America's Opioid Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, in America today, in every State, in too many families, there is a profound sense of pain, loss, and suffering caused by the horrendous opioid crisis.

Unfortunately, my home State of Georgia is not immune to this growing epidemic. Many of my closest friends have lost family members or children, and the question is always: Why? How can this happen?

From 1999 to 2014, prescription opioid deaths increased tenfold in Georgia. We saw over 500 deaths in 2015 as a result of opioid abuse.

Over the next few weeks, my colleagues and I in the House of Representatives are bringing opioid addiction out of the shadows and voting on over 50 pieces of legislation to prevent further opioid abuse and assist those currently dealing with addiction. We must take proactive steps to fight opioid addiction and focus on treating the mind, the body, and, most important in my view, the spirit.

The road to recovery may be long and hard-fought, but the American will is as strong as ever and shall prevail. We are at war with drugs, and we must defeat this enemy.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting the nearly 40 opioid-related bills before this House this week. America needs us.

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