Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Guthrie for his leadership on this bill and on this issue.

I have a hard time listening to opposition to this bill. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle for the last 4 years have continuously voted against the HALT Fentanyl Act and have stood in opposition to any effort to curb the opioid crisis in this country, which up until recently was killing 100,000 people every single year.

That is why, today, I rise to urge passage of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 because this ongoing addiction crisis, fueled in large part by fentanyl, is still killing Americans.

This legislation builds on the hard work that Republicans started back in 2018 under President Trump. Guess what? That work has made a difference.

Instead of studying something over and over, this bill, along with other legislation, has directed resources to the ground where it is intended.

Overdose deaths have dropped by nearly 30,000 last year. That is not just a number. That is moms, dads, sons, and daughters who are still with us today as a result of Congress stepping up.

This reauthorization keeps the momentum going, and it makes sure that first responders--first responders like my husband, Matt, who is a paramedic and a SWAT medic/firefighter--have the resources that they need to save lives in the field.

It doesn't stop there. This bill supports a full range of evidence- based treatment options, from emergency overdose reversal to long-term recovery tools, like medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and peer support.

The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 has the backing of more than 160 different organizations dedicated to substance abuse disorder treatment and recovery, and it expands care for pregnant and postpartum women, strengthens prescription drug monitoring, and helps individuals in recovery reenter the workforce and rebuild their lives.

That is what real solutions look like, not another study. Stop playing politics with people's lives, please. We need to support prevention, treatment, and recovery at every single level.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Guthrie again for leading on this issue, and I urge every single one of my colleagues to support this bill. Let's get it done.

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