Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, as I noted earlier, combating substance abuse was an issue close to Nancy Reagan's heart. It is fitting that we will have an important opportunity this afternoon to address the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic sweeping our Nation. We can do so by advancing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.

Just a few months ago, we appropriated $400 million to opioid- specific programs. We are glad that all of those funds remain available to be spent today, and now we can pass comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that will help build upon the progress being made in this fight.

This CARA bill would expand education and prevention. It would bolster law enforcement efforts. It would improve treatment initiatives. This bill has also received broad bipartisan backing and the support of nearly 130 groups dedicated to ending this crisis.

We appreciate the work of the senior Senator from Iowa, Mr. Grassley, who worked to move this bill swiftly out of the Judiciary Committee. We thank Senator Portman, Senator Ayotte, along with the junior Senator from Rhode Island and the senior Senator from Minnesota, for all the work they have done to advance CARA. We recognize the continuing efforts of Senators on both sides of the aisle who have put party labels aside to build support for this much needed legislation.

So let's continue that work by voting for cloture on CARA so we can take an important step forward to address this national epidemic.

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