[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8510-8511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            OPIOID EPIDEMIC

  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues to 
discuss the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis that has devastated 
communities across our Nation. I want to thank the Senator from West 
Virginia for giving us the floor today and for his continued leadership 
in working to combat this crisis. It is going to take an all-hands-on-
deck approach, with Members of both parties and at all levels of 
government working with those on the frontlines to find solutions.
  We recently received near final information on the number of lives 
lost last year and the specific substances involved in New Hampshire as 
a result of this crisis. What is clear is that the threat continues to 
evolve and grow. In 2016 alone, there were 477 confirmed overdose 
deaths in New Hampshire. That is an increase from 439 deaths in 2015 
and 326 in 2014. Already this year, there have been 73 confirmed 
overdose deaths in my State, with another 86 suspected cases awaiting 
final toxicology results.
  In recent months, we have seen new deadly challenges that are 
emerging. A few weeks ago, I met with members of the Drug Enforcement 
Agency in New Hampshire. Among the topics we discussed was the spread 
of a dangerous synthetic drug, carfentanil. Carfentanil is 100 times 
stronger than even fentanyl. It is killing people faster, and we are 
seeing its deadly use rising in New Hampshire. We have seen six 
confirmed deaths from carfentanil in the past few weeks.
  During my meeting with the DEA, I heard from those on the frontlines 
about the dangerous impacts it has on their lives as well. Carfentanil 
and other fentanyl compounds are so dangerous that they can put first 
responders at risk if they are exposed.
  It is clear that we must do more to support those struggling and 
those on the frontlines to stem and ultimately reverse the tide of this 
crisis. We need more resources to address this problem because people 
are dying. What we cannot do is institute policies that would make 
matters worse.
  I am encouraged that the Trump administration has discussed the 
severity of this crisis, but their actions so far don't match their 
words. The President's budget that was announced this week would have 
devastating consequences on efforts to combat this crisis. This budget 
includes hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to the Substance Abuse 
and Mental Health Services Administration. It also cuts the High 
Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program. This is a program that 
provides key support to law enforcement officials on the frontlines.
  I am particularly disturbed by this administration's continued 
attacks on Medicaid. Medicaid has been critical to ensuring that 
Granite Staters struggling with addiction have access to treatment and 
recovery services. The drastic cuts to Medicaid in the President's 
budget proposal go above and beyond even the devastating cuts included 
in the dangerous TrumpCare bill that passed through the House of 
Representatives. This budget proposes cutting $610 billion to Medicaid, 
which is on top of the $839 billion cut in TrumpCare. TrumpCare also 
ends Medicaid expansion, which experts have said is the No. 1 tool we 
have in combating this crisis.
  TrumpCare undermines the requirement that insurance companies must 
cover mental health and substance use disorder services. According to 
yesterday's CBO report, this could lead to out-of-pocket costs totaling 
thousands

[[Page 8511]]

of dollars for people seeking these services. In the midst of this 
crisis, we need to be strengthening prevention, treatment, and recovery 
efforts and giving stronger support to those on the frontlines, but 
these recent actions by this administration show that President Trump 
is failing to live up to his own words on this deadly epidemic. And 
cuts to programs that help people in the throes of addiction are 
irresponsible, unacceptable, and unconscionable.
  I am grateful to many of my colleagues for reaching across the aisle 
to propose policies to address this epidemic. This is an issue that 
rises above partisanship, and this is work we need to be doing because 
the lives of the people of our States depend upon it. I am going to 
continue to work with my colleagues on solutions, while standing firm 
against proposals that would pull us backward.
  I again thank Senator Manchin for his leadership on this issue.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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