[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 20581]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             OPIOID CRISIS

  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, at some point this evening, we expect 
the House of Representatives to send the Senate a bill that would keep 
the Federal Government open for another few weeks before our heading 
home for Christmas. For most families, the holidays are an opportunity 
to take a break away from our busy lives and enjoy time with the people 
we love. It is safe to say, however, that will not be the case for tens 
of thousands of American families who have lost a loved one this year 
due to a drug overdose.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two important 
new reports this week. First, they found that life expectancy decreased 
in the United States for the second year in a row. Second, the likely 
cause of that decrease in 2016 is that over 63,000 people died of drug 
overdoses. That is more than 144 deaths per day, and it is a 21-percent 
increase from 2015.
  This is a crisis. People are dying in communities across this country 
every single day. Congress must do much more to address this scourge. 
Here in Washington, we have talked at length about the massive size and 
scope of the problem.
  Last year, we passed bipartisan legislation that was signed into law 
and is providing our local communities with more tools to fight the 
epidemic, and we approved initial funding to begin to support these and 
other efforts.
  I was proud to help bring nearly $11 million of that funding to 
Indiana. Earlier this fall, the President rightly declared the opioid 
abuse epidemic to be a nationwide public health emergency. On the 
frontlines, in places like my home State of Indiana, however, the 
battle is raging. Despite a unified response, there is more work to do.
  Our Governor, Governor Holcomb, has made the fight against opioid 
abuse the priority it needs to be. He and his administration are 
working closely with local communities to provide resources and 
support. Together, we have engaged our healthcare providers--both 
public and private--the business community, our educators, and the 
clergy who are all committed to this cause. Yet the message I continue 
to hear from people on the ground is, we need more resources and we 
need to expand treatment capabilities as soon as possible.
  We all know this is not a partisan issue. Over the last few years, I 
have been honored to work with seven of my Republican colleagues to 
introduce seven bills and amendments that address everything from 
prescribing practices to the shortage of addiction treatment 
professionals, and many of these ideas have already been signed into 
law.
  I am partnering with my State's Republican Governor to make sure we 
do everything in our power to help those who are battling with 
addiction, but it is not enough unless we provide our communities with 
the resources they are asking for and they need.
  This is the time of year that many Americans reflect on the year that 
has passed and identify the priorities in the years to come. In 
Congress, we need to do the same. More than 63,000 Americans died last 
year from opioid abuse. Those are 63,000 moms and dads, brothers and 
sisters, husbands and wives, sons and daughters who are not with us 
this year. We must make this issue a priority.
  I hope Congress will demonstrate to the American people that fighting 
the opioid epidemic is a priority. One way to do that is to include 
meaningful resources in the bill to fund our Federal Government and key 
programs when we deal with this again before January 19 of next year.
  I implore my colleagues to make this a priority, to provide the 
robust and meaningful funding our communities need to seriously address 
this problem. We are in the midst of a crisis. We must do more in 2018. 
We have families all across our Nation with broken hearts tonight for 
the ones they love and the ones they miss. Let's make sure there are no 
more in 2018; that this ends today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 5 
minutes and that after I speak, Senator Wyden be recognized.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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