quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to h.r.

5325 which the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to the consideration of h.r. 5325, an act making appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2017 and for other purposes. the presiding officer: all postpost-cloture time has expir. the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the bill. the clerk: calendar number 516, h.r. 5325,en act making appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2017 and for other purposes. mr. mcconnell: i have a substitute amendment at the desk that i ask the clerk to report. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, for mr. cochran proposes an amendment numbered 5082. strike all after the enacting

clause and insert in threw thereof -- in --. mr. mcconnell: i ask the reading be dispensed with. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. mcconnell: i have an amendment at the desk that i ask the clerk to report. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, proposes an amendment number 5083 to amendment numbered 50882. the presiding officer: i ask the reading be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. mcconnell: i have a second-degree amendment at the desk. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, proposes an amendment numbered

5084 to amendment 5083. mr. mcconnell: i have an amendment to the text proposed to be stricken. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, proposes an amendment numbered 5085 to the language proposed to be stricken by amendment numbered 5082. mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. mcconnell: i have a second-degree amendment at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky mr. mcconnell proposes an amendment numbered 5086 to amendment number 5085. mr. mcconnell: i have a motion to commit h.r. 5325 with instructions which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, moves to the commit the bill to the appropriations committee with instructions to report back forthwith with amendment numbered 5087. mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays on that motion. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be.

the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. mcconnell: i have an amendment to the instructions at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky mr. mcconnell proposes an amendment numbered 5088 to the instructions of the motion to commit h.r. 5325. moich i ask for the -- mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. mcconnell: i have a second-degree amendment at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky mr. mcconnell proposes an amendment numbered 5089 to amendment 5088. mr. mcconnell: i have a cloture motion at the desk with the substitute amendment. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators in in accordance with the provisions of standing rules of the senate of the senate do hereby move to bring to close debate to h.r. 5325 an act making appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2017 and for other purposes. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be

dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i have a cloture motion at the desk with a substitute amendment. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we --. mr. mcconnell: i have a cloture motion for the underlying bill. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators in in accordance with the rules 22 do hereby move to bring to a close debate on h.r. 532525 an act making appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2017 and for owe purposes dashes. mr. mcconnell: i ask the reading of the names be dispensed with and the --. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: there have been broad requests for a clean continuing resolution, so that's what i've just offered. it's the result of many, many hours of bipartisan work on both sides of the aisle. it's a fair proposal that funds

all current government operations through december 9 while also providing funding for the new legislation we've just passed overwhelmingly and that the president has signed. that's legislation to address the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic as well as the tsca bill. it contains sufficient down payment on flood relief for many states including maryland, west virginia and louisiana. and of course it includes important resources to support our veterans and to combat zika. these are resources needed to help develop a vaccine and promote mosquito control. members will have the next four days to review before any votes are taken in relation to the issue. further, we expect the president to either sign or send up the veto message on jasta by tomorrow. beginning the process on the clean c.r. today will ensure there is adequate time to finish

before the override vote and before the current government funding runs out next week. then we can turn to the veto override. i look forward to continuing bipartisan cooperation so is that we can complete our important work on zika veterans funding and the clean c.r. that will fund the government through december 9. ms. mikulski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i rise as the ranking member on the appropriations committee. i just want to say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle over the past few weeks we democrats have negotiated with the republicans to come up with a responsible continuing funding resolution that keeps government open through december 9, giving congress time to complete an appropriations process.

our goal was to respond to compelling urgent needs: zika, flint, floods in louisiana, and also our national security as well as those things that are important to the economy of the united states of america. we wanted to be sure it did not include any poison pill riders but did contain the continuing funding for veterans and military construction. our negotiations have been cordial and productive. i want to compliment the other side of the aisle on their professionalism and on their civility. we are now down to a handful of issues, but they are down to the real issues. now the republican leader, the majority leader, has filed a republican-only bill, the

substitute that has now been placed before the senate today. we democrats cannot vote for that senate -- for that substitute, and urge others to vote against it. what we want to be sure is that we avoid a government shutdown and a government showdown and continue the constructive talks that we've had. but the substitute offered by the republican majority leader falls short. what is wrong with the bill before us? well, one, it fails to help the people of flint, michigan. 100,000 people in flint, michigan, are still waiting for their water to be clean and safe. 9,000 children have already had lead exposure that can cause permanent and irreversible damage. it tells michigan to keep waiting in line.

now, we know that the people of louisiana have been hit by terrible floods. we don't want to just give lip service in response to their need, but louisiana is not the only needs in america. and we believe that the people of flint, michigan, the people of flint who have been waiting for more than one year should be included in this continuing resolution. i want to be clear, we do want to help the people of louisiana, but we do want to help the people of flint. the other side of the aisle says flint can be handled two months from now when a bill called wrda, the water resources development, the water resources development bill but the house hadi no commitment -- has made no commitment to help flint in that bill. the people of flint need help now. they actually needed help nine months ago. remember, they're in a jackpot

because of flawed budget cuts and our failure to enact a comprehensive infrastructure bill where cities like flint, baltimore, and so on can do something about their aging water infrastructure and at the same time create american jobs in our own urban communities. the senate passed the flint funding on the wrda bill 95-3 last week, so why wait? it's paid for. we have a framework for proceeding. let's just do it. also, democrats continue to -- while we continue to fight for flint, we will not stand by on partisan policy riders like the s.e.c. political disclosure to a ten-week continuing funding resolution. i know 300,000 marylanders who work for the federal government want to stay on the job. i want them to know we are

working very hard to keep the government open and to avoid a shutdown or a slamdown. but we need to make sure we help our veterans. we need to make sure we have the funds to fight zika and the terrible challenge of children being born with the most horrific and lifelong, as short as their little lives might be, lifelong permanent handicaps. and we want to help flint. and most of all, we know that in a $1 trillion budget, that funds both domestic and military, that we have a framework to move ahead. really, serious work has been done here on national security. the funding of the department of defense, the funding of other agencies that contribute to our national security, whether it's the state department and their diplomatic efforts, whether

it's homeland security. and, boy, didn't they do a good job responding last weekend to the challenges in new york? but in every community we face these, and at the same time when you look like at the h.h.s., an agency like the national institutes of health, we want them -- to keep the lights on so that they can keep the light of hope going on to make sure we find cures for disease. we'll say more about this. we appreciate the republican -- the majority leader for continuing conversation with us. we've taken -- we are a work in progress. let's get back to work. let's continue to make progress. we've taken steps forward. let's not take steps sideways or take steps backward. let's continue making progress.

let's get rid of the poison pill riders. let's come to an agreement on how we can help louisiana and help flint and resolve some of these other issues. so, mr. president, we look forward to more conversation, more constructive conversation, and our side of the aisle stands ready to engage in those conversations and negotiates. and i urge my colleagues to kind of be on stand-by to wish us well so that we keep doing the job we were elected to do. mr. president, i have concluded my remarks. is it -- do we need to go into a quorum? i ask the chair -- i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. cotton: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cotton: mr. president, i have eight requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate.

they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. cotton: today i want to talk about the brave men and women who put their lives on the line each day to keep us safe, law enforcement officers. last month, i spent much of my time meeting with various law enforcement agencies across arkansas. in the wake of the shooting in dallas and other violence against police officers, i wanted arkansas' law enforcement officers to know that i support them and that arkansans support them. and i wanted to learn a little more about what life looks like from their perspective, from the north little rock police department to the prosecuting attorney's association to the federal prison in forest city to the sheriff's association in northwest arkansas, each of these meetings left me confident in our state's law enforcement officers and provided me with valuable insight into the law enforcement community. police officers in arkansas and across the country have a difficult job, one that's unlike any other career.

in the army, my soldiers and i fought overseas to keep our country safe, but at the end of our tours, we went home and many of us transitioned to other, safer jobs. but for law enforcement officers, there's end to the tour. they put their lives on the line every single da day to keep us safe. we owe them a debt of gratitude and we ought toensure that their community as a whole has a better understanding of their hard work and sacrifice. each of the law enforcement groups i've met have a similar message: law enforcement officers need support, cooperation, and assistance. they need support from their communities and leadership at every level -- local, state, and federal. they need to know that we're on their side. and that in the face of controversy they need to know they have leaders who will be a steady hand. given the controversy surrounding law enforcement recently, it's easy to take a

different view, but most officers, like most soldiers with whom i served in the army, are committed to upholding the discipline and integrity of their fomplet force. they want those who violate policy and especially the law to be held accountable. but they also want decisions made in a factual, unbiased way. to keep us safe, law enforcement officers also need the cooperation and assistance of those that are -- they are sworn to protect. they know this will help them not only to investigate and punish crime but, more importantly, to also stop crime before it happens. they have a constant and regular presence which serves not only to deter the criminal element but also to reassure and gain the support of the vast majority of law-abiding arkansans who are going to help provide them tips in moments of tension. how do we achieve these things? i believe there are a few simple steps. first, take a in a moment

recognize our law enforcement officers and the vital work they do. so many officers commented to me how thankful they were to see yard signs announcing support for the police, or when someone picked up their lunch or just said a simple "thank you." slawvment a tough -- law enforcement is a tough job and it can be a little strange. law enforcement deadicaid their lives to protecting americans which are the vast majority of all men's. yet they have to spend much of their time around the minority and the criminal element to protect those law-abiding citizens. therefore, it means a lot when they hear from you. second, law enforcement agencies ought to continue their outreach efforts to the communities they serve. on a visit to the jonesboro police department, chief rick elliott told me "it all gets back to community relations and outreach." i was struck by how many of our police officers in arkansas work

to become integral parts of their communities. in eldorado, the police department u recently shared a video of a police officer singing and dancing with kids. the school resource officer in moralton made news last month starring cop car careio key to get to he -- kareoke to get to know the students better. these days the police make the news most often when there is an officer overusing force. or like when there is a police officer gunned down in duty. sadly these stories often have a racial element, too, which of course drives more media coverage. we haven't seen a story like

this in arkansas lately, but the law enforcement officers with whom i spoke all knew it could happen at any time. that's one reason why they stressed community engagement so much, especially in black neighborhoods where tensions can run the highest. so the final step after citizens and law enforcement officers do their part is for elected leaders and community leaders to do ours. too often leaders jump to conclusions after an officer-involved use of forcer, not least so they can jump in front of the television camera. but, as we've seen in ferguson and baltimore, for example, first impressions can often be wrong. first reports often usually are wrong, or at least incomplete. our leaders shouldn't fan the flames of racial tension and divide our communities before all the facts are known. after all, there's always a

neutral, impartial inquiry following an officer use of forks especially a shooting. our leaders ought to let those inquiries occur in a calm, dispassionate setting and call upon all citizens to do the same. they certainly should never condone rioting. when the use of force is justified, we ought to support the officer. and when it is not, the public demands accountability. during my visits around the state, i met with several veteran officers, but i also spoke with many newer groups and higher officers. you might expect these rookies to be discouraged by antipolice protests and the recent assassinations of law enforcement officers. on the contrary, they said they were more motivated than ever to prove themselves to the people they serve and to honor the sacrifices of those officers killed in the line of duty. we're lucky to have men and women like them.

as i left my meeting with the arkansas state police headquarters in little rock, i stopped to pay my respects to the hall of honor, a memorial dedicated to the troopers who lost their lives in the line of duty. towards the back of the room, above a small star for each lost trooper, inscribed in the wall are the words "in valor there is hope." these words are particularly poignant right now. i'm grateful for every officer at every department and agency who displays professionalism and courage in the face of danger every day. in their valor, the american people do indeed find hope. thank you, and god bless our men and women in blue. mr. president, i yield the floor, and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

ms. warren: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. ms. warren: mr. president, are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. ms. warren: i ask that the quorum be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. warren: today i rise to celebrate the retirement of emily winterson, an immigration specialist in my boston office who has served the people of massachusetts and the united states for over 32 years. emily began working in the senate on march 7, 1984, and has worked for four consecutive massachusetts senators since then. first emily worked in the offers of senator ted kennedy for over

20 years. when senator kennedy passed, she stayed on to work for senator paul kirk, then senator scott brown, and now has been on my team in the boston office since i was sworn in. as my colleagues know well, there are two parts to a senate office: the side the nation hears about most often that is in the news is the legislative work that we do right here in washington. but there is an equally important side to our work, and that is the help that we provide back home. we would not be able to offer this critical help without devoted people like emily winterson. emily has committed herself entirely to this work, which has touched the lives of countless families across the state of massachusetts. with her years of expertise and her relentless determination, she has helped people navigate our complex immigration system, and she does it all with an exceptional humility and grace.

when someone has a last-minute passport problem and may not be able to make the trip with the group from the temple or the church, emily has been the one to cut through the red tape. when a student needs a visa to be able to a tend one of our great universities, emily is there. when extraordinary musicians or performers from around the world have needed help getting into the country, manically was there. -- emily was there. when families needed her most, when foreign adoptions were tangled up and families were divided or stranded, emily was there. when sick children needed to get medical care, world-class hospitals in boston and around our state, emily was there -- no matter the issue, emily always knew the right people to call to get results in government offices, both here and abroad. and they all knew emily. there are too many stories to count, but i want to tell just

one. a young woman came from china to the united states to study medicine at boston university, and while she was here, she was diagnosed with lou keep in mind aia. -- leukemia. she had no family in america and she desperately needed help getting a visa for her sister to come to the u.s. to help take care of her. as have so many others, she reached out to emily for help. now, emily was able to get the visa for her sister to come and to support her through a long and very difficult treatment. but the story doesn't stop there. without any form of financial support and unable to work, the young woman faced eviction. together with the help of catholic charities, emily helped secure the funds needed to help her get caught up on her rent. during all of this, the young woman's student visa expired, which left her ineligible for health care. once again, emily got to work and was able to obtain deferred

action on her visa. you know, emily even helped her find an apartment near the hospital when she was being treated, and in her usual do more than anyone would expect, emily even helped her furnish the place. still, the young woman's health worsened. as she was nearing her final day, her last wish was to see her mother, whom she had not seen for 12 years during her studies. again, emily concentrated all of her efforts on securing an expedited visa for her mother so she could be with her before she passed. and because of emily's tireless work, this young woman, far from home, spent her final days with the support and care of of her mother and her sister. emily was there for her through thick and thin. when this young woman needed help and had no one to turn to, emily was there with steadfast

commitment, emily fought for her. now, this is just one of many stories that together form the fabric of emily's life work. in a time when many americans feel that government is not working for them, a system that too often overlooks those in need, emily is a shining example of the power of public service. she embodies the link between government and the people. she has dedicated her working life to making government fulfill its most fundamental mission: improving the lives of the people it serves. emily winterson has shown us all that when we take time to listen to someone's story, when we have the compassion to care about their troubles and the determination to fight on their behalf, we have the power to improve each other's lives. this is government by the people and for the people.

emily is american politics at its best. and this is the legacy that emily leaves behind. we will all miss her greatly, and although we are sad to see emily leave, we could not be happier for her as she begins her much-earned retirement in october. i know she is looking forward to gardening, to working on her memoirs and to speaking more time with her children and her grandchildren. so, emily, on behalf of the people fortunate enough to work alongside you, for the state of massachusetts, and for the thousands of people you have served, thank you and we wish you the best as you move to the next chapter in your life. thank you, mr. president. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. a senator: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes. the presiding officer: we're in a quorum call never mind. without objection to your original request. mr. portman: would you like me to repeat it. the presiding officer: yes, please. mr. portman: i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. portman: i want to start thanking my colleague from indiana and i look forward to hearing his remarks. we've both been on the floor waiting to speak while we tried to work out some differences with the continuing resolution. i'm hopeful those can be resolved and we can have the process here to move forward with our spending bills, but in

the meantime, i've been eager to talk on the floor today about an ongoing issue in all of our communities around the country, sadly, which is this issue of prescription drug and heroin and now fentanyl. it's really an epidemic. it's now the number one cause of accidental death in my home state of ohio and i'm told recently it's the number one cause of accidental death in our country surpassing car accidents. it's something that's taking thousands of lives every year, and it's something that is tearing families apart, causing crime, creating real hardship for so many families, hurting our economy. this week president obama and his administration declared heroin epidemic awareness week. and i commend them for that. i think raising the awareness of this issue is really important right now, having a national conversation on this issue is really important right now. this is the opportunity i take every week to come it the floor. i've been doing it since before we passed the comprehensive

addiction recovery act which was back in march. i come every week on the floor to talk about the importance of addressing the issue, getting the legislation passed. once we did that, now implementing that legislation and even adding some additional legislation because of this new wave of addictions that we're seeing and overdose and deaths based on synthetic heroin also called fentanyl or carfentanil or ufor coming into our communities. i asked people on a call a number of questions and they answer about their top priorities. i asked how many of you have been directly affected by the heroin and prescription drug epidemic in ohio? i will tell you sadly in the last few calls, we've had some pretty surprising results which is that roughly half the people on the call say that they have been affected, whether i'm calling people in cleveland or columbus, rural areas, no matter where it s. i recently called people in canton, ohio, outside of tol. 49% of the people on the call

said, yes, they had been affected directly. i talked to people in my hometown of cincinnati. it was 51%. here's something even more alarming. i called people in southeast ohio, some you know, portsmouth, ohio is an area that unfortunately has been hit particularly hard. in fact, there's a book that some may have read. if you have not, if you're interested in this issue, i would recommend it. it's called "dreamland." it's by sam keonis. what the author talks about is the history behind this prescription drug heroin, opioid epidemic. it has some suggestions there for us on how to address it. in any case, i called southeast ohio. "dreamland" is based on a community center, a swimming pool. it's the name of a swimming pool in portsmouth, ohio. 68% of the people, 68% of the people on the call said they were directly affected. typically we have about 20,000, 25,000 people on these calls and

68% said they were directly affected. that's alarming. but it doesn't surprise me because i see it when i'm home. so many other people are seeing is now, too. some of you know recently there was something that went viral on facebook. it was a photograph of two people passed out in the front of the car and a child in the back seat. it happened in northeast ohio, east liverpool, ohio. this has been shared now thousands and thousands of times and commented thousands and thousands of times. the two people in the front seat were the grandmother and her boyfriend and the grandson was in the back seat, age 4. they were passed out, overdosed in the front seat. he was looking confused and alarmed in the back seat. this unfortunately is something that is happening around our country. the east liverpool police said at the time it is time that the nondrug using public sees what we are dealing with on a daily basis, the poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities, not just ours. that was the police in east

liverpool. i agree with them because they see these images every day, not just east liverpool but your hometown, in your county. this is not the only child who's watched his parents overdose. if cleveland two weeks ago a 6-year-old boy was found in the park shaking and crying next to his parents both of whom were unconscience, heroin overdoses. another incident that received national attention is the spike of overdoses. we had 24 in akron, ohio. one week ago today, 24 on one day, one week ago today. so far 112 people in akron, by the way, have died from overdoses this year. of course that is already a record. already this year more people have died in akron than all of last year. this spike in overdoses in akron follows an even larger spying in my hometown of cincinnati, ohio since august 19 there have been nearly 300 overdoses. during one period 174. i went to the firehouse that responded to most of -- the largest number of those overdoses and talked to the firefighters there about it. they talked about administering

narcan. this is this miracle drug that actually can reverse the overdose. typically it's administered once. with regard to these overdoses and they save so many lives, 34 lives in this case, these overdoses had to use narcan not once, not twice, not three times but four or five times because we found out later and i was able to help get samples to cincinnati to find this out, there was carfentanil mixed in with the heroin. this again is a synthetic drug that traffickers are now using that is far more powerful even than heroin. carfentanil actually is something that is used as a sedative for large animals, for elephants and yet traffickers are using this along with heroin. the county coroner has confirmed that at least eight of the overdoses during that unprecedented six-day period in cincinnati were a direct result of carfentanil. some of these victims again were not able to be brought back to life. some of them did pass away but

these brave first responders responded quickly, professionally, were able to save all but four or five lives out of 174 in a six day period. incredible. this new thing called fentanyl is incredibly powerful. it is something that if only a few flakes of it are ingested by a human being, it can kill you. if you want an idea of how addictive this stuff is, consider the story of the woman in ohio who last saturday used heroin with her boyfriend. he died of an overdose right next to her. according to police after he died, she left his corps -- corpse lying there for 11 hours because she wanted to go out and get more heroin. i met with addicts who are still using. i met with those recovery all over ohio. i met with several hundred people who have a story to tell. i'm told again and again by those who are in recovery the same thing, which is, rob, the

drug becomes everything. the drug becomes more important than family, more important than work, more important than not doing what many of these people have never done before which is commit crimes in order to pay for their habit. as addictive as heroin is, the fentanyl can be 50, even a hundred times as powerful. according to the d.e.a., drug enforcement agency, carfentanil can be many times more powerful, up to ten times as powerful as morphine. again it's used primarily to take down elephants and used as a sedative. as one person said, the police officer in newtown, ohio who heads up the hamilton county drug task force, -- quote -- the side effect of car fejtsle is death -- carfentanil is death. the synthetic drugs are contributing in ohio to our rapid increase in overdoses. since 2000, the number of annual opioid voafer doses in ohio -- overdoses in ohios that

increased dramatically. we're losing one life to overdoses every three hours. we have information coming in on fentanyl just in the last two years we have records for it which would be from 2013 to 2015. we saw 13 fold increase in fentanyl related death, 13 fold increase. just three years ago about one in 20 drug overdoses in ohio was a you result of fentanyl -- was a result of fentanyl. now it's more than one in three. sadly i expect that number to rise substantially this year based on the information we have. so the message today, first of all, to those who might be listening or a family member who might be listening, if you're suffering from this addiction, get treatment. find some place that provides treatment and longer-term recovery. this legislation, the comprehensive addiction recovery act that passioned this house with a vote of 92-2 will help to provide more of that treatment and recovery, the first time we ever dealt with recovery here in the united states congress. it's very important. if you don't know whether the heroin that's on the seat

contains these deadly -- on the street contains these deadly synthetic drugs, you need to be extremely, extremely careful. as the carner in hamilton county puts it -- coroner in hamilton county puts it, every time you inject it, you may be literally gambling with your life. these synthetic drugs are devastating ohio but they don't come from ohio. they don't come primarily from any of our states. we're told by the experts in law enforcement they come from overseas, primarily from china. so there are laboratories in china who are developing this poison, this fentanyl and carfentanil. some of the labs we're told are also in india. coming from china and independent why, -- india, it comes from our postal system and their postal system into the united states. unbelievable. the poison is coming in the mail to our communities. it's easy to do because unlike private carriers, think ups or fedex, in the mail system you can send a package without having any information attached

to it. it shouldn't be that easy and it doesn't have to be. we want to crow this loophole -- close this loophole. it's a common sense idea that will help keep our streets safer and prevent the overdoses from these synthetic heroins. if we had advanced electronic data on these packages coming from overseas as you must have again if you're a private carrier like ups or fed eerks, it would help to ensure these dangerous drugs don't end up in the hands of drug traffickers or worst yet in the hands of our neighbors, our friends, family members. we introduced legislation called the synthetics drafting -- the stop act. it's very simple. it's to try to help keep the poison off the streets by closing the loophole and providing the same advanced electronic data to come with all those packages from overseases. where it's coming from, what's in it and where it's going. they are using the mail system because they don't have to provide that right now. this legislation goes hand in hand with the comprehensive

addiction recovery act we talked about earlier, cara, which again both houses passed with near unanimous votes. the president signed in july. this legislation cara is a tremendous step forward, very comprehensive. prevention, education, treatment, recovery, helps with providing law enforcement officers with the narcan that they need, helps with regard to getting these prescription drugs off the shelves, with drug takeback programs. it's a good bill but i think this is complimentary to it to be able to now help to stop this new surge we're getting of this fentanyl and carfentanil. i urge the administration, especially in light of these tragic events recently and during this prescription opioid and heroin epidemic awareness week to implement the legislation cara as soon as possible because there are a number of new programs under cara that must be implemented for our veterans, for pregnant women, for babies born with dependency to ensure we're getting the drug courts up and going and getting the funding that they need. the president and this administration if they get these programs up and running will be

able to make a bigger difference sooner. it's also increased the funding for opioid programs. we have a 47% increase in the funding this year, the fiscal year we're in right now. we're coming to the end of that fiscal year. cara has another $181 million until authorized funding per year for opioid, fentanyl. we should make a down payment for that in this continuing resolution. it is a short term continuing resolution we're talking about on the floor here today in order to keep the funding going. but even there we need to make a down payment to make sure cara is fully funded. if you're one of the 92 senators who supported the he comprehensive addiction recovery act i hope you look at the stopgap. it is complementary to cara. it will help to deal with a real problem, limiting the supply of these drugs right now. it is a bipartisan bill. last year it was introduced in the house, so we have a companion bill in the house that is bipartisan.