[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY ON OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss 
the issue that is facing Americans across the Nation: the opioids 
crisis.
  The 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment, a comprehensive guide 
published by the Drug Enforcement Administration, indicates that 
illegal drug use continues to rise. It cites Mexican transnational 
criminal organizations as America's greatest enemy in the war against 
drugs. While these criminal organizations are bringing a wide variety 
of illegal drugs across our southern border, I am particularly worried 
about their role in spreading the opioid crisis.
  Thousands of pounds of opioids are smuggled across our southern 
border every year. Just last year, the DEA seized more than 17,000 
pounds of heroin in the United States. About 39 percent of this was 
seized at the southern border.
  Another opioid that has devastated communities across America is 
fentanyl. As we started to understand the scope of the opioid crisis 
facing our Nation, the CDC says doctors started prescribing less and 
less pharmaceutical fentanyl. But fentanyl overdoses remained steady as 
prescription rates dropped, meaning that illicitly manufactured 
fentanyl is one of the main drivers of the opioid crisis.
  Illicit fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is produced in China and 
Mexico. It is either smuggled into the United States through the mail 
from China or across our southern border from Mexico. In 2017, Customs 
and Border Patrol agents seized nearly 1,500 pounds of fentanyl at the 
border. Considering fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than 
morphine, last year's seizures accounted for millions of potential 
overdoses and deaths.
  But it is easy to discuss the amount of illegal drugs that have been 
seized at the border. It is easy to discuss the need for change. The 
hardest part is discussing the human toll that this crisis has taken.
  Madam Speaker, last year more Americans died of a drug overdose than 
in any other recorded year. In 2017, overdoses killed more than 70,000 
Americans, and more than 28,000 of these deaths were related to 
synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
  Our country is facing a crisis, and action is necessary. That is why 
I was proud to stand with President Trump and support H.J. Res. 31. 
This appropriations bill included provisions that are vital to my 
congressional district and that will bring the fight against opioids to 
the front lines: the southern border.
  Although I was disappointed that my Democratic colleagues didn't 
include more to combat this crisis, I was pleased that it included 
funding for 55 miles of wall on the southern border. Walls work, and we 
need to continue the construction of this wall. This is why President 
Trump's national emergency declaration is necessary.
  But, Madam Speaker, tomorrow House Democrats will bring up a measure 
to block President Trump's emergency declaration, H.J. Res. 46. They 
say the wall is immoral. They say it is cruel. I say we need decisive 
action to fight the opioid crisis, and this is the first step in the 
right direction.
  Since President Carter, there have been 31 national emergencies 
declared. President Clinton declared 6, and President Obama declared 10 
that are still in place. All 31 national emergencies recognized a dire 
threat to the American people and took action. By declaring this 
national emergency, President Trump is taking action against a threat 
that killed 70,000 Americans in 2017 alone.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 46. 
Support our President and save American lives.

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