Monday, Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) said that the House will likely consider three bills to address, “The horrific opioid epidemic that is gripped our state and the entire country.”
“There are countless important issues currently facing our state and nation,” Roby wrote in an email to constituents. “From our ongoing conversations with North Korea to the continuing need for enhanced security at the southern border, there’s no shortage of priorities that warrant discussion. Unfortunately, there is one very serious issue that continues to make headlines: the horrific opioid epidemic that is gripping our state and the entire country.”
“I’m pleased that last October, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency,” Congresswoman Roby continued. “This epidemic has been wreaking havoc on communities and families across our country for far too long. While the statistics are certainly shocking, this is about so much more than numbers. Hundreds of thousands of real American people with lives, careers, and families have lost the battle with opioid drug abuse. That’s why the House has made combating this crisis a top priority.”
“The House is continuing our work on the opioid crisis this week by considering more legislation including: H.R. 5797, the IMD CARE Act; H.R. 6082, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act; and H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act,” Roby said.
“I’m sure most of us know someone whose life has been affected by opioid abuse,” Roby wrote in her column. “Whether it’s prescription pain relievers or synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the crisis has only gotten worse. 64,070 people died from overdoses in our country in 2016, and 756 of those individuals were Alabamians. Now, in 2018, the problem has not improved. Did you know that 115 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioid drugs every single day? Just this year alone, it is estimated that more than 2 million Americans will suffer from opioid addiction.”
“Defeating this epidemic will require the commitment of every state, local, and federal agency,” President Donald J. Trump (R) said in a speech. “Failure is not an option. Addiction is not our future. We will liberate our country from this crisis. Never been like this. Hundreds of years — never been like this. And we will raise a drug-free generation of American children. Last October, we declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. Should have been done a long time before. Since then, we’ve worked with Congress to ensure at least 6 billion additional dollars, going through right now, in new funding in 2018 and 2019 to combat the opioid crisis. And we will be spending the most money ever on the opioid crisis.”
Congresswoman Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She is seeking her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Roby is in the Republican primary runoff against former Congressman Bobby Bright. Roby narrowly defeated Bright in 2010 in the general election. Bright has switched to the Republican party to mount this primary challenge.
The eventual winner of the runoff on July 17 will face Tabitha Isner (D) in the general election on November 6.
