[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2359-S2360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            OPIOID EPIDEMIC

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, our Nation's 
opioid epidemic continues to plague communities and families in my home 
State of Kentucky and across the Nation. Here in Congress, we are doing 
our best to support the healthcare and law enforcement professionals 
who are battling it every single day.
  Last week, I introduced the Protecting Moms and Infants Act, a 
bipartisan effort to confront the heartbreaking cases of prenatal and 
infant opioid addiction. It builds on my 2015 bill, the Protecting Our 
Infants Act, and Congress's other recent progress on this issue.
  In recent years, Congress has bolstered prevention, treatment, and 
enforcement efforts through the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery 
Act and the 21st Century Cures Act, and the recent government funding 
bill dedicated a record level of resources to saving lives from heroin 
and prescription drug abuse.
  But much more work remains. So today I am proud to announce 
legislation to address this crisis' devastating effects on the American 
worker and the American workforce.
  Stable employment is not just a path to financial security for 
workers and families. Earning a paycheck from a job is also linked to 
personal happiness and even physical health. We see firsthand in 
Kentucky the need for the structure and support that come with a job to 
help keep former addicts from falling back into the cycle of addiction. 
According to the CEO of a treatment facility in Louisville, ``stable 
housing and employment are vitally tied to an individual's recovery.'' 
But, unfortunately, in the very communities where employment could do 
so much, the opioid crisis itself is making it harder to attain.
  I frequently hear Kentucky employers cite substance abuse as a major 
hurdle to finding and hiring suitable

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applicants. One study traced roughly 25 percent of the decline in 
workforce participation between 1999 and 2015 to the opioid crisis. 
That amounts to about 1 million missing workers. It is no wonder that 
the Trump administration reports that the epidemic cost our economy a 
half trillion dollars in 2015 alone.
  The economic cost pales in comparison to the human cost that 
addiction and joblessness inflict. The Comprehensive Addiction Recovery 
through Effective Employment and Reentry Act, or CAREER Act, would 
bring targeted relief to the States most devastated by substance abuse. 
This State-based pilot program would encourage local businesses and 
treatment groups to form partnerships to help those in recovery find 
and maintain employment.
  The legislation expands housing block grants to encourage more 
transitional housing options for recovering addicts until they secure 
permanent arrangements. It gives States more flexibility to spend 
Federal career services and training funds to support specific 
initiatives dedicated to helping individuals transition from treatment 
to the workforce. In short, this bill does exactly what the experts 
tell us needs to be done on this front.
  This morning, Chairman Alexander and the HELP Committee are reviewing 
comprehensive opioid legislation. I commend the chairman for his 
diligent efforts on this subject. It is my hope that the committee will 
choose to include some of the proposals in the Protecting Moms and 
Infants Act and the CAREER Act in the larger package that they are 
developing.
  This epidemic requires our continued attention. On behalf of those in 
Kentucky and all over the country who are struggling, we are determined 
to keep doing our part.

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