[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 104 (Thursday, June 21, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   H.R. 4079, THE RESTORE ACT OF 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2018

  Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment 
that the House failed to consider H.R. 4079, the RESTORE Act of 2017, 
both this and last week. Further, Republican Leadership refused to 
allow debate or a vote on my bipartisan amendment to attach the 
legislation to H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act.
  Two years ago, the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug 
Enforcement Act of 2015 passed unanimously in both the House and the 
Senate and was signed into law. Members were led to believe that the 
measure was non-controversial and would help patients secure pain 
medications.
  Instead, a joint investigation by ``60 Minutes'' and the Washington 
Post appears to confirm that the legislation has limited the DEA's 
ability to suspend a pharmaceutical distributor's license and shipments 
if they pose an imminent danger to public health and safety.
  The RESTORE Act of 2017 would fully repeal the Ensuring Patient 
Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015 and restore the DEA's 
authority to carry out needed enforcement actions to combat the opioid 
epidemic.
  Although many of the bills recently passed by the House were 
bipartisan and took incremental steps toward addressing substance 
abuse, they did not equip the DEA with the authority that it needs to 
keep our communities safe and healthy.
  I urge Republican Leadership to reconsider this issue and allow the 
Restore Act of 2017 to be brought to the floor as soon as possible.

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