[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 135 (Thursday, July 30, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H3990]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OPIOID CRISIS EPIDEMIC

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to appear before you 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to the public health 
crisis that continues to devastate communities in Ohio and across the 
country while we grapple with the unprecedented challenges caused by 
the coronavirus pandemic--the opioid crisis.
  I have been proud of Congress' bipartisan work over the past several 
years to not only advance recovery and treatment efforts, but also to 
prevent the trafficking of lethal, illicit opioids, like fentanyl. I 
was even prouder when, in 2018, those efforts resulted in our Nation's 
first decline in drug overdose deaths in nearly 30 years. Tragically, 
our progress is slipping away.
  The CDC's preliminary 2019 overdose death data shows that fatal 
overdoses hit a record high last year, accounting for the deaths of 
70,980 Americans. More than half of those deaths, 36,500 to be exact, 
involved synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. In total, 37 States saw 
their number of fatal overdoses increase or remain stable from 2018.
  That deadly trend is ongoing this year as the coronavirus pandemic 
continues to impact the mental health and economic security of 
Americans across the country. An analysis released by the White House 
last month found that overdose deaths were up 11.4 percent from January 
to April this year when compared with the same period in 2019.
  Mr. Speaker, these are more than just statistics. These are real 
people--mothers and fathers, sons and daughters--and their deaths are 
causing real pain in communities across our Nation. Back home, a young 
man who had been sober for nearly 2 years--2 years--relapsed after the 
pandemic began and the place where he worked had to close its doors. 
Michael died at the end of March at just 31 years old, with both 
fentanyl and carfentanil in his system.
  I saw Michael's mom, Cathy, on the local news the other night 
speaking out about her son's death, trying to bring awareness to not 
only the lack of attention focused on the opioid crisis right now, but 
the limited resources available to combat addiction during this 
pandemic and the continued rise of synthetic opioids, like those found 
in Michael's system when he died.
  We have to act now to stop this crisis in its tracks. We have to 
redouble our efforts now if we want to prevent other families from 
enduring the same kind of loss that Michael's family is currently 
suffering. Having met with those on the front lines of the opioid 
crisis in my district, ranging from drug court judges to directors of 
rehab facilities to law enforcement officers on local drug task forces, 
I know that battling this epidemic requires an all-of-the-above 
approach that includes prevention and education efforts, promotes 
treatment, cracks down on illegal distribution, and enhances resources 
for first responders and law enforcement.
  That is why I introduced the Comprehensive Opioid Program Extension 
Act. My bill, better known as the COPE Act, would help us implement an 
all-of-the-above approach by increasing the authorized resources 
available for the Department of Justice's comprehensive opioid abuse 
program. These grants will help local communities battle the opioid 
epidemic by:
  Providing training and resources for first responders on opioid 
overdose reversal drugs and devices, like Narcan;
  Improving collaboration between State criminal justice agencies and 
substance abuse agencies;
  Enhancing law enforcement efforts to combat the illegal distribution 
of opioids;
  And developing or expanding programs to prevent youth opioid abuse, 
drug take-back initiatives, or for treatment alternatives to 
incarceration.
  The harsh reality is that everyone in this Chamber knows someone who 
has been impacted by this opioid crisis.

                              {time}  945

  With the coronavirus pandemic already causing an increase in fatal 
overdoses from last year's record high, action is long overdue.
  We must advance legislative solutions that allow Democrats and 
Republicans to join together in a bipartisan effort to defeat this 
opioid crisis. I stand ready to work with my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle to find a bipartisan solution like the COPE Act that will 
help us stop the opioid crisis from causing more death, wreaking more 
havoc, and resulting in more tragedy.
  This crisis has been breaking apart families and threatening the 
safety of our communities for far too long, and the American people are 
ready for us to help them stop it.

                          ____________________