[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5612]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            OPIOID EPIDEMIC

  (Ms. TENNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize families across 
this great country who have been tragically affected by the growing 
opioid epidemic plaguing our communities.
  All too often, we hear the heart-wrenching stories from families who 
have lost loved ones to this pernicious scourge. We have heard from law 
enforcement officers and healthcare providers who have chronicled the 
growing influx of crime and addiction in our society.
  In 2016, in Broome County alone in my district, 76 people died from 
drug overdoses. Ninety percent of those deaths were opioid related.
  We have kicked the can down the road for far too long. Now, Congress 
must act swiftly and work to provide resources for those struggling 
with addiction by supporting rehabilitation centers, as well as 
educational and preventative programs.
  That is why I am taking the lead on the national level by supporting 
the funding of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act in the 2018 
budget. This is only a start, but I will continue to fight across all 
sectors to find comprehensive and caring solutions to this tragedy in 
our communities.

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