Pennsylvania's Drug Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a public health crisis that is taking a tangible toll on every facet of our society.

In Pennsylvania, drug abuse and addiction are not abstract concerns. The drug crisis is a reality that plays out across our community every single day. Sadly, Pennsylvanians are not alone. Each day, more than 130 Americans die from an overdose.

As a nation, we cannot allow illicit drugs to continue tearing apart families, destroying our workforce, and claiming lives. From law enforcement officials to healthcare providers to educators to community leaders and lawmakers, all of us have an individual part to play. We must combat this crisis, keep drugs off our streets, protect families, safeguard our economy, and, most importantly, save lives.

Ending this scourge requires a team effort. In Congress, it has been my privilege to work with leaders at the Federal, State, and local levels to identify and implement commonsense solutions for the drug crisis.

Mr. Speaker, today I thank my fellow members of the freshman Bipartisan Working Group on Addiction for their collaboration and partnership during the 116th Congress. Together we worked toward our shared fight against drug abuse and addiction. I am proud of the legislative achievements that we forged, and I am looking forward to continuing this work in the upcoming 117th Congress.

In the White House, President Donald Trump and his administration are incredible leaders in this fight. From day one, President Trump prioritized realistic and achievable solutions to tackle this problem, equip those on the front lines, and support Americans in recovery.

I am grateful to President Trump's drug czar, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director James Carroll, for his steadfast commitment to this issue. This fall, it was an honor to host Director Carroll in my district to meet directly with remarkable leaders on the front lines of the drug crisis. He is a true partner for Pennsylvanians, and I am thankful for Director Carroll's service in this key role.

As a nation, Americans have made significant strides in defeating the drug crisis, and now, today, our work must continue.

On the China Task Force we recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is not the only public health crisis that was created by the Chinese Communist Party. All too often illicit drugs originating in China end up on the streets in Pennsylvania, spurring addiction, harming families, and killing too many of my patients, my friends, and my neighbors. These drugs are trafficked through porous borders, and even through the U.S. Postal Service.

As a direct solution to this problem, I have cosponsored legislation to hold the Chinese Communist regime--and any other foreign government--accountable if the government fails to stop deadly drugs from leaving their borders, and I will continue to push forward with commonsense legislation.

Tragically, the drug crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and aggressive mitigation tactics in Pennsylvania and around the country. As we Americans battle this pandemic, we must not ignore rising rates of addiction and overdoses. I continue to call on Federal and State leaders to ensure that individuals and families facing addiction and those in recovery have the resources and support that they need, whether virtual or in person.

We cannot afford inaction. The ramifications of the drug crisis transcend all divides. Together--not as Republicans or Democrats, but together as Americans--we are in a shared fight to save lives, and together we must win.

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