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National Recovery Month

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 26, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Drugs

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Mr. DELGADO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight National Recovery Month.

The opioid crisis is deeply prevalent in upstate New York, and my district is home to some of the highest overdose rates in the State. Overdose deaths have increased by 83 percent from 2016 in my home county, Dutchess.

Combating this crisis must include addressing the prevalence of opioids, holding Big Pharma accountable, and treating addiction like the disease that it is.

Earlier this year, I introduced the bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act.

This act does away with seeking special waivers as a requirement for providers to prescribe buprenorphine, a proven treatment for addiction. Making this medication more accessible will save lives and destigmatize addiction so folks will see it for what it is: a disease that requires treatment.

As we recognize National Recovery Month, let us honor those we have lost with action on bipartisan legislation to help those suffering with this disease.

Inaction costs us lives every day. Let's pass H.R. 2482.

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