away from homelessness and prison.

[From WETA FRONTLINE, Feb. 23, 2016]

How the Heroin Epidemic Differs in Communities of Color

(By Sarah Childress)

Most of the media attention in the current nationwide
heroin epidemic has focused on the uptick in overdose deaths
among suburban, white, middle-class users--many of whom
turned to the drug after experimenting with prescription
painkillers.
And it's among whites where the most dramatic effect has
been seen--a rise of more than 260 percent in the last five
years, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
But the epidemic has also been seeping into communities of
color, where heroin overdose death rates have more than
doubled among African Americans, Latinos and Native
Americans, but gone largely overlooked by the media.
People develop addictions for a variety of reasons, which
makes it difficult to gather concrete data on what's
happening in each community, said Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy
director at the National Institute of Health's National
Institute on Drug Abuse. ``To a certain extent, these are
hidden behaviors, and we only notice people at the end of
their lives sometimes,'' he said. ``So we don't always know
all of the pathways that lead to this.''
FRONTLINE spoke to experts and community outreach workers
around the country to try to understand the differences.
While some have followed a similar trajectory as the white
community, a closer look at the epidemic in some communities
of color reveals a different story.
And outreach workers in several cities say that while funds
and attention have been directed to aid white opioid and
heroin users in the suburbs, they are still struggling to get
the resources they need to support minorities who are dealing
with the same addiction.
``Our job is to help those services really make it deep
into the community,'' said Jacqueline Robarge, founder and
director of Baltimore-based Power Inside, which serves drug
users who are mainly African-American women. ``And if they
aren't going to arrive, we want to have an accounting that
these people have been suffering for decades. It really is
disingenuous if the resources are only going to be directed
at the suburbs and the counties where, basically, the white
folks are getting high.''

{time} 2000

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Jackson Lee for
her advocacy and leadership and always championing our communities of
color who have also been devastated by this crisis.
I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).
Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and
thank her and Mr. Guinta for this very important evening where we are
talking about a plague on our country.
I am pleased to stand here today to join my colleagues from both
sides of the aisle in resolve to find real solutions for the heroin and
opioid epidemic hitting our communities and our Nation. Our Bipartisan
Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic is actively bringing together
law enforcement, treatment, and recovery experts to share critical
information that has been helping us to better understand the issue.
This House is working on crafting better laws that will help law
enforcement tackle this problem so that treatment and recovery
professionals can effectively offer lifesaving treatments to those
currently suffering from addiction.
Our words must be followed by action. We are working with all levels
of government, from the Federal down to the local level, as well as the
private sector and nonprofits to fix this problem.
For example, I introduced the Co-Prescribing Saves Lives Act with my
Democratic colleague, Congressman Bill Keating, which would encourage
physicians to co-prescribe naloxone alongside opioid prescriptions and
make naloxone more widely available in Federal health settings.
Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid-related overdoses,
including heroin and fentanyl, and is used as a critical tool in
preventing fatal opioid overdose, having reversed more than 26,000
overdoses between 1996 and 2014.
I have cosponsored and supported several other bills, such as the
ones we are working on this week, to advance stronger, up-to-date
solutions to this brutal epidemic.
But it is the human side of the story that motivates us. Every
district has their stories, and I commend the families that are
speaking out so that others don't experience the pain and loss that
they have.
Vonda Probst from Friedens, Pennsylvania, lost her son Jared Carter
to a heroin overdose 2 years ago. Jared enjoyed motorcycle riding, four
wheeling, fixing old cars, and being outdoors. He would have turned 30
last summer. There are far too many stories like Jared's in
Pennsylvania and throughout the Nation, stories about lives full of
potential and value that are cut short by drug abuse.
Chad Schilling was another individual from my district whose family
has spoken out. Chad died last month at the age of 32. He was the third
member of his high school's 2001 football team. ``It can happen to
anybody,'' Jeff Schilling, Chad's dad, said. ``I don't care if you're
poor, you're homeless, you're wealthy, it can happen to you. So get
help.''
And then there is Tony Swalligan. As stated in an editorial in
Johnstown's Tribune-Democrat, Kathi, Tony's mother, wants others to
know that she is both grieving and angry that heroin claimed Tony, her
baby, the youngest of 10, who was just 23 years old.
She said: ``As a woman of faith, I'm taking this to God and asking
him to damn heroin. That's how I feel: Damn heroin.''
``You only have to come over to the funeral home,'' Tony's mother
said, ``to know there's absolutely nothing fun about heroin. And it's
not just themselves they're killing. They're doing this to their whole
family. You think, `Ooo, I want to get high.' But you're killing your
whole family.''
His mother said: ``What part of `heroin is highly addictive' don't
our young people understand? Do they all think they're 6 feet tall and
bulletproof?''
It is these stories that are all too often, but we must, we can find
effective solutions to the opioid epidemic for these families. I am
confident, by working together, we can turn the tide and save lives. I
thank, again, my colleagues for organizing this very important hour.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Rothfus
for sharing the stories of Jared, Chad, and Tony and really putting a
face and a name to this epidemic.
I now yield to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree).
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues very much for
organizing this Special Order and for the bipartisan approach to
dealing with such a challenging issue.
I would like to rise today to share some of the stories, as my
colleagues have, about my constituents whose lives have been impacted
by addiction.
We are now so well aware that addiction to prescription opioids is on
the rise nationwide. In my home State of Maine, that trend has also
been accompanied by a drastic increase in the use of heroin and other
illicit drugs. Sadly, now heroin and other drugs provide a cheaper,
more readily available alternative to diverted prescription medicines.
The unpredictable formulations of these drugs, which can vary
drastically in toxicity, have made Maine's

[[Page H2203]]

epidemic of addiction particularly deadly.
In cities, small towns, and rural areas across the State, people are
dying each week. Everyone knows someone--a family member, a friend, a
neighbor--who has overdosed. No one is immune. People from every
background, income level, and generation are at risk.
One of the individuals we have tragically lost was a brother of a
staff member of mine. His name was David McCarthy, and his struggle
with addiction was captured in a feature this summer in The Washington
Post, entitled, ``And Then He Decided Not to Be.'' David, who had been
sober for several months, relapsed on the evening before he left home
to return to his winter job at a ski resort.
His family came forward to speak openly and honestly about his death
because they believe, as I do, that removing the stigma and silence
around addiction is an essential part of treating it as the serious
illness that it is.

One of the most poignant aspects of this family's experience is that
the day after David's death, his brother Michael overdosed on the same
batch of heroin. In Michael's case, however, he was found while he was
still alive, and the same paramedics who responded to David's death
happened to have a physician with them who administered an overdose
reversal drug to revive him, so he survived. With his family's support,
he has now entered a long-term treatment program. Access to those
resources, like readily available Narcan and quality treatment
opportunities, quite literally saves lives.
I am deeply frustrated and disappointed that my colleagues here in
Congress have been unable to come together to provide funding to
address this epidemic. I am very glad to see the House working on
legislation this week related to opioid abuse, but the reality is,
without funds appropriated to support the new programs created, many of
these bills are nothing more than political rhetoric.
I am afraid that some lawmakers would prefer to have people suffering
from addiction continue to turn to our already overburdened emergency
rooms for care, to continue asking them to enter treatment, only to be
turned away because they can't pay, or asking those people who are
addicted to continue struggling to recover while also dealing with
homelessness, food insecurity, and a range of other challenges. That is
just unacceptable.
Every victim of this epidemic represents an incredible loss, not only
to the people who love them, but to all of us, in the form of missed
potential.
This summer I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Poulos, a University
of Maine law graduate who was working to get his security clearance for
a fellowship at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The process was especially difficult for him because he is a convicted
felon who was arrested for drug possession during a period of addiction
to opioids and other drugs; but now Chris is devoting his considerable
talent and intellect to helping others--not despite, but because of his
own recovery. The State of Maine and our country are better off because
he could access treatment when he needed it.
Our constituents need treatment, and they need it now. States can't
face the epidemic alone, and they shouldn't have to. The difference
Federal funding can make became clear to me recently when I visited
Crossroads, a recovery center in my district. Through a Federal grant,
they established a treatment program for pregnant and parenting women
which allows them to remain unified with their children while working
on their recovery.
One participant, Helen, came to the program while pregnant with her
fourth child. The caring staff at Crossroads worked with her to ensure
that she was able to bond with her baby after his birth and help
facilitate her transition to a long-term sober housing program. I am
proud that Federal funding played a part in her recovery. I firmly
believe that helping Helen to get clean is a great investment in her,
in her children, and in our society.
During my visit to Crossroads, though, I heard about the many people
who struggle to access affordable treatment or find themselves left
without any support when they have completed it. They, too, need us
urgently.
Congress needs to come together and appropriate emergency funds to
combat the epidemic of opioid abuse in our country. Clearly, it is a
matter of life and death.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
Maine. I thank her for sharing the personal story of David and Michael.
I know that, in my extended office family, we grieve and remember and
will continue to work for change for Kyle and Emmett, who we have lost
in the past year as well. We will remember all the names that were
mentioned in this first hour of Stephen, Jennifer, Morgan, Bethany,
Matt, Tracy, Jared, Chad, Tony, David, and Michael.
I thank my colleague from New Hampshire again for his work on this
bipartisan task force.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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