Tsunami Warning, Education, And Research Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, I am here, along with a number of my colleagues, to applaud the 21st Century Cures Act as a major milestone and a long-overdue initial investment in combating the opioid epidemic.

In particular, I applaud the inclusion of $1 billion in funding over 2 years that will address this crisis. For treatment providers on the frontlines of the epidemic, I am pleased to say help is on its way with this bill when it is passed by the Senate-- and I believe it will be.

Make no mistake, these resources are badly needed. This remains an uncontrolled epidemic and unfortunately is still gaining strength. A staggering 47,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2014--more Americans than died in car accidents. Sadly, in New Hampshire, we are a bull's-eye for the highest percentage of drug overdoses per populace of any State in the country so I am pleased this bill includes language to prioritize the allocation of these new resources to the most heavily affected States, and I intend to work with the current and incoming administration to get this funding out to States as quickly as possible.
More than a year ago, I introduced legislation to help stem the tide of the opioid crisis by providing emergency funding to States, first responders, and treatment providers. I joined with other Senators in working to include funding in the Cures Act to provide at least an initial infusion of funding to fight the opioid epidemic. I am relieved these efforts have led to the bipartisan agreement we will soon vote on.

Last month, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a landmark report and an urgent call to action. He said 21 million Americans have a substance use disorder--far more Americans than have cancer--yet only 1 in 10 is receiving any kind of treatment.

My State of New Hampshire, and New England overall, has been especially hard hit, but make no mistake, this is a nationwide epidemic, and it doesn't discriminate. It is impacting young and old, urban and rural, rich and poor, White and minority, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

This fall I met with Susan Messinger of Holderness, NH. Her son Carl experimented with heroin at a party and quickly became addicted. He got treatment, was in recovery, and was doing great, but he came down with a respiratory infection and was prescribed medicine that unknown to him, included an opioid--just simple cherry cough medicine. Carl relapsed, and he died of a fentanyl overdose days before his 25th birthday.

This chart entitled ``Drug Overdose Deaths Across America'' shows very vividly the extent of the problem. It was compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It shows the inexorable spread of the opioid crisis and the disease it causes from 2003, here where we don't see as much bright red, to 2008, where it is growing, to 2014, where it is almost the entire country. We can see that in the Presiding Officer's section of the country, in the Southwest, it is particularly challenging, as well as in the Appalachian region of the East. According to the CDC, mortality trends in the opioid epidemic are now similar to the trends in the HIV epidemic at its peak in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The second chart shows drug overdose deaths across New Hampshire. It shows a parallel spread of the opioid epidemic in New Hampshire, with especially devastating effects in the northern part of the State--what we call the north country. In 2003, we see no orange and no red. In 2007, we are beginning to see patches of orange. In 2011, they have turned red, and by 2014, it is particularly affecting the entire State, and here--the northern part of New Hampshire--is where it is hardest hit.

In his landmark report last month, the U.S. Surgeon General said: ``It is time to change how we view addiction--not as a moral failing but as a chronic illness that must be treated with skill, urgency and compassion.'' Yet what we are seeing in New Hampshire and across the country is that treatment centers are completely overwhelmed.

Certainly, the new funding in the Cures Act will be welcome news to Friendship House in Bethlehem, NH, which is a treatment center I visited on Friday. It is up here in the northern part of the State in New Hampshire's north country, which has one of the highest overdose rates per capita in New Hampshire. Friendship House is the only treatment center within a radius of 65 miles.

Back in April, Kaiser Health News reported on the case of Eddie Sawyer. Eddie overdosed and died while he was waiting for his turn to be admitted to Friendship House. When police found Mr. Sawyer, on the table next to his bed was a list of treatment facilities. There were checkmarks next to the name of each facility. Mr. Sawyer had called every place on the list, and he had not found one that could take him for treatment.

The Surgeon General's new report states that nearly 9 out of 10 people with substance use disorders do not receive treatment. They are being turned away. They are being denied treatment due to a chronic lack of resources. Hopefully, this legislation is going to help that because over the last year, I visited treatment centers in every part of the Granite State. These centers are staffed by skilled, dedicated treatment professionals. They are saving lives every day, but they tell me that for every life they save, others are being lost for lack of treatment capacity, facilities, and funding. When people with substance use disorders are turned away, this means they remain on the streets, desperate, often committing crimes to support their addiction and at constant risk of a lethal overdose.

Last year, a promising young woman named Molly Alice Parks died of a heroin overdose in Manchester, NH--New Hampshire's largest city. Her father wrote her obituary which appeared in the Union Leader newspaper.
He wrote openly about Molly's addiction, and the obituary included this plea to readers: ``If you have any loved ones who are fighting addiction, Molly's family asks that you do everything possible to be supportive, and guide them to rehabilitation before it is too late.'' I admire the courage of Molly's father, his willingness to warn other families, and talk openly about his daughter's addiction, but what if a family persuades a son or daughter to seek treatment and no treatment is available? Sadly, that is the case in so many communities across America where treatment centers are overwhelmed.

That is why the additional resources in the Cures Act are so important. This new funding will make a real difference for treatment providers in each of our States. Make no mistake, this legislation will save lives. The funding in the Cures Act is a welcome initial investment in combating the opioid epidemic. President-Elect Trump, during dozens of visits to New Hampshire over the last year, pledged aggressive action to fight the opioid epidemic. When the new Congress convenes in January, we must come together with our new President, on a bipartisan basis, to address the opioid crisis in a comprehensive fashion, including continuing resources for policing, prevention, treatment, and recovery. As Surgeon General Murphy says, ``How we respond to this crisis is a test for America.'' With so many lives at stake, it is a test we must not fail.

With the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress is providing urgent new funding for treatment on the frontlines--professionals who have been doing truly heroic, lifesaving work. Our message in passing this legislation is: Help is on the way. I urge my colleagues to give strong bipartisan support to this important bill.

I yield the floor.

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