[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 110 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4554-H4561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 524, COMPREHENSIVE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY ACT
OF 2016
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 809, I call up
the conference report on the bill (S. 524) to authorize the Attorney
General to award grants to address the national epidemics of
prescription opioid abuse and heroin use, and ask for its immediate
consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 809, the
conference report is considered read.
(For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of
July 6, 2016, at page H4392.)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) and
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on the conference report to accompany S.
524.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The simple truth is that we are in the midst of a real epidemic.
Nearly every 12 minutes, someone in America dies of a drug overdose.
The CDC reports over a quarter billion opioid prescriptions were
written in the year 2012. The abuse of prescription painkillers and
heroin has impacted, virtually, every single community. It is an
epidemic that has no boundaries and does not discriminate. In my State
of Michigan, we are seeing 10 times as many deaths today as there were
15 years ago. Sadly, the number continues to surge; but behind every
statistic is a person who was loved, part of a family and community,
and, yes, who was lost too soon.
{time} 1045
It is a frightening reality, but we have to face this epidemic head
on, and today's vote is an important step forward. Since the beginning
of this process, our focus has been, and continues to be, on attacking
this public health crisis from every side, from zeroing in on treatment
for addiction and overdoses to reforming prescription practices in the
delivery of medicines and working with law enforcement of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Specifically, this conference report addresses prevention care by
requiring HHS to create an interagency task force to address chronic
and pain management care and by reauthorizing NASPER, a piece of
legislation the House has passed with very large bipartisan support.
The conference report addresses treatment by ensuring opioid reversal
medication is accessible to patients, their family members and, yes,
first responders as well. These medications are key to stopping the
overdose epidemic and getting these patients into proper treatment to
become productive members of our society.
The conference report also ensures proper oversight and
accountability by including the majority leader's OPEN Act.
The conference report, as a whole, touches on the spectrum of issues
driving the opioid crisis. While there is no one solution, we are
making progress in addressing a problem that has rapidly grown.
So I want to thank all my colleagues--certainly on the Energy and
Commerce Committee that I chair and those off--for working to advance
these important bipartisan bills that will make a real difference in
our communities.
I am also proud that our final package has achieved the support of
over 200 of the Nation's leading advocacy groups, groups from across
the country that are focused on recovery. These advocates are on the
front lines in this epidemic and truly appreciate the positive impact
that our solutions will have in every community.
There is an urgency to our work as drug overdose deaths surge in
Michigan and beyond. We owe this effort to the past, present, and,
sadly, future victims of the opioid epidemic; our neighbors, friends,
family across every part of the family in every demographic group. So
let's come together and get the job done. What we are doing will save
lives.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
After much thought, I have decided to support the conference report
on S. 524. It is not perfect and does not nearly do enough from a
funding perspective, but it makes some important steps that would allow
us to begin to address the opioid addiction crisis that is impacting
our Nation.
The American people are desperate for relief from the opioid epidemic
currently devastating our country, and they are depending on this
Congress to act. By now, we have all heard the stories: young people
taken from their families in their prime; babies born suffering from
the cruel effects of opioid withdrawal; and parents who have lost the
ability to care for their families as they battle their addiction.
To treat this epidemic as anything less than a national crisis would
be a terrible mistake. And even though we have already lost far too
many lives to overdoses, we still have an opportunity to save many
more.
This conference report includes many important policies that have
bipartisan agreement. For example, we will now allow patients and
doctors to choose to partially fill their opioids so that excess
medicines are not dispensed unnecessarily. This will reduce the number
of unused pills in circulation, which will reduce the risk of misuse,
diversion, and overdose.
The conference report also allows nurse practitioners and physician
assistants to treat individuals with
[[Page H4555]]
opioid use disorders with buprenorphine.
This final report also includes important and proven programs to
address prevention, treatment, and recovery; but just changing policies
alone won't be enough. This legislation takes only a small step at a
time when the American people need us to run.
Mr. Speaker, how can we truly help the American people without giving
them the resources to fight this epidemic?
We cannot wait while lives continue to be destroyed by opiate
addiction and while treatment options remain out of reach.
Congressional Democrats, Mr. Speaker, have long advocated for more
funding in this package and have even proposed bipartisan policies to
offset the cost, but Republicans have stubbornly refused to commit
essential funding as part of this overall bill. Time and again they
have rejected efforts to make a real difference by going beyond the
important policy changes in this bill and actually supporting
significant funding to properly take on this growing national epidemic
today. Instead, Republicans have committed to increasing funding
through the appropriations process, and we will certainly make sure
that they live up to the repeated promises they have made in this
regard.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this
conference report to S. 524. This conference report is one of the
proudest moments I have had as an elected Member of this body. I
believe there are numerous challenges that our community healthcare
providers face, and this bill helps them address those challenges.
As a lifelong pharmacist, I believe the key first steps to address
this opioid epidemic is education, improvement of treatment, and a
reliance on State PDMP programs. This bill does all of that.
Many of my colleagues have opposed this conference report and this
bill because it does not authorize enough money or it doesn't provide
every provision they want. There are things that I would have changed
in this bill, but we have all had an opportunity to amend these
provisions, and this has created a bipartisan, bicameral piece of
legislation. Overall, this should not be the end of this conversation,
but this bill is a good bill and addresses many of the problems
Americans face with opioid addiction.
I would like to commend leadership from both Chambers on this bill,
and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind).
Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Comprehensive
Addiction and Recovery Act. There is no question that we have an opiate
epidemic sweeping our communities throughout Wisconsin and the rest of
the Nation.
I spent the better part of the last year holding listening sessions
back home in my congressional district in western and north central
Wisconsin, getting feedback from law enforcement, healthcare providers,
treatment centers, and families that have been impacted by drug
addiction and the opioid addiction to ensure that this legislation that
we have pending before us today doesn't get too far out ahead of what
they actually need.
There are a lot of good policy changes in this bill, but one thing
that is lacking that the gentleman also pointed out is the resource
aspect of this. They do need tools. They do need additional resources.
I am hoping that later in the year, whether it is through a
continuing resolution or the funding of these operations, that we can
find in a bipartisan way the increase of necessary resources for folks
back home so that they can get out ahead of this curve and do an
adequate job of turning the trend line away.
I am also supportive because the legislation before us contains the
Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act. Jason Simcakoski was a veteran who died
at the Tomah VA Medical Center a couple of years ago due to an opioid
drug overdose. We have, in this legislation, a continuation of reforms
that are being implemented to ensure that all of our veterans, whether
in Wisconsin or throughout the Nation, are getting the care and the
treatment they need; that we continue down the road of revamping the
pain management practices at places like Tomah. I am confident that
with the provisions in here, if we do this the right way, that Tomah
and the VA system could be a model of proper pain management practices
not just within the VA system, but throughout the entire healthcare
system.
There is no question we haven't done a good job of managing pain as a
nation. That is true of whether it is in the VA. It is true whether it
is in the private health sector. This legislation before us today gives
us an opportunity to continue down that road and do a much better job.
The Jason Simcakoski Act, for instance, will call for clinical
practice guidelines to be instituted throughout the entire VA system.
It enhances pain management education and training for our healthcare
providers. It improves realtime tracking and access to data on opioid
usage. It also expands opiate safety initiatives throughout all the VA
centers.
It expands the patient advocacy program, which is particularly
important because I think the families are the first line of defense
when it comes to the care and treatment of all our veterans. They know
what is working and what isn't. They need greater input and better
lines of communication to help affect the course of treatment that is
impacting the veterans in their life.
It also calls on the VA to explore more complimentary and alternative
forms of medicine to deal with pain management so we are not just
loading our veterans up with a cocktail of prescription drugs, which
oftentimes lead to addiction which can lead to meth and heroin usage.
I also think that this legislation gives us an opportunity to
establish that strong partnership that needs to exist at the Federal,
State, and local level, including private entities, so we can do a
better job on the opioid addiction problem throughout our Nation.
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. As a former special prosecutor
who had to deal in the criminal system with a lot of it, our response
cannot just be a criminal justice response. It has to be a public
health response or we lose this battle going into it.
I think this legislation does provide crucial tools to help us make
that pivot, but we also need the crucial resources; and that is
something that we are going to have to address as this year progresses.
I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. I appreciate
the hard work that the committees and those involved have put into this
legislation. But it will be a work in progress, and we have to continue
to listen to the folks on the ground back home to ensure that they are
getting the help and support that they need.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Chairman Upton's leadership
and partnership throughout this important effort.
Today is a proud day in our Nation's history. Today the House will
complete its work on a comprehensive legislative package to combat the
terrible epidemic of opioid abuse, which is ravaging our country.
We have all heard the grim statistics. 129 people die every day from
drug overdose. That is more than 47,000 a year. These people are our
neighbors, friends, and loved ones. They come from all walks of life
and all communities. They need our help. Today, the House is answering
the call.
The conference report we are considering today represents a truly
comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic. It includes provisions
from 18 bills passed by the House in May and addresses all facets of
the epidemic. It permits the government to make grants for purposes of
prevention, treatment and recovery, overdose reversal through the use
of FDA-approved and appropriately labeled drugs and devices, and law
enforcement and investigative purposes.
Significantly, the conference report preserves the provisions of the
Judiciary Committee's flagship bill, H.R.
[[Page H4556]]
5046, which passed this House in May by an overwhelming 413-5 vote.
This historic legislation, which was sponsored by Crime Subcommittee
Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, creates a comprehensive Justice Department
grant program to help States fight opioid addiction. It authorizes $103
million annually over 5 years for the grant program. It directs
precious taxpayer dollars responsibly by leveraging and streamlining
existing programs, and it is fully offsetting the legislation in
compliance with the House's CutGo proposal.
The conference report authorizes this funding for a wide variety of
anti-opioid activities, including drug courts which have proven to be
highly successful and which I support. In fact, it is my expectation,
Mr. Speaker, that drug courts will continue to receive funding levels
in future years similar to current funding levels.
In addition to H.R. 5046, this conference report contains provisions
from three other Judiciary Committee bills, including H.R. 5052, the
OPEN Act, which increases the transparency and accountability of the
comprehensive opioid abuse grant program in H.R. 5046; H.R. 4985, the
Kingpin Designation Improvement Act, which protects classified
information from disclosure when a drug kingpin challenges his
designation as such in a Federal court; and H.R. 5048, the Good
Samaritan Assessment Act, which requires the GAO to study State and
local Good Samaritan laws that protect caregivers, law enforcement
personnel, and first responders who administer opioid overdose reversal
drugs or devices from criminal or civil liability, as well as those who
contact emergency service providers in response to an overdose.
In addition, the Judiciary Committee moved as part of this package S.
32, the Transnational Drug Trafficking Act. That legislation, which has
already been signed into law, improves law enforcement's ability to
pursue international drug manufacturers, brokers, and distributors in
source nations. Federal prosecutors can now use the important tools in
that bill to pursue foreign drug traffickers who are poisoning American
citizens.
Along with the excellent legislation prepared by our sister
committees, spearheaded by Chairmen Upton, Miller, and Kline, these
bills make substantial policy changes within the Federal agencies
responsible for fighting addiction. They take real steps to address the
opioid epidemic and provide real relief for a real problem affecting
real Americans. Members of this body should be proud of these
accomplishments.
{time} 1100
I would like to stress, Mr. Speaker, that opposition to this
conference report on the basis of funding is wrong and misguided. As I
stated, this legislation authorizes $103 million just for Justice
Department programs.
Under the leadership of Chairmen Rogers, Culberson, Cole, Crenshaw,
and Dent, the House Committee on Appropriations has responded admirably
to this epidemic by allocating hundreds of millions of dollars in
funding for these programs. The CJS appropriations bill contains $103
million in funding for the DOJ program. The Labor/HHS bill, released
Wednesday, contains $581 million to address opioid and heroin abuse,
which is above even the President's budget request. The Financial
Services and General Government bill has funded High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Areas and Drug-Free Communities Support Programs at record
highs. Nobody can come to this floor and credibly claim that the House
is not putting its money where its mouth is.
I thank my colleagues for their support and hard work. Yesterday we
received a letter signed by 233 addiction stakeholder groups, endorsing
the conference report to S. 524. I urge everyone to support this
conference report.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Pelosi), our Democratic leader.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank
him for his excellent work in bringing this bipartisan legislation to
the floor. With all due respect to Mr. Goodlatte, I credibly come to
the floor to say that this bill does not provide the funding that we
need to address the opioid crisis in our country.
I thank Mr. Upton again. I know this is his last year as chairman of
the committee. I thank him for his openness, his willingness to work in
a bipartisan way, and I do think that this is a good piece of
legislation. It is lacking one thing: the resources to get the job
done.
I also come to the floor as an appropriator, and to hear Mr.
Goodlatte say what is coming out of here and coming out of there, in
our subcommittee on Labor/HHS, we call it the lamb-eat-lamb committee
because there was no good place to take money from. We had carefully
and economically husbanded the resources in such a way, when we did
budget agreements, to use the money very well for its purposes: the
investments in education and health, et cetera.
So when an emergency comes along like the opioid epidemic, like Zika,
like Flint, these are emergencies, and by tradition, this House has
always declared emergencies--whether a natural disaster or otherwise--
to say that funding would not be lamb-eat-lamb within the
appropriations process and take funds from very needed initiatives that
Congress had agreed to in our own authorizations otherwise.
So it had been my intention for us to come to the floor to oppose
this bill to be able to sustain a Presidential veto until there would
be resources. But in the spirit of this day, we come to the floor
instead to say let's move the process along, but let's also say that
there are other issues, like opioids, and Zika, and Flint that we
really have to address in the near term.
The opioid epidemic, as it has been said by the distinguished
chairman and ranking member and others, is such an important challenge
to the well-being of our country. While you may say Flint is in
Michigan and Zika is down south, the fact is they affect all of us. But
opioids are right there in all of our communities, and all of the
Members of Congress immediately see the need for the authorization but
also for the funding.
The opioid conference report includes many important authorizing
provisions in a bipartisan way, but it does not include the new funds
that are essential to saving lives from opioids.
Around a dozen law enforcement people were at the White House
yesterday talking about the opioid epidemic. Many people outside of the
Congress support the principles in this bill. But do you know that some
of those law enforcement officials are having separate fundraisers of
their own in order to help people address their opioid challenge?
We are just not living up to our responsibility in a timely fashion.
Within the next week, hopefully, we will leave with some additional
funding. The President has asked for $1.1 billion to address the
problem. The distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary
says that the appropriators are putting more than that in certain cases
in opioids; but if they are taking it out of other priorities, other
investments in the health and well-being and the security of the
American people, we are doing this at the expense of other good
investments.
We will not stop fighting until America's families have the
prevention, treatment, and recovery resources they need to overcome the
opioid epidemic, and that is why for today, although the votes are
there to sustain a Presidential veto, we don't encourage that.
We encourage our cooperation today with the hope and the promise that
Mr. Rogers, whom we all respect--I served with him on Appropriations--
and Mrs. Lowey can come to terms in a way that does not have the opioid
epidemic funded at the expense of other investments important to the
American people. It is a priority. It is an emergency. In other cases
we have had emergency spending for just that.
When we do budget agreements, as we did last year--very difficult
staying under the caps and the rest--it was not with the idea that
there would be a $1.1 billion need for opioids or $1.9 billion need for
Zika funding or there wouldn't be hundreds of millions of dollars for
Flint. These are extraordinary emergencies. They should be treated that
way.
Nonetheless, I congratulate Mr. Upton and Mr. Pallone and all who had
a role in putting this legislation together. I hope that it is just a
first
[[Page H4557]]
step that in the very, very near future we will have money to match the
values that are contained in this legislation.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining on both sides?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan has 21 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New Jersey has 22\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) the chairman of the Committee
on the Judiciary, a partner in this effort from day one.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I would briefly like to discuss with my
friend and partner in this effort, the chairman of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, how the conference report encourages innovation by
allowing alternative therapies to qualify for funding while also
requiring evaluation and reporting on the effectiveness of all
authorized programs.
In my district, some nonprofit organizations are using animal-
assisted psychotherapy to successfully address mental health and
personal development needs, including for veterans, and animals have
also helped prison inmates achieve life-changing developments.
It is my understanding that these and other alternative therapies are
eligible for funding under the grant programs contained in the
conference report. And I would ask the gentleman from Michigan: Is that
your understanding as well?
Mr. UPTON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. GOODLATTE. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.
Mr. UPTON. Absolutely is the answer, yes. Section 601, the State
demonstration grants for comprehensive opioid abuse response, is
designed to allow States the flexibility to do what is right and aid in
establishing a comprehensive response. Under this grant, we emphasize
prevention and treatment, but those are not the only two ways to
address the opioid epidemic. Recovery, like the good work that Chairman
Goodlatte cited in his district, as it is in mine, is equally as
important.
We need a comprehensive response to the crisis that should leave no
stone unturned in our quest for helping those in need. I want to thank
the chairman for his help in that effort, and I absolutely agree with
his reading of the bill.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues argue that we will pass this
authorization bill today, and then sometime down the line we will
provide funding through the regular appropriations process. But the
problem is that that response does not match the urgency of the crisis.
To understand why, let's just take a quick look at the 2016
appropriations process. While the fiscal year 2016 began on October 1,
2015, the omnibus fiscal year 2016 appropriations act did not become
law until December 18, 2015. If, as expected, the fiscal year 2017
process is similar, it will be at least 6 months before we can provide
funding through the fiscal year 2017 appropriations process; and that
is 6 months in which more people will die from potentially preventable
overdose deaths and more individuals and families in need of treatment
options will be unable to access them.
There is also no guarantee that additional funds will be made
available through the appropriations process. The fiscal austerity
policies of my Republican colleagues also make this option untenable.
Due to the sequestration caps demanded by the Republicans, an increase
in spending for one program can only occur with the cutting of funding
for another program.
While the Republicans will say they introduced a Labor/HHS bill with
$500 million in funding for a comprehensive State grant program for
substance abuse treatment, what they don't say is that to provide that
funding, we will have to agree to cut funding for other critical
programs. The Republican Labor/HHS appropriations bill proposes
eliminating funding for ObamaCare, title X family planning services,
education programs, and employment training and development programs.
Not only are these cuts objectionable, we don't have to make such
choices. We have bipartisan pay-fors available to offset the direct
appropriations of funding now, and we cannot afford to wait. So this is
truly an urgent crisis, and we should treat it as such by providing
critical funding immediately. Failure to act will unacceptably lead to
more deaths, and our communities cannot afford to wait any longer.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Lance), a fellow conferee and member of the Committee
on Energy and Commerce.
Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this
conference report. It is a great step forward in the fight against the
scourge of drug addiction. I was proud to serve on the conference
committee that crafted this package, and I thank Chairman Upton and
Chairman Grassley for their tremendous leadership on the issue.
This measure includes language that I authored with my Democratic
colleague, Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney of the Hudson Valley in New
York State, that targets opioid addiction's strong ties to prescription
drug abuse and the issue of overprescription. It is one part of a
comprehensive plan that will make serious progress on this challenge
that strains law enforcement and taxpayer resources and cuts too many
lives tragically short.
This package comes the same week we secured passage of a landmark
overhaul of our Nation's mental health care system. These are major
priorities of the American people, and this is how Congress should
work, gaining ideas and insight from the constituencies across the
Nation and working together in a bipartisan fashion to address the
important issues confronting the United States.
On this very sad day, given the horrific events in Dallas last night,
we are reminded that a great many issues face our country. I hope the
spirit of cooperation that secured this week's productivity will guide
us on the other challenges we face as a nation. I want to work on what
unites us in the United States and on the priorities of all Americans.
This conference report is one of those priorities, and I urge a ``yes''
vote.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as I said before, this conference report does include
important and proven programs to address prevention, treatment, and
recovery with regard to opioid abuse, and I did want to mention a few.
There is authorization to create a grant program for eligible
entities to promote the prescribing of opioid reversal drugs, naloxone,
in conjunction with opiates for patients at an elevated risk of
overdose.
There is a program to reauthorize SAMHSA grants for the funding of
residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women with
substance use disorders.
There is a demonstration grant program to States to streamline State
requirements and procedures in order to assist veterans who have
completed military emergency medical technician training to meet
requirements for becoming an emergency medical technician in the State.
There is also a State grant program to increase the implementation of
standing orders for opioid overdose reversal medication, again,
naloxone.
As I have said before, there are a number of very important programs
here that authorize grants to States to deal with the prevention,
treatment, and recovery from opioids. But, again, these programs will
not be effective without some significant funding provided pursuant to
those authorizations. So I want to stress, again, as Democrats, we
support this bill because it does have authorization for many programs
that will help with opioid addiction, but we need to hold the
Republicans' feet to the fire to make sure that this funding is
actually provided.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1115
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan), a fellow conferee and a member of the Ways
and Means Committee.
[[Page H4558]]
Mr. MEEHAN. I thank the chairman for his leadership on this important
bill.
Mr. Speaker, the statistics are staggering. We are losing 120 a
people a day to opioid abuse.
Earlier this year, southeastern Pennsylvania lost an accomplished
young man, John Decker, who succumbed to his battle with addiction. As
a teenager, John injured his knee playing basketball. His physician
prescribed opioids to manage the pain after surgery. John became
addicted to the painkillers and moved on to using heroin.
I introduced the John Thomas Decker Act with the goal of preventing
injured youth and adolescent athletes from getting addicted to opioids
and turning to heroin. But I use John's name because it is not about
statistics; it is to demonstrate that we are talking about real people
and struggling families here.
The legislation, which is included in section 104 of the conference
report, directs the United States Department of Health and Human
Services to study what information and resources are available to youth
athletes and their families regarding the dangers of opioid use and
abuse, nonopioid treatment options, and how to seek addiction
treatment. The Department must report its findings and work with
stakeholders to disseminate resources to students, parents, and those
involved in treating sports injuries, and that is how this can work
together with things that are already happening in the community.
I want to acknowledge what is going on in communities all across the
country.
Just last week, I visited Adapt Pharma, a constituent company, in
Radnor, Pennsylvania. The company makes a Narcan nasal spray and is
providing the antidote to high schools. Adapt Pharma and the National
Association of School Nurses are working together to ensure that
educational materials are available to students and their families
about prescription drug abuse as well as treatment and recovery options
that will work perfectly in tandem with this particular section.
So, whether you are young athletes, pregnant mothers, struggling
veterans, or suffering families, so many are going to be helped.
I urge my colleagues to stand with the families who have suffered the
effects of addiction and support the conference report.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the dean of the House and the ranking member of
the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, the crisis of opioid abuse and addiction
clearly requires our immediate attention. I believe that that is now
happening.
I am grateful for the tireless work of my colleagues on the Judiciary
Committee. I thank Chairman Goodlatte; Crime, Terrorism, Homeland
Security, and Investigations Subcommittee chairman, Jim Sensenbrenner;
Crime Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee
ranking member, Sheila Jackson Lee; and their staffs. And I also
congratulate Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, who worked so hard to ensure
this bill would find promising approaches to opioid abuse that were
pioneered in her district. Finally, I wish to thank the ranking member,
Frank Pallone of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and his staff for
their assistance and coordination in this effort.
Our work has focused on the need to address an urgent crisis. In my
State of Michigan, there were 1,745 drug overdoses in the year 2014,
and more than half of those overdose deaths were caused by opioids and
heroin. Each day, 78 Americans die from an opioid overdose.
Fortunately, we now have a better way of addressing issues of
addiction, and we know that incarceration is not the answer. For
instance, the Judiciary Committee's Crime, Terrorism, Homeland
Security, and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing last year that
examined, among other things, the promising use of the Law Enforcement
Assisted Diversion approach employed in cities such as Seattle,
Washington, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
We know that there are effective ways to get addicts to treatment and
to quickly provide them with needed services that address their
addiction and prevent recidivism, and we know that evidence-based
treatment and alternatives to incarceration work.
Title II of this bill reflects much of this approach in the grant
program, as reported by the Judiciary Committee and passed by the House
in May of this year. While I have supported this effort, I have also
supported alternative approaches that provide separate grant programs
for many of these worthy purposes.
Regardless of which approach we take, we must do more than simply
authorize funding. We must provide real dollars that are urgently
needed by those fighting this crisis, and I am disappointed that this
bill does not do this.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the
great State of Michigan (Mr. Trott), a fellow conferee.
Mr. TROTT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the conference report
that we are considering today. And as my colleague, Mr. Conyers, just
mentioned, 1,745 individuals died of a drug overdose in Michigan in
2014, and 449 of those individuals were in my home district in Oakland
and Wayne Counties. So a disproportionate number of people were
affected.
As has been mentioned, this bill contains some good solutions toward
fighting this epidemic: a comprehensive grant program, changes to
existing law, and some new programs to help end the tragedies. Some
have suggested, however, that our response is inadequate or too small
of a step to fight this problem. I disagree.
Let me say to those people who are listening, particularly those who
have suffered from addiction or lost a loved one through the tragedy of
an overdose, that Republicans and Democrats and the President recognize
this epidemic. We are united in our commitment to defeat the abuse and
tragedy. We in Congress will revisit our programs and solutions and the
money we are spending to make sure that they are making a difference,
and we will revisit the solutions and make sure that adequate resources
are in place so we can end the terrible drug abuse and heroin overdoses
that are affecting our communities.
I thank the gentleman for the opportunity to serve on the conference
committee.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to stress that President Obama recently announced
additional actions to expand access to treatment, strengthen
prescription drug monitoring, enable safe disposal of unneeded drugs,
and accelerate research on pain and opioid misuse and overdose. The
President, I think, has made it clear that addressing this epidemic is
a priority for his administration.
While Federal agencies have been using their authority to take every
available action they can, Congress needs to provide additional funding
to make lifesaving treatment available to everyone who needs it. The
President has called for $1.1 billion in new funding to help Americans
who want treatment wherever they live. Every day that passes without
congressional action to provide these additional resources is a missed
opportunity to get treatment to those who want it, help prevent
overdoses, and support communities across the country impacted by this
epidemic.
Recovery from opioid and other substance use disorders is possible,
and many Americans are able to recover because they get the treatment
and care they need. But too many still are not able to get treatment.
That is why the President has called on Congress to provide the
resources needed to ensure that every American with an opioid use
disorder who wants treatment can get it and start on the road to
recovery.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), also a conferee and a member of the Energy and
Commerce Committee.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. We all have experienced the
opioid epidemic in some way, whether it is through family, friends, or
heartbreaking stories from constituents back home.
[[Page H4559]]
Opioid addiction is prevalent in our veteran community, and I am
proud many of my provisions to help our heroes were included in this
legislation. I want to thank the chairman for including those
provisions in this particular conference report.
My bills, the PROMISE Act and COVER Act, will update the clinical
practice guidelines used to treat our servicemembers for pain
management and provide a pathway forward to implement complementary and
integrative health alternatives within the VA.
With this bill, we can help our struggling heroes and others battling
addiction across the Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this
important piece of legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining on
each side.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Jersey has 14 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from Michigan has 14\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), my partner in terms of a contiguous border and
also a conferee.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 524,
the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. This vital bill will help
address the prescription drug epidemic we have seen plague our
communities for so long.
Dozens of Americans die each day from prescription drug overdoses.
This has to stop. It is time for us to come together as a nation to
tackle the issue that has infected every fabric of our society.
I am very honored to have served on this conference committee for the
bill, and I am thankful it is being considered today by the House.
As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have seen the
opioid epidemic's effects on our Nation's veterans. Veterans are more
vulnerable to chronic pain, more susceptible to addiction, but some VA
facilities still overprescribe these powerful drugs. I have seen the
problem firsthand with veterans coming into my office, often carrying a
large box or bag of pills.
In my home State of Indiana, the DEA raided the VA Medical Center in
Marion after noticing the volume of narcotics and opioids purchased by
the facility.
For too long, the VA has relied too heavily on opioids to treat
chronic pain. This bill addresses that by requiring the VA and the DOD
to focus on improving their prescribing practices. It includes my piece
of legislation requiring the VA to report to State Prescription Drug
Monitoring Programs, which are important and effective tools for
stopping overprescription. It also allows the VA to consider nonopioid
treatments for veterans with chronic pain.
Mr. Speaker, there is a long battle ahead of us--we have got a long
way to go, and a lot of damage has been done--but this bill represents
an important step forward as we seek to stop overprescription and
opioid addiction in our country.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Mimi Walters).
Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, across the United
States, we are faced with a substance abuse epidemic that results in
overdose, addiction, and far too many deaths.
From opioids to heroin, no community--not even Orange County, the
place that I have called home for over 50 years--is immune. Last year,
the number of deaths in Orange County caused by drug overdose rose to
400, the highest level in at least a decade. More than two-thirds of
these untimely deaths involved opioids. Nationwide, nearly 130 people
die every single day from drug abuse.
Though this is a nationwide epidemic, there is not a one-size-fits-
all cure to addiction. That is why this legislation is so important. I
thank all of my colleagues who have worked so intently on these
lifesaving policies.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure so that we
can send it to the President's desk. As soon as this law is
implemented, it will save lives and help Americans suffering from
addiction reclaim their lives.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I just want to again point out that the effort here is not only
bipartisan, but we are also working with the administration to try to
address this epidemic. And one of the things that we were trying to do
with the legislation, but it became unnecessary because of the
President's executive action, was with regard to bup.
{time} 1130
This is a painkiller, if you will, that is used as an alternative to
the addictive painkillers that cause the opiate problem. And until
recently, under the law, a physician could only have up to 100 patients
to whom he was administering bup, but now, in the last week or so, the
President announced that that cap has been lifted to 275.
Now, in the legislation, we do expand the types of providers who can
treat opioid dependence using bup, but, at the same time, it was
necessary, I believe, to raise that cap because there is a waiting
list--a rather extensive waiting list--for people who would like to
take advantage of bup. So I just wanted to say that that is one of the
most important things that actually was done by the President.
And it is very important for us to work together not only in terms of
what we authorize, but also providing the funding for many of these
programs, both what we are now authorizing pursuant to grants in this
legislation, as well as what the administration is doing through agency
action.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).
Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I commend the chairman, the ranking member,
the conferees, on this work that they have accomplished.
The opioid and heroin epidemic has hit western Pennsylvania hard.
Nothing brings this crisis into sharper focus than when you are
speaking with a parent who has lost a child, or a family member
watching a loved one go through revolving doors of treatment and still
be slipping away.
This conference report has been a bipartisan, all-hands-on-deck
effort reflective of the collaboration we see happening at the
grassroots of our communities. I am pleased to see the conference
report include the provision my colleague from across the aisle,
Congressman Keating, and I championed in the House legislation to
establish coprescribing guidelines for overdose antidotes such as
naloxone.
I am also pleased with how this legislation gives the proper focus to
our veterans. This conference report is a necessary step in moving
forward to address this crisis. Let us continue to work together to
combat this deadly scourge. I urge its passage.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to close.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I will say that, after thoughtful consideration,
I not only support the conference report, but I would urge my
colleagues on the Democratic side to support the conference report.
While I continue to believe that we cannot turn the tide on this
epidemic without dedicated additional resources for States, the
underlying policies included in this bill are important steps forward.
As you know, Democratic conferees, along with the Democratic
leadership, have worked tirelessly these past few weeks to try to
include money for States to help treat our communities who are
suffering. Republicans still, so far, refuse to commit the essential
funding as part of this overall bill, but they have committed to
increasing funding through the appropriations process, and I will
continue to fight to ensure that they stand by that commitment.
The American people are desperate for relief. We must answer their
call and continue our efforts in Washington, and one way to do that,
certainly, is to pass this conference report.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank my friend and partner, Mr.
Pallone. We moved a majority of these bills
[[Page H4560]]
through the committee on a bipartisan basis. We had those votes here on
the floor, a very strong vote as the process moved.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is about treatment. It is about prevention. It
is about recovery, helping law enforcement, particularly with our drug
courts, and it adds new resources to help communities suffering from
this terrible opioid epidemic.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act represents the most
serious and comprehensive effort ever undertaken by this body to tackle
the problem. CARA is a bipartisan blend of the best ideas from the
House and the Senate. These bills passed with a combined 494 votes in
the House and the Senate and, coupled with the great work led just this
week by the House Appropriations Committee to add $581 million to help
fund and prioritize these programs, it shows that we are tackling the
problem head-on.
Now, this is an authorization bill, not an appropriation bill. That
is why, coupled with the appropriators, I think that we will get the
job done. As I have said, at the end of the day, the money will be
there.
So those on the front lines fighting the opioid epidemic deserve a
strong vote in the people's House. I would urge my colleagues to vote
``yes.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms.
Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I just want to add my voice and thank Mr. Upton, as the chair of the
conference, and Mr. Pallone, and all of the conferees, for what I
thought was a significant historical moment.
We have passed legislation, as a member of the Judiciary Committee,
with no mandatory minimums. Our CARA bill speaks about grants, helping
people overcome their addiction, but more importantly, helping
communities. My community alone is suffering from something called
Kush. That is not heroin, but all of these issues have to be confronted
as a health epidemic.
I thank the gentleman for accepting my amendment dealing with other
drugs, about dealing with a public health epidemic, and I ask for
support of the conference report.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the conference report for S. 524, the
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.
The conference report is the product of a long process of
consultation and hard work between Congress and experts and advocates
representing a wide range of interests--including victims, addiction
treatment specialists, and law enforcement.
In many respects, this bill is a compromise--but it does reflect
advances in our approach to substance addiction issues.
As a Member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin
Epidemic I have worked with my colleagues to come together with a
comprehensive legislative package to address this national epidemic.
I was an original cosponsor of the lead legislative measure and
primary contribution of the House Judiciary Committee, H.R. 5046, the
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act, and I was a cosponsor of the
predecessor bill, which is substantially similar to the Senate-passed
version of S. 524.
The text of H.R. 5046 is largely incorporated into the conference
report, and would establish a grant program, to be administered by the
Department of Justice, to assist states and local governments,
particularly by helping criminal justice agencies to tackle the opioid
problem from a variety of angles.
It would encourage the development of alternatives to incarceration
that provide treatment as a solution to the underlying motivation for
criminal behavior or conduct associated with mental disorders.
Combined with other treatment programs under the jurisdiction of
other Committees, the approach Congress is taking with the crisis of
heroin and other opioids is thoughtful and comprehensive.
I hope it signals a departure from some of the failed approaches
concerning other drug crises in the past.
For instance, our response to the surge in crack cocaine in the 1980s
was to enact draconian mandatory minimum penalties with vastly
disparate treatment for crack and powder cocaine.
At that time, Congress took action that we are still trying to
rectify.
At one point, more than 80 percent of the defendants sentenced for
crack offenses were African American, despite the fact that more than
66 percent of crack users are white or Hispanic.
As we work on other legislation to address the enforcement and
sentencing disparities related to the crack issue, we must re-examine
our approach to that and other drug issues.
I am grateful for the assistance of my colleague, Bob Goodlatte, the
Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for working with me to include in
this bill my amendment to express the sense of the Congress that an
effective and fiscally responsible approach to addressing substance
abuse epidemics--no matter which drug is involved--requires treating
such epidemics as a public health emergencies emphasizing prevention,
treatment, and recovery.
Provided in Section 708 of the Report, the Sense of Congress
Regarding Treatment of Substance Abuse Epidemics expresses that decades
of experience and research have demonstrated that a fiscally
responsible approach to addressing the opioid abuse epidemic and other
substance abuse epidemics requires treating such epidemics as a public
health emergency emphasizing prevention, treatment and recovery.
Indeed, we must adopt a public health approach with regard to
substance abuse issues going forward.
And I am heartened that, in this bill, we are not raising sentences
or impacting mandatory minimums that add to mass incarceration, but we
are supporting proven anti-addiction mechanisms.
However, the conference committee had the opportunity to do even
more--as is necessary given the urgency of the current crisis--and
provide real money, right now, to implement the programs the bill
authorizes.
Unfortunately, this bill does not do that and our communities remain
in dire need of resources to save lives that are in immediate jeopardy.
That is the unfinished business of this effort and we must not rest
until we have done all that we can in Congress to help protect our
communities from opioid abuse.
In contrast to the way we are dealing with the opioid crisis is the
ill-advised strict ``law-enforcement'' centered approach Congress took
in addressing crack cocaine crisis in the 1980s that that we are still
trying to rectify.
At one point, more than 80 percent of the defendants sentenced for
crack offenses were African American, despite the fact that more than
66 percent of crack users are white or Hispanic.
While we are now engaged in a comprehensive ``public health''
approach centered on public health in addressing the crisis involving
heroin and other opioids, we must not forget that there is unfinished
work to be done to address the enforcement and sentencing disparities
related to the crack cocaine.
We are not raising sentences or impacting mandatory minimums but we
are funding anti-addiction mechanisms such as treatment alternatives to
incarceration.
We are not adding to mass incarceration--with all of the related and
devastating collateral consequences--but instead we are incentivizing
state and local governments to prevent, treat, and heal.
That is what we should be doing, and that is what we should have done
for crack and cocaine addicts.
But it is not too late--we should find a way, before this Congress
adjourns sine die to apply this more comprehensive approach, including
treatment alternatives, to those suffering from crack and cocaine
addiction.
legislation supported by jackson lee
1. Regarding bipartisan comprehensive legislation:
H.R. 953--Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015
Rep. 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''
Rep. 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
Rep. 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''
Rep. Mooney, Alexander X. [R-WV-2] (Introduced 02/09/2016) 31
Cosponsors (18 Rep, 13 Dem) *No Sentencing Enhancements or Penalties
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's words. I was
very pleased to work with her on the successful amendment that we added
in the conference as part of this agreement, and I look for its swift
passage today.
[[Page H4561]]
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference
report of S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).
Families devastated by opioid addiction deserve action, and this
legislation will take some important steps to reduce the toll on our
communities. None of our districts is immune to this epidemic that is
causing so much death and heartache.
The conference report includes elements from both the bipartisan
House and Senate versions of their respective opioid measures recently
approved almost unanimously. It includes provisions that incorporate
prevention tactics and expanded access to treatment, recovery support
services, and overdose reversals. Additionally, the report encourages
criminal justice agencies to integrate and sustain Medication-Assisted
Treatment (MAT) programs.
Although this report includes vital and much needed measures, we
cannot pretend that it will solve the problem. I am disappointed that
this legislation does not include adequate funding to fully help us get
ahead of this crisis.
During conference, my Democratic colleagues from both chambers
offered amendments that would provide funding for the authorizations
within the package. Unfortunately, they were turned down, so we must
continue to fight for the resources necessary to meaningfully implement
this package.
I request my colleagues to support this report and to continue to
work on a bipartisan basis to provide the resources needed to save
lives.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 809, the previous question is ordered.
The question is on the conference report.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on the adoption of the conference report will be followed
by a 5-minute vote on the motion to permit closed conference meetings
on S. 2943, if offered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 407,
nays 5, not voting 21, as follows:
[Roll No. 399]
YEAS--407
Abraham
Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allen
Amodei
Ashford
Babin
Barletta
Barr
Barton
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bera
Beyer
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (MI)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blum
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Boustany
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Bridenstine
Brooks (IN)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Butterfield
Byrne
Calvert
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clawson (FL)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coffman
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comstock
Conaway
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Cooper
Costa
Costello (PA)
Courtney
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Curbelo (FL)
Davidson
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DeSaulnier
DesJarlais
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Dold
Donovan
Doyle, Michael F.
Duckworth
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Edwards
Ellison
Ellmers (NC)
Emmer (MN)
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farenthold
Farr
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Frankel (FL)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garrett
Gibbs
Gibson
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Graham
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Grayson
Green, Al
Griffith
Grijalva
Grothman
Guinta
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanna
Hardy
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Hice, Jody B.
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinojosa
Holding
Honda
Hoyer
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huffman
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Jenkins (KS)
Jenkins (WV)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jolly
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Knight
Kuster
Labrador
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latta
Lawrence
Lee
Levin
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Long
Loudermilk
Love
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lummis
Lynch
MacArthur
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Matsui
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
McSally
Meadows
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Moore
Moulton
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Napolitano
Neal
Neugebauer
Newhouse
Noem
Nolan
Norcross
Nunes
O'Rourke
Olson
Palazzo
Pallone
Palmer
Pascrell
Paulsen
Pearce
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Perry
Peters
Peterson
Pingree
Pittenger
Pitts
Pocan
Poliquin
Polis
Pompeo
Posey
Price (NC)
Price, Tom
Quigley
Rangel
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (NY)
Rice (SC)
Richmond
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney (FL)
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Rouzer
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Russell
Ryan (OH)
Salmon
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrader
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Speier
Stefanik
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Torres
Trott
Tsongas
Upton
Valadao
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Walters, Mimi
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Watson Coleman
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Welch
Wenstrup
Westerman
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IA)
Young (IN)
Zeldin
Zinke
NAYS--5
Amash
Brooks (AL)
Gohmert
Massie
Sanford
NOT VOTING--21
Bost
Brat
Brown (FL)
Cartwright
Cummings
Delaney
Fincher
Green, Gene
Hastings
Hurt (VA)
Kirkpatrick
Nadler
Nugent
Payne
Poe (TX)
Rogers (AL)
Takai
Thompson (MS)
Turner
Waters, Maxine
Yarmuth
{time} 1157
Mses. VELAZQUEZ and MOORE changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the conference report was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had
I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 399.
Mr. BRAT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 399, I was unavoidably
detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''
Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall
vote No. 399 on agreeing to the Conference Report on S. 524, the
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Had I been present, I
would have voted ``yes.''
____________________