Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I begin by thanking Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone of the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as Congresswoman DeGette, for their bipartisan cooperation during this long legislative process.

This is a good, if imperfect, bill that will provide vital funding to the National Institutes of Health and the Vice President's Cancer Moonshot while taking steps to strengthen our mental health system. I want to focus my remarks on the critical investments this bill promises to combat the opioid epidemic.

In communities across our country, families are struggling with the pain of addiction to opioids. Earlier this year, Congress took an important step against substance abuse by passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA.

Unfortunately, congressional Republicans did not support including the necessary funding to CARA's success. This was a missed opportunity. In the months since Congress passed CARA, we have lost parents, siblings, children, and friends--129 people every day.

When I talk to New Mexicans on the front lines of this crisis, the most urgent need is for more resources. That is why I introduced the Opioid and Heroin Abuse Crisis Investment Act. This bill, cosponsored by nearly 100 of my colleagues, sought to advance the President's proposal to combat this epidemic.

This legislation we are considering today--like my bill--promises $1 billion for the opioid crisis. Though we cannot bring back those that we have lost, we owe it to them and their families to pass this bill. This funding will make a real difference in people's lives.

While I am relieved that we will soon be able to get the resources to our communities, I am fearful that some of my colleagues will see this as a mission accomplished instead of what it must be, which is only a first step toward healing our communities.

I can't help but ask my Republican colleagues, who support the advances we are making today for mental health: Why are they preparing to roll back the most important advances we made for mental health in the past 8 years by promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act?

The 21st Century Cures Act shows what we can do and what can happen when we work across the aisle, and I hope we will truly continue to work together to strengthen our Nation's health system.

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