[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 27 (Monday, February 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S887-S888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             OPIOID CRISIS

  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, in my home State of New Hampshire and in 
communities across the Nation, there is no greater public health and 
safety challenge than the fentanyl, heroin, and opioid crisis.
  Everywhere I go, I hear stories by people affected by this crisis. I 
hear inspiring stories from those in recovery who are tirelessly 
working to stay healthy and rebuild their lives, and I hear tragic 
stories from siblings, parents, and friends who have experienced the 
unimaginable pain of losing a loved one.
  The courage of people willing to share their stories is key to 
breaking down the stigma of addiction and pushing for solutions. This 
month, I saw reports that mothers in New Hampshire and in our 
neighboring State of Massachusetts are doing just that. These mothers 
have all lost their children to overdoses, but through their grief, 
they are fighting to ensure that other parents are spared from what 
they have endured. They are writing letters to the White House that are 
set to arrive on Valentine's Day--all enclosed with photos of the 
children they have lost. Their message is that more must be done to end 
this epidemic and that more funding must be allocated to help those 
struggling.

  Their initiative is putting faces to this crisis and showing the 
White House that these lives lost are more than just numbers. One of 
the mothers said: ``We have broken hearts, so we want the President to 
see that.''
  We can never thank the families who have lost loved ones enough for 
speaking out and for working tirelessly and courageously to try to 
prevent others from suffering as they have. We owe it to them to listen 
to their stories. But more importantly, we owe it to them to take 
stronger action.
  I am encouraged by recent work in Congress to provide a significant 
increase in funding to combat this crisis. Over the past months, I have 
been pushing for more support for treatment, recovery, prevention, and 
law enforcement efforts.

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  The bipartisan agreement that passed last week included billions of 
dollars in additional resources--an important next step in 
strengthening our response. This is welcome news for States across the 
Nation grappling with the challenges of this epidemic, and it will be 
critical that these new Federal dollars are prioritized for States like 
New Hampshire that have been the hardest hit. I will continue working 
to ensure that happens, but even with this additional funding, we know 
that it will ultimately take a far greater investment to turn the tide 
of this horrible epidemic. Communities, law enforcement, and those 
struggling need our continued support and action, and Members of both 
parties must continue to work together in order to make progress.
  Thank you.

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