[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            OPIOID EPIDEMIC

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on one final matter, the pain that 
opioid addiction and drug abuse has inflicted on families across 
America is almost unfathomable. Every day, 115 more American lives are 
lost to overdose. Synthetic opioid deaths nationwide skyrocketed six-
fold from 2014 to last year alone.
  Sadly, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is all too familiar with these 
statistics. More than 1,500 Kentuckians died from a drug overdose in 
2017, and Kentucky has ranked among the top 10 States for opioid 
fatalities for several years.
  The tragic medical trends are only one of the ways this crisis is 
crippling communities all across our country. These drugs eat away at 
economic opportunities, they erode our labor market, and they make it 
even harder for distressed communities to get back on their feet.
  So this is nothing short of a national emergency, and that is why 
Congress has already passed major legislation to address it, and very 
soon we will take significant new action by passing the legislation 
that has been shepherded by Senator Alexander and his committee 
colleagues. This landmark package combines work from 5 different 
committees and 70 different Senators.
  I am proud that two of my bills are included--the CAREER Act, to help 
individuals in recovery transition back into the workforce and access 
housing services, and a second provision that will step up 
accountability on Federal efforts to combat addiction among pregnant 
mothers.
  These are just two pieces of this comprehensive package.
  It will cut the supply of illegal drugs that pour over our borders, 
make it easier for communities to invest in recovery efforts, extend a 
helping hand to families and caregivers, and provide for the longer 
term medical innovation we need to put this crisis in the rearview 
mirror.
  I am pleased to have played a part in developing this landmark 
response.
  I am grateful to Chairman Alexander and his colleagues, and I will be 
proud to vote for this legislation very soon.

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