[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H6909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PENNSYLVANIA'S DRUG CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a 
public health crisis that is taking a tangible toll on every facet of 
our society.
  In Pennsylvania, drug abuse and addiction are not abstract concerns. 
The drug crisis is a reality that plays out across our community every 
single day. Sadly, Pennsylvanians are not alone. Each day, more than 
130 Americans die from an overdose.
  As a nation, we cannot allow illicit drugs to continue tearing apart 
families, destroying our workforce, and claiming lives. From law 
enforcement officials to healthcare providers to educators to community 
leaders and lawmakers, all of us have an individual part to play. We 
must combat this crisis, keep drugs off our streets, protect families, 
safeguard our economy, and, most importantly, save lives.
  Ending this scourge requires a team effort. In Congress, it has been 
my privilege to work with leaders at the Federal, State, and local 
levels to identify and implement commonsense solutions for the drug 
crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, today I thank my fellow members of the freshman 
Bipartisan Working Group on Addiction for their collaboration and 
partnership during the 116th Congress. Together we worked toward our 
shared fight against drug abuse and addiction. I am proud of the 
legislative achievements that we forged, and I am looking forward to 
continuing this work in the upcoming 117th Congress.
  In the White House, President Donald Trump and his administration are 
incredible leaders in this fight. From day one, President Trump 
prioritized realistic and achievable solutions to tackle this problem, 
equip those on the front lines, and support Americans in recovery.
  I am grateful to President Trump's drug czar, White House Office of 
National Drug Control Policy Director James Carroll, for his steadfast 
commitment to this issue. This fall, it was an honor to host Director 
Carroll in my district to meet directly with remarkable leaders on the 
front lines of the drug crisis. He is a true partner for 
Pennsylvanians, and I am thankful for Director Carroll's service in 
this key role.
  As a nation, Americans have made significant strides in defeating the 
drug crisis, and now, today, our work must continue.
  On the China Task Force we recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is 
not the only public health crisis that was created by the Chinese 
Communist Party. All too often illicit drugs originating in China end 
up on the streets in Pennsylvania, spurring addiction, harming 
families, and killing too many of my patients, my friends, and my 
neighbors. These drugs are trafficked through porous borders, and even 
through the U.S. Postal Service.
  As a direct solution to this problem, I have cosponsored legislation 
to hold the Chinese Communist regime--and any other foreign 
government--accountable if the government fails to stop deadly drugs 
from leaving their borders, and I will continue to push forward with 
commonsense legislation.
  Tragically, the drug crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 
pandemic and aggressive mitigation tactics in Pennsylvania and around 
the country. As we Americans battle this pandemic, we must not ignore 
rising rates of addiction and overdoses. I continue to call on Federal 
and State leaders to ensure that individuals and families facing 
addiction and those in recovery have the resources and support that 
they need, whether virtual or in person.
  We cannot afford inaction. The ramifications of the drug crisis 
transcend all divides. Together--not as Republicans or Democrats, but 
together as Americans--we are in a shared fight to save lives, and 
together we must win.

                          ____________________