The National Emergency on Our Southern Border

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the issue that is facing Americans across the Nation: the opioids crisis.

The 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment, a comprehensive guide published by the Drug Enforcement Administration, indicates that illegal drug use continues to rise. It cites Mexican transnational criminal organizations as America's greatest enemy in the war against drugs. While these criminal organizations are bringing a wide variety of illegal drugs across our southern border, I am particularly worried about their role in spreading the opioid crisis.

Thousands of pounds of opioids are smuggled across our southern border every year. Just last year, the DEA seized more than 17,000 pounds of heroin in the United States. About 39 percent of this was seized at the southern border.

Another opioid that has devastated communities across America is fentanyl. As we started to understand the scope of the opioid crisis facing our Nation, the CDC says doctors started prescribing less and less pharmaceutical fentanyl. But fentanyl overdoses remained steady as prescription rates dropped, meaning that illicitly manufactured fentanyl is one of the main drivers of the opioid crisis.

Illicit fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is produced in China and Mexico. It is either smuggled into the United States through the mail from China or across our southern border from Mexico. In 2017, Customs and Border Patrol agents seized nearly 1,500 pounds of fentanyl at the border. Considering fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, last year's seizures accounted for millions of potential overdoses and deaths.

But it is easy to discuss the amount of illegal drugs that have been seized at the border. It is easy to discuss the need for change. The hardest part is discussing the human toll that this crisis has taken.

Madam Speaker, last year more Americans died of a drug overdose than in any other recorded year. In 2017, overdoses killed more than 70,000 Americans, and more than 28,000 of these deaths were related to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Our country is facing a crisis, and action is necessary. That is why I was proud to stand with President Trump and support H.J. Res. 31. This appropriations bill included provisions that are vital to my congressional district and that will bring the fight against opioids to the front lines: the southern border.

Although I was disappointed that my Democratic colleagues didn't include more to combat this crisis, I was pleased that it included funding for 55 miles of wall on the southern border. Walls work, and we need to continue the construction of this wall. This is why President Trump's national emergency declaration is necessary.

But, Madam Speaker, tomorrow House Democrats will bring up a measure to block President Trump's emergency declaration, H.J. Res. 46. They say the wall is immoral. They say it is cruel. I say we need decisive action to fight the opioid crisis, and this is the first step in the right direction.

Since President Carter, there have been 31 national emergencies declared. President Clinton declared 6, and President Obama declared 10 that are still in place. All 31 national emergencies recognized a dire threat to the American people and took action. By declaring this national emergency, President Trump is taking action against a threat that killed 70,000 Americans in 2017 alone.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 46. Support our President and save American lives.

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