[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7307-S7308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                  Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 4531

  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass 
into law lifesaving, bipartisan legislation that will enable us to keep 
fighting the opioid and fentanyl epidemic that has destroyed families 
and devastated communities across our country.
  New data from just this week found that drug overdose deaths dropped 
17 percent from last summer to this summer. We now have a much better 
sense of what works to prevent and treat addiction, the resources we 
need to do so, and the light that exists on the other end of this 
terrible, terrible tunnel. But we can only get there if we keep up the 
fight.
  The SUPPORT Act of 2018 established vital addiction treatment 
infrastructure. Reauthorizing this law is essential to our addiction 
prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. Just two of many examples 
include funding addiction treatment for pregnant women and supporting 
first responders.
  The original SUPPORT Act passed the Senate with 98 votes, and the 
bipartisan reauthorization passed the House with 386 votes. Now the 
Senate must send it to the President's desk before we adjourn for the 
year. This is not the time for complacency, nor is it time for despair. 
Nothing less than people's lives depend on us acting.
  So, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be 
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4531 and the Senate 
proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be 
considered read a third time and

[[Page S7308]]

passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid 
upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. PAUL. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I will just say that I regret the 
objection. A Senate version of the reauthorization was, of course, 
included in the package that we all agreed on--bipartisan agreement in 
both the Senate and the House, after months and months of work, 
reauthorized through our committee process--and was stripped out, of 
course, on Wednesday at the instruction of Mr. Musk. So the House had 
already passed this bipartisan bill. It had huge and overwhelming 
bipartisan support there, and this is really unfortunate because, of 
course, the opioid epidemic--especially the fentanyl epidemic--
continues to devastate our communities, and it is truly unfortunate 
that the objection was made tonight.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. BENNET. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.