Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan bill that reauthorizes the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act programs from 2018.

Mr. Chair, we are facing an epidemic of fentanyl overdoses in this country and this bill provides meaningful steps in countering them. The programs that this bill reauthorize provide naloxone for first responders, funding for prevention programs, funding for treatment programs, funding for recovery services, and the efficacy of these programs is shown in the difference in overdose deaths that we have seen in this country between when the program was first implemented in 2018 and last year.

We have seen, Mr. Chair, a dramatic decline in overdose-related deaths, but more work remains to be done.

Last year, Mr. Chair, over 50,000 Americans lost their lives to opioid overdoses. That is why this bill is so important to reauthorize. I thank my friend and the chairman for including my bill, the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act in this bill. I hope everyone in the Chamber is aware of the 9-8-8 lifeline and the vital services that it provides. It provides 24/7 crisis mental health counseling to Americans that are facing mental health crises and are in danger of committing suicide.

Mr. Chair, recently the crisis line was taken down by a cybersecurity incident and I think we should all be able to agree that that is unacceptable. My bill will solve that problem by improving information sharing between law enforcement agencies and the operators of the lifeline, which will keep that lifeline up for the people who need it.

Mr. Chair, this is a great bipartisan bill. I urge its support.

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