[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH

  (Mr. DELGADO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DELGADO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight National Recovery 
Month.
  The opioid crisis is deeply prevalent in upstate New York, and my 
district is home to some of the highest overdose rates in the State. 
Overdose deaths have increased by 83 percent from 2016 in my home 
county, Dutchess.
  Combating this crisis must include addressing the prevalence of 
opioids, holding Big Pharma accountable, and treating addiction like 
the disease that it is.
  Earlier this year, I introduced the bipartisan Mainstreaming 
Addiction Treatment Act.
  This act does away with seeking special waivers as a requirement for 
providers to prescribe buprenorphine, a proven treatment for addiction. 
Making this medication more accessible will save lives and destigmatize 
addiction so folks will see it for what it is: a disease that requires 
treatment.
  As we recognize National Recovery Month, let us honor those we have 
lost with action on bipartisan legislation to help those suffering with 
this disease.
  Inaction costs us lives every day. Let's pass H.R. 2482.

                          ____________________