understand there is a new podcast. tell us about that and the guests you are having on. the diplomatic cable is recorded in the halls of congress talking to foreign policy experts, average americans, and folks i serve with in congress about american foreign-policy and its future. whether the united states will remain a leader among the nations of the world. our first episode was with a candidate, nominee to be ambassador to south korea before president trump withdrew that nomination and wendy sherman, the woman who was the lead negotiator for the iran agreement. host: on that issue of an ambassador where do things stand? have we nominated a new nominee? guest: the president is in the process of doing that. host: joaquin castro, congressman from texas. where can folks find that

podcast? caller: on itunes and my website. we made sure it is available on social media platforms. host: >> and live now to the floor of the u.s. house where lawmakers are considering bills dealing thhe opioid crisis. live to the house. chaplain, re ctor daniel c. gunn, st. andrew's episcol church and school, new providence, new jeey. the chaplain: people are mindful of yr favor and glad to do your wil bless our land with honorable industry learning and pure manners. save us from violence, discord and confusion, fromride and arrogance and every evil ways. defend our liberties and fashion in the people what is brought here. and do with the spirit of wisdom

those to whom in your name enust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home and through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise to the nations of the earth. in the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail. all which we humbly a in your most wholly name, amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by t gentleman from georgia, mr. allen. mr. len: i pdge allegiance to the flag of the united states ofmerica and to the republic for whicit stands, one nation under god, indivisible with iberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the

gentleman from new jersey, mr. lance, is recognized for one inute. mr. lance: thank you, mr. speaker. i ri today to introuce the reverend dr. daniel q. gunn who so eloquently opened our session in the daily ayer. father gunn joins us ithe house chamber from st. andrew's episcopal church an school newpridence, new jersey, a beauful community in the district i have the honor of serving. his miniry to his andy faith of christianity has spanned several states and experiences. graduated from lee coege, earned his masters degree in divinity and masters degree in philosophy at westchester university in pennsylvani father gunn ter completed a masters degr of saed theology at yale university's divinity school.

he heard the call at a young age. he served the department of corctions bringing hope and wisdom to those incarcerated. he then brought his ministries in st. luke's hospital where he brought comfort to patients and families. he was ordained to the priesthood in 2002 and assignments brought him to bronxville, new york, clarksboro, new jersey, ridgewood, new jersey. he was named priest in charge and superintendent at st. andrew's in providence, new jersey. the mission state gives the welcoming moniker of a big heart, making god's love known to the word. i thank father gunn for being here and for offering our daily prayer. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15 on er one-minute speeches each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the ntleman from texas rise? without objection. mr. green: mr. speaker,

members, 115 american people die from opioid overdose every day. 115. while we're spending the next two weeks passing bipartisan legislation to combat the opioid crisis, president trump's department of justice is abandoning the affordable care act and its popular rule that protects americans from pre-existing conditions like opioid addiction. according to the department of health and human services, nearly 130 million americans adults over -- under age 65 have pre-existing conditions. this action taken by the justice department is bad policy and will do more harm to texas which already has the highest population of uninsured in the nation. in fact, it would add more uncertainty to the affordable markets at a time when americans throughout the country will witness double digit rate increases for the a.c.a. plans next year. we can't combat the opioid crisis if we deny treatment and access to care for americans with substance abuse.

i urge my colleagues to do the right thing and speak out and oppose the huge health insurance premium increases. and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. hultgren: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize aurora, illinois' math and science community as the first ever u.s. host of the science fair. stem schools will focus on significantly influencing life on our planet through cooperation and collaboration. it began with an idea from the lab director letterman and dr. stephanie marshall. the own mission is to ignite and nurture scientific minds that advance the human condition. they know that careers in stem are not just about learning math and science or -- as isolated individuals. it's about how mastering these subjects as a team can solve problems and improve lives. as i've seen in the high school

students that are part of my own stem scholars program. and they have consistently pushed students to work together in the community, propelling their graduates to silicon valley and beyond. this year's science fair is in good hands. and i congratulate them on this historic achievement. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. kildee: thank you, mr. speaker. well, this week the house is voting on bills meant to address the opioid crisis, a crisis facing communities across the country. this crisis deserves our full attention and bipartisan action. 115 people die every day from overdose. these are real human beings. i think of katie leftbridge from my home community of brandonby, lost to this

terrible, terrible addiction, this terrible, tragic disease. we need more than just the legislation that's coming before us this week. we need a serious commitment to treatment, to funding treatment, not just with direct funding to ensure that the programs that support treatment are in place but actually ensure people have health care coverage that includes coverage for treatment. when this house works to undermine the guarantee that people with a pre-existing condition which could include addiction is taken from them, we're really not living up to the promise we owe to these folks. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. in america today in every state, too many families, there

is a profound sense of pain, loss, and suffering caused by the horrendous opioid crisis. unfortunately, in my home state of georgia, it's not immune to this growing epidemic. many of my closest friends have lost family members, their children, and the question is always, why, how can this happen? from 1999 to 2014, prescription opioid deaths increased 10-fold in georgia. we saw over 500 deaths in 2015 as a result of opioid abuse. over the next few weeks, my colleagues and i in the house of representatives are bringing opioid addiction out of the shadows and voting on over 50 pieces of legislation to prevent further opioid abuse and assist those currently dealing with addiction. mr. allen: we must take proactive steps to fight opioid addiction and focus on treating the mind, body, and most important, in my view, is the spirit. the road to recovery may be long and hard fought, but the american will is as strong as

ever and shall prevail. we are at war with drugs, and we must defeat this enemy. i urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting the nearly 40 opioid-related bills before this house this week. america needs us, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. higgins: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. higgins: thank you, sir. mr. speaker, the justice department last week said that to a federal court that it will not defend against efforts to dismantle the individual market and protections for pre-existing conditions of the health care law. mr. speaker, the 50 to 64 demographic in america that buys health insurance on the exchanges is about to get clobbered with 30% to 40% premium increases and no protection against denial for

pre-existing conditions. the 60 million people between the ages of 50 and 64 need the protection of medicare now by allowing them to buy into the program, to give them medical coverage. medicare is fully compliant with the affordable care act, and medicare always covers pre-existing conditions. medicare is the best health care insurance, and it's the best public option that already exists. let's make that accessible to the people who are aged 50 to 64. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. shimkus: i rise today to express my support for and emphasize the importance of blood donation and independent blood centers in america. blood transfusions help save millions of lives each year. however, blood cannot be manufactured, so our entire national supply depends on the

selfless generosity of blood donors. and because donated blood is perishable, it has a limited shelf life. it must be continually reflenplenished. last year when a shooter attacked a baseball team and hit my friend and roommate majority whip steve scalise, the donors who visited their local blood centers in the days prior to the shooting made a crucial difference in saving their life. they ensure patients suffering due to natural disasters, accidents, diseases, or acts of violence always will have access to life-saving blood. this week in honor of world blood donor day, i want to ncourage those who choose to donate blood each year. i ask my colleagues to visit their local blood centers to learn more about the continuous need of blood donation and support their life-saving work. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from michigan seek recognition?

without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. mrs. dingell: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to share with my colleagues the crisis facing families across the country whose fear is growing daily about their health care. this week i took john to the doctor and so many people stopped us. it ended up being an unscheduled town hall meeting. a 50-year-old woman who had a stroke last year who is now walking and talking, scared to death she would lose their insurance and what would she do. a mother crying of an 8-year-old whose child has juvenile diabetes and said, what am i going to do? i don't know how to afford it or if her life could even end? there were 10 more stories that morning. this isn't a war of words. this is real people with real consequences and for some it's a matter of life and death. they're depending on all of us. we must come together. so many of my colleagues said we will never go back to the days that people would be

denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions. let's work together to help people who need us. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and tend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recogzed for one minute. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, on monday, president donald trump arrived in singapore for the historic meeting with kim jong un of north korea. the first-ever meeting between a sitting president and the leader of north korea. i applaud president donald trump, secretary of state mike pompeo, and national security advisor john bolton, for their successful efforts. this summit was a substantive step forward to protect american families, and the united states will insist north korea take concrete, verifiable denuclearize. i am glad they will have inspections leading to prosperity for the people of north korea as has been achieved phenomenally for the

people of south korea. as one of only two members of congress who have visited pyongyang, i am especially grateful that president trump has maintained his effective foreign policy of peace through strength without which this have never occurred. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. congratulations to state representative katie arrington on the dynamic primary victory yesterday to represent the historic first district of south carolina. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the house will receive a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on june 13, 2018, at 11:13 a.m. that the senate passed with an amendment h.r. 2229. that the senate agreed to,

without an amendment, house concurrent resolution 111. with best wishes i am, signed incerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. biggs: i congratulate my friend, umh beer toe lopez who received hotel of the year award this past may. he rose from humble roots and is the true definition of the american dream. his father passed away worked at

the university of arizona and became a c.p.a. arizona he found an tourism and owes them in bringing excellence to hospital and the outstanding hotels he manages. he created a foundation which works to improve the quality of life of communities and families across southern arizona through education health and welfare. he has worked to provide for arizona and those in need as a testament as a success to the american deem and the character we need in our citizens. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i se today to congratulate the titusville in achieving award for outstanding efforts to

improve health care. the hospital's entry was entitled emergency care and it was chosen as an award winner. 12 recipients were selected from 91 total submissions and tremendous achievement for the c.e.o. and everyone on the staff. the goal was to lower the overall wait time for patients seeking emergency care and they began collecting data in november, 2016 and the toupe imwait was minutes and today is approximately 21 minutes. this is below the state and national averages. the progress that has been made is remarkable to translate to better patient experience and better care. i congratulate the c.e.o. and everyone at the titusville hospital on this outstanding achievement. the community is most proud.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time.

mr. buck: mr. speaker, by direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 394. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 153, house resolution 934, resolved, that at any time after adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of the bill, h.r. 2851, to amend the controlled substances act to clarify how controlled substance analogues are to be regulated, and for other purposes. the first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. general debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and

controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on the judiciary. after general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on the judiciary, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of rules committee print 115-74. that amendment in the nature of a sutitute shall be considered as read. all points of order against that amendment in the nature of substitute are waived. no amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in part a of the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution. each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall

not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the house or in the committee of the whole. all points of order against such amendments are waived. at the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the committee shall rise and report the bill to the house with such amendments as may have been adopted. any member may demand a separate vote in the house on any amendment adopted in the committee of the whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 2. at any time after adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of the bill, h.r. 5735, to amend the united states housing act of 1937 to establish a demonstration program to set aside section 8

housing vouchers for supportive and transitional housing for individuals recovering from opioid use disorders or other substance use disorders, and for other purposes. the first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. general debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on financial services. after general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. in lieu of the amendments recommended by the committee on financial services now printed in the bill, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of rules committee print 115-73. that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. all points of order against that

amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. no amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in part b of the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution. each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the house or in the committee of the whole. all points of order against such amendments are waived. at the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the committee shall rise and report the bill to the house with such amendments as may have been adopted. any member may demand a separate vote in the house on any amendment adopted in the committee of the whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. the previous question shall be

considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 3. upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill, h.r. 5788, to provide for the processing by u.s. customs and border protection of certain international mail shipments and to require the provision of advance electronic information on international mail shipments of mail, and for other purposes. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on ways and means now printed in the bill, the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part c of the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution, modified by the amendment printed in part d of that report, shall be considered as adopted. the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in

the bill, as amended, are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except, one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means, and, two, one motion to recommit with or without nstructions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized for one hour. mr. buck: for the purposes of debate only i yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis, pending such time i may consume. during consideration of this all time yielded is for purposes of debate only. i ask unanimous consent that members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. i rise in support of the rule and the underlying legislation. this rule provides for consideration of three bills, intended to give our country

more necessary tools to tackle the opioid crisis. the three bills this rule makes in order today were reported favorably by their committees. h.r. 5735, the transitional housing for recovery environmental program act. and it was reported favor apply on may 22 with a bipartisan vote of 34 yes votes. h.r. 2851, the stop the immigration -- stop the importation and trafficking of synthetic analogues act was the subject of a hearing by the committee on the judiciary in june of 2017 and reported favorly in july of 2017. the final bill made in order is h.r. 5788 securing international mail against opioids act, was reported favor apply in may with unanimous voice vote. together these three bills

provide the foundation of the house's legislative response this week to the opioid crisis wrecking lives and communities across this country. mr. speaker, the eastern plains of colorado has been my home for many decades. i refer to the area as god's country. it is full of hardworking people who care for tear families and neighbors. many of these people work the land and provide services to those who do, they farm, ranch, produce energy resources and transport livestock. when hardship and disaster strikes, neighbors move heaven and earth. hey grove over loss and bear each other's each other's burdens. however it is not an unfamiliar refrain to hear is a disease plaguing our people. all across this land, in rural towns and suburban developments and urban nadse, abuse of opioids is wrecking peoples lives. approximately 64,000 americans died of a drug overdose in 2016.

that number, 65% or 42,000 of those deaths were related to the opioid epidemic. that means every day 115 people die due to opioids. while those are astounding numbers, it helps to compare the past figures. in 2000, 8,400 people died due to opioid abuse. these recent numbers indicate a nearly 500% increase. that's shocking and sad. colorado has been -- has not been spared from the opioid crisis. the c.d.c. reports in 2015 alone, colorado saw 159 heroin overdose deaths in addition to the 259 prescription drug overdoses. this is particularly harmful to my district with eight of the 17 counties in colorado exhibiting the highest overdose death rates

being in eastern colorado. some of these figures our opioid kice is not just prescription drug abows. many who are caught in the cycle of abuse, the availability and accessibility of heroin has perpetrated and intensified the crisis. most of the heroin in our nation's streets comes into the united states through mexico. it is distributed via cities like denver and in a ruthlessly efficient manner. orders can be placed to a central operator, a franchisey of the cartels who diss patches a delivery driver to the purchaser. in february of this year, detective nick rogers of the denver police department testified before the judiciary committee how criminal operations flow north through mexico and from other places uch as honduras and nicaragua. they enter our country with fake identification and establish these distribution networks in

nadse. in the past our law enforcement officers were able to apprehend these criminals and have them deported. recently, however, local government policies have been having a negative impact on these police operations. places like denver have instituted so-called sanctuary policies that prohibit local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities. the effect has been that law enforcement officers such as detective rogers, apprehend the same drug dealers over and over and over again. . this is confounding to many of us. we should be facing this crisis using every tool at our disposal. we could continue discussing at how sanctuary policies while well-intentioned and sounding humanitarian are having a profound negative impact in relation to the opioid abuse. but there is other work that needs to be done to how sanctua the gap against this onslaught

of bad actors. congress passed and the president signed into law the comprehensive addiction and recovery act, or cara. it was the most comprehensive treatment legislation passed in several decades. it coordinated federal response to prevend, treat, and provide justice to those who are suffering under the impacts of opioid abuse with the local community. while that bill is a good step, the bills before us today will help meet this public health and legal crisis. the first two bills deal with a gap in the federal law that has been exposed by this crisis and exploited by international crime organizations. that gap is synthetic drugs. according to the drug enforcement agency, there are more than 300 known designer synthetic drugs and this number grows with each passing year. the gap in federal law occurs

because the controlled substance act was not de-- substances act was not able to deal with the compound in the more than 300 synthetic drugs. it currently takes us three years to complete the process of placing a substance on the banned substance list. if we attempted the ban each drug as it was discovered in the time it would take for our government to complete its action, criminal gangs would simply change the mow leck peculiar structure just enough -- molecular structure just enough to avoid our laws. and we have to start over again. streamline s up a process for putting it on the list. this will stop manufacturers in china and mexico who continuously try to stay ahead of our laws. not only will we streamline the process of banning a substance in the united states, we also are working to prevent substances reaching our shores

in the first place. h.r. 5788 requires the postal service to obtain advanced electronic data on international mail shipments and transmit this data to the u.s. customs and border protect, our c.b.p. private shippers, including expressed delivery carriers, are required to collect and submit this same information to c.b.p. because current law does not require the situation of the united states postal service, we have a significant vulnerability that allows criminal operations to ship synthetics and other contraband directly to the united states with relative ease. this legislation simply closes a loophole by extending the requirement to the united states postal service. the data collected will allow ability to have the inspect and deal with possible

seizures. the last bill attempts to heal trainsingsing -- those who went through opioid abuse disorder or other substance abuse recovery. president trump established a commission to strategize on how to combat drug addiction and opioid abuse. the final report of that commission said there is a critical shortage of recovery housing for americans in or pursuing recovery. recovery residences are alcohol and drug-free living environments for individuals seeking the skills and social support to remain free of alcohol or other drugs and live a life of recovery in the community. mr. speaker, oftentimes individuals who complete recovery programs re-enter life having lost everything.

they are in danger of falling right back into the rhythms of their previous life which could lead them back into addiction. this bill ensures that they have a supportive housing situation to help them become re-established in their community. over the course of the next week, we are going to pass nearly 30 bills dealing with aspects of the federal response to the opioid crisis. these three bills today take major steps towards keeping the flow of drugs out of our country and helping those who are caught in the cycle of dependency become successful members of society again. i know i speak for my community when i say we need to be active in combating this scourge of opioid abuse. the flow of opioids and synthetics into our country from overseas must end. the lives of many of our loved ones depend on it. i support passage of these bills, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. polis: colorado.

the speaker pro tempore: sorry. i don't know who i insulted, you or massachusetts. mr. polis: mr. chairman, i'll thank the gentleman for yielding the customary 30 minutes. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. polis: i rise in opposition to the rule that provides for consideration of 2851, 5735, 5788. we could have done so much better. i am going to get into some of the great ideas that we talked about and amendments were submitted but didn't make it through. this week is supposed to be about bringing bills to the floor that actually do something about the opioid crisis that is having devastating consequences on families, entire communities, including in my home state of colorado. legislation to address opioid abuse and save lives is long overdue. but i'm sad to say the bills that are being brought forward

make the most incremental changes and will not plague ially effect the that's affecting our country of opioid addiction, abuse, and death. as you know, this is a crisis that cuts across state lines. it affects every congressional district in our country. i certainly know people directly affected in my constituents. i'm sure every member of congress does. in colorado the rate of overdose since 2000 has more than doubled. and, you know, this is not a partisan issue. i wish we could come together around a more significant response that actually did something to combat opioid abuse. if republicans were serious about dealing with opioids they would drop their assault on medicaid. medicaid is a critical service to help individuals battling with opioid addiction,

including supporting in-patient treatment centers and case managers to help get people the help they need. frankly, we should have a discussion how to achieve universal health care. there are people today that are unable to get coverage or support to recover from the substance abuse that holds them hostage. while medicaid and the affordable care act have dramatically improved in expanded access to health coverage, including drug treatment, there are too many americans today -- in fact, over millions that do not have health insurance. there's no single solution to the opioid crisis. instead, policymakers should use a mute eye prong approach. -- multiprong approach. another is identifying alternative treatments instead of highly addictive opioid compounds for pain management. and that's one of the things i am so disappointed is not being

advanced to the floor. many states have medical marijuana available to patients with a variety of health issues, including chronic pain. doctors across the country have prescribed medical marijuana as a legitimate treatment option for pain management. in cases where it works, it provides a less harmful alternative, a less harmful and less addictive alternative to opioids. first line therapy like medical arijuana, acupuncture, accuacupressure could work, you could reduce dependency. 3/4 of abuse starts with prescription pain treatment management. those first line treatments like medical marijuana and acupuncture and acupressure won't work, let's at least prevent some people from having to go on prescription opioids with a less harmful, less addictive, less damaging

therapy can work effectively for their pain management. i heard from so many coloradans for whom medical marijuana works instead of having to resort to opioids. unfortunately, medical marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. there's limited research opportunities about the safety and efficacy of marijuana. that's holding us back from really understanding how medical marijuana can be used for pain management. i offered a very simple and commonsense amendment at the rules committee last night that authorized the secretary of veterans affairs to study medical marijuana as an alternative treatment option to prescription opioids. just very simply. according to the department of veterans affairs, the v.a. alone has treated over -- about 70,000 veterans for opioid addiction last year alone. but my amendment was unfortunately blocked from getting a vote. you know, the issue is personal for me, mr. chairman. i was able to present a purple heart to a veteran that lives in my district in colorado. a young man that put his life on the line for our country.

he told me that he uses medical marijuana for his pain issues and has successfully been able to take himself off of the opioids that the v.a. have prescribed for those pain issues. i also offered an amendment with representative pocan and gosar last night that unfortunately was not even allowed to be debated here on the floor that would prevent natural botanic substance like cratum from being scheduled under the new scheduling authority created by sitsa. unfortunately it was blocked. cratum, the cousin of the coffee plant, is used as an alternative of the opioid and way of escaping addiction. i have heard from so many constituents for whom legal access to cratum is critical to their sobriety and their battle against opioid addiction. we can very simply ensure that legal access can be retained

had this amendment been allowed. if it is cut off, as the f.d.a. and others are threatening, there is no doubt in my mind nor should there be a doubt in anybody's mind that people will resort back to deadly opioids. rather than using other compounds that are less dangerous, less deadly, be it medical marijuana or kratom. you know, we are debating these bills today because we know we need to take action to address the opioid epidemic that we all have felt the human face of in our communities. but instead of trying to ban substances and put more big government bans on top of things that people are using to recover from opioids, we should be exploring and embracing alternative treatment options to opioids. simply put, we need to improve access to alternative pain relief options beyond opioids like kratom, like medical marijuana, because 75% of

opioid abuse start with prescription drugs, usually for pain management. we need to embrace that part of the solution, increase freedom, let americans choose less harmful compounds that work for pain management and free people p to never become the victim of a terrible cycle of opioid addiction. unfortunately, both of those amendments were blocked. h.r. 2851, the stop the importation and trafficking of synthetic analogues act. this would create a new schedule of drugs under the controlled substance act, giving more authority to the department of justice to wage a failed drug war and determine which substances are illegal, side stepping the current process for scheduling drugs, side stepping congress and often side stepping common sense when you put government bureaucrats in charge. they only take more power every time. this bill creates lengthy sentencing and penalties,

indulging in the overcriminalization. it could harm hundreds of thousands of people battling opioid abuse by relying on incarceration and penalization rather than treatment and helping people recover from opioid abuse. this is a public health issue. it's not there's not a criminal dimension. there of course is for cartels and smugglers. but when it comes to your niece or nephew, mr. chairman, your cousin, your neighbor's kid, we want to help them get better and recover their lives and free themselves from the vicious cycle of opioid addiction. this bill does not do that. while it's well-intended, it has serious flaws that need to be addressed to really, if we want to have an impact on fighting epidemics. the answer is not to give even more authority to government bureaucrats in washington. it's to empower the american people themselves to take control of our own destiny.

the rule also provides for consideration of the thrive act, that's 5735. it's a different topic but it's related. it's designed to create housing opportunities for people suffering from substance abuse disorders. and the problem with this bill it sets arbitrary time limits on those who seek stable housing while receiving treatment for substance use disorders and it doesn't actually increase the supply of affordable housing. we're dealing with homelessness and transtory housing, we need to take meaningful action to actually increase supply and beds for people who are in recovery. we have to walk the walk, and without funding for beds, for treatment, we're just talking around the edges and we're not really solving this bill. . the time bill under this rule, which is another bill that creates more paperwork, more paperwork for the postal service. frankly, you know, it just adds

again another level of bureaucracy. i'm pretty sure, mr. chairman, that people smuggling opioids in this country don't put opioids on the custom form. and yes, we need to do more against smuggling but creating more forms to fill out by government bureaucrats is not the answer. this bill is being considered under a closed rule. this is the 86th closed rule of this congress. what that means, mr. chairman, not a single member, democrat or republican was able to offer an amendment to this bill, the securing international mail against opioids act. and there were good ideas on both sides that weren't allowed to be advanced. the republicans continue to bring bills to the floor this way to limit the opportunity for republic caps and democrats to do something to stop opioid abuse. as a legislator who has a lot of ideas to save lives, increase

freedom and decrease opioid abuse that would pass. i think a lot of my ideas would get 350 votes here in the house. we are not allowed to bring them forward. it is just so frustrating when we all know the human face of people that are suffering from being caught in a vicious cycle of opioid addiction and we have seen in our friends and family. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentleman from colorado, mr. buck is recognized. mr. buck: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from florida, my friend, mr. ross. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. ross: i thank the gentleman from colorado for the recognition. i rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. the thrive act which would implement an innovative new approach to serve the millions of men and women suffering by creating a program that provides

transitional housing assistance. subsfans abuse is one of the hardest illnesses that faces us. each and every one of us has been affected by the destructive force of addiction. we have seen stories and witnessed the pain and averageish that substance abuse causes. i'm proud of the work of this people's house to address opioid abuse and i'm grateful to congressman barr. while many of the bills are geared towards the specific issue of opioid abuse, h.r. 5735 would accomplish a demonstration program to serve individuals afliggetted by all types and forms of drug and alcohol abows. the demonstration program will provide drug and alcohol-free supportive and structured living environment. will address addiction, mental health in a compassionate living

space that includes vital services like life skills education classes, mandatory savings plans and full or part-time employment programs. this legislation recognizes that safe, clean and stable housing is a necessary asset for those seeking a future of free of substance abuse. at the same time, this bill reserves vouchers for low and extremely low income individuals who demonstrated a willingness to make this difficult choice to get better. with these safeguards, we ensure the taxpayer dollars are going to individuals who are willing to seek help and taken the first steps. ubstance apuse is a personally individual struggle. while we cannot force people to song ay from the silent of opioid and other substances, we can help people. by aiding these men and women, we can send a message to those

shackled in the dark. there is a pathway back and if you are willing to commit to it, our communities and entire nation will support you. that is the message we are sending with this legislation and other important bills being considered this week. i hope my colleagues will vote in favor of the rule and the underlying legislation to provide our citizens a new tool for breaking free. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields back. the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis. mr. polis: our nation is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis that is spiraling out of control. according to the centers for disease control, opioids are responsible for six out of 10 overdose deaths in our country and 115 americans die each day from opioid overdose. the house is on fire. and yet with these bills today, unfortunately, the republicans are not addressing this problem

in a meaningful way. the american people need strong action from congress to stem the tide of the opioid scourge and save lives. if we defeat the previous question, i'll offer to bring up representative lujan's legislation, the opioid and heroin abuse crisis investment act which would make a difference by extending needed funding to combat the growth public health crisis. i ask unanimous consent to nsert the text of my record. to discuss our proposal, i yield three minutes to the jished the gentleman from new mexico, mr. lujan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. lujan: every community in america has suffered from the opioid epidemic. these are moms and dads, our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters. all across america, families are suffering. this is not a new problem.

earlier this year, the "new york times" wrote about how one of the most distressing truths of america's opioid epidemic is that it has been with us for 150 years. for more than a century, this crisis has been breaking communities. this isn't a new problem in new mexico, since 2000, new mexico has had one of the highest rates of drug overdoses in the united states. this cycle must be broken. because if there is no action, america is doomed to see these tragedies repeat for another 150 years. this week, we are working on passing a package of bipartisan bills to address this crisis. and that's good. however, if you listen to our friends across the aisle, you might think that congressional republicans think this problem has been solved. we need to do more and be more aggressive. and as the "new york times"

wrote, serious legislation needs to be considered such as proposals modeled on the ryan white act that would appropriate $100 billion for research, treatment and support. one of the packages that we have today is a bipartisan approach around the ryan white act. the funding is not sufficient. we can do more. last year in congress, we came together in a bipartisan fashion to provide $1 billion to states to address the ooid crisis in the 21st century cures a. we all knew that the billion dollars included in cures would only be a first step. i'm going to say today what i said last congress when we were debating these bills. while the house is taking a step towards addressing the opioid epidemic, this is a missed opportunity. there are good policies in this package of bills, but i'm deeply

disappointed in the lack of investment on such an urgent crisis facing america. congress and must do more. on behalf of the 129 people who will die today from a drug overdose, congress must do more to address this crisis in a deeply meaningful way. and to do that, real investment must be made. large dollar investments that save lives across america. my bill steppeds the bipartisan olympic grant funding passed in cures for an additional five years. these grants would continue to support states and their efforts to enhance access to treatment, bolster substance abuse prevention programs and expand evidence-based initiatives that will help address this deadly epidemic. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to submit the article, the editorial written by the "new york times," an opioid crisis on april 21, 20818.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman's time has expired. mr. polis: 30 seconds. mr. lujan: i urge my colleagues to vote no on the previous question. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis, reserves. the gentleman from colorado, mr. buck. . buck: i yield five minutes to the gentleman from kentucky, mr. barr. mr. barr: i rise in support of h. resolution, the combined rule for my legislation for h.r. 575, transitional housing recover or the thrive act. i thank my colleagues on the house financial services committee for their support and feedback on this legislation as well as chairman sessions and ranking member mcgovern on the house committee on rules for their consideration of my manager's amendment to make

improvements to this bill. this week, the house is considering several important pieces of legislation to address the opioid epidemic that takes the lives of 116 americans every day. my home state of kentucky has the third highest mortality rate in the country. in order to achieve meaningful progress in the fight against opioid addiction in our nation, congress can no longer focus on prevention, enforcement and treatment. we must begin to implement policies that focus on long-term recovery. our federal housing programs are underutilized resource in these efforts. the thrive act would make housing more accessible by allocating a number of section 8 housing choice vouchers to nonprofits that provide housing, work force development, job placement, financial literacy and addiction recovery support for individuals transitioning out of rehab.

this demonstration would give vouchers directly to housing nonprofits that meet metrics of success on a competitive basis. the vouchers would be distributed with a focus on regions of the country with the highest related deaths. this demonstration would allocate 10,000 of total housing vouchers to people who are literally dying of opioid addiction. and the demonstration is limited to five years. no one would have a voucher taken away from them to create this demonstration program. and this is an important point i would like to emphasize to my friend from colorado whose concerned there might be an effect on existing vouchers. vouchers are returned each year and returned to h.u.d. and this demonstration would set aside 10,000 to address a national deadly public health crisis.

the goal of this demonstration is to take away vouchers but to open up other housing options to people who would be forced to live in a housing situation where they would be surrounded by individuals who are still in active addiction. if our goal is to help people coming out of rehab or medication-assisted treatment to stay off of opioids and gain jobs skills and find employment, our government programs should give people the option to live in transitional housing. additionally, and i would invite my friend from colorado to consider this, i have made a commitment to working with my democratic colleagues in requesting additional funds from the appropriations committee. in this letter, i would invite my friend from colorado to sign it requesting additional funds to perhaps earn his support and the support of the ranking member. and i would like to thank my democratic colleague, ms. sinema

as well the housing and urban development about the suggested changes that are corporated in the manager's amendment. i thank mr. rork for his amendment that further ensures eligible entities have been vetted to support this in local communities. this has received endorsements from over 140 housing organizations across the country including addiction policy forum, the acan academy. national association of social workers. faces and voices of recovery and 100 others. secretary carson from h.u.d. visited our district and witnessed firsthand the success of nonprofits in helping individuals rise above addiction. i urge support for this rule so we can continue to work together in a bipartisan mapper to improve housing options for

individuals recovering from substance abuse disorders. it is time to allow for innovation and focus on what happens after treatment. and allow people to access transitional housing addiction recovery services that focuses on work and self-esteem and financial literacy and stable housing to move into a life of permanent recovery, hope and nonsubsidized housing scenarios. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky yields back. the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis recognized. . . mr. polis: i'd like to recognize mr. doggett. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for 3 1/2 minutes. mr. doggett: yes, america does have a fire when it comes to opioid crises. what we're getting this week and

next, instead of experienced professional firefighters with a plan to put out that fire, we're being offered a collection of garden hoses. it won't get the job done. if words, if speeches, if the president's tweets could resolve this problem, we could be here today celebrating a victory, but instead we have a piecemeal program around the edges of the crises. and you only have to look at the president's tweets and his near meaningless declaration of the health care emergency at how he's handling the problem to know how serious these republicans are about it. i think the president views this as just another one in a series of political reality television shows that he is producing daily. because instead of turning to a a firefighter, to

a scientist, to a drug policy expert, he's turned over the leadership of his entire opioid crisis effort to a political consultant and double talk expert, kelly ann conway. we haven't seen much other than talk over there. with these 30 bills being considered today, making modest changes around the edges of the problem, we're not going to advance very far. of course there is a reason for this in this congress. we can only consider legislation that a majority of the republican caucus says we can consider. and they applied a test to get these 30 bills to exclude other ones. the test was twofold. if it costs much of anything, the bill couldn't be considered here. and second, if big phrma opposed it, certainly it couldn't be considered here. so like trump, the republican congress offers more words, a few bills that may help a few address thedoes not

central issue in the crisis. what we need is substantial additional central issue in the crisis. what we need is substantial additional resources for treatment. instead of going in that direction, the republicans turned about-face and they are trying to drag us backwards so we'll have even fewer treatment options than we do today. the president's latest assault on all americans who have a pre-existing condition to deny them access to health care, his assault to cut billions out of medicaid will deny the very places that so many people now can turn to for opioid treatment. so they won't add resources, they won't permit us to add and they want to take away the resources that exist today. of course much of the away the resources that exist today. of course much of the treatment that is out there is necessary because of the wrongs committed manufacturers al

in promoting these opioids in the first place. and here again the test is not approved for bringing legislation on the floor because big phrma opposes it. i believe we should be following the lead of 41 state attorneys generals across america who are saying, let's look at what phrma did to cause this problem. why make the taxpayer pay for everything when big phrma played such a role? we ought to have accountability for those that helped to create the opioid crisis. and yet the federal government, though, again trump talked about it, but he didn't do anything, do -- do you have another minute? mr. mr. polis: an additional minute and a half. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for a minute and a half. mr. doggett: after talking about t. the justice department and trump administration has done nothing. one single year, medicaid paid out $9.3 billion associated with this one single year, medi paid out $9.3 billion associated with this opioid crisis. billions and billions of dollars and yet when i tried in the ways and means committee to get involved in terms of getting back the money medicare has paid

out, other billions of dollars, it was rejected on a party-line vote. and at the very time that we're being told our police and first responders across america and indeed individual citizens should be carrying in a lock own, a drug that can -- in a lockon -- naloxone, we have seen an incredible spike from big phrma in the cost of that. i see headlines, how does a $575 lifesaving drug jump to $4,500? because these pharmaceutical manufacturers think they can hijack america and particularly our law enforcement sources. a photo-op than type of version of these measures. if every one of the bills being considered, all 30 of them, are approved, few of those who really need treatment are going to get it as a result of a phot type of version of these measures. if every one this, and none of those responsible

for this crisis will be held accountable. this crisis is a true hurricane. it's being treated like a dust devil. so approve these modest proposals that do no harm, but then let's move forward with a congress that really wants to solve the problem. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis, reserves. the gentleman from colorado, mr. buck. mr. buck: mr. speaker, i am prepared to close. i have no further witnesses, if the gentleman from colorado is also prepared to close. mr. polis: we have one additional speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis, is recognized. mr. polis: thank you, mr. chairman. i would like to yield four minutes to the distinguished gentleman from maryland, the ranking member of the committee on oversight and government reform, mr. cummings. mr. cummings: i want to thank the gentleman for yielding. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. mr. cummings: for yielding me this time. mr. speaker, i oppose this rule. this week the house is considering dozens of bills to

combat the opioid epidemic. these are small, bipartisan bills that we all support, but they are simply not enough. our country is in the midst of the greatest public health emergency in decades. we have all heard the grim statistics so i won't repeat them. yet none of the bills we're considering this week provide he dedicated and sustained resources we need to combat this crisis. president trump's own counsel of economic advisors found that the opioid crisis rightly cost our nation more than $500 billion in just one year. we could not just nibble around the edges. could not just rearrange the

deck chairs on the titanic. we must treat the opioid epidemic like the true public health emergency that it is. i offered an amendment that could have changed this, but the house is not being allowed to consider it. earlier this year, i introduced an act with senator elizabeth warren. modeled directly on the highly successful ryan white act, which congress passed with bipartisan support in 1990 to address the aids crisis. my amendment would invest in comprehensive evidence-based treatment for opioid and substance abuse disorders by authorizing up to $100 billion over 10 years to help states, localities, nonprofits, the c.d.c., n.i.h., and other public health entities working on the frontlines of this epidemic to

save so many lives. the kira act has been endorsed 30 organizations, including provider groups, local government associations, and public health organizations. but my republican colleagues blocked it from being considered. they argued that we do not have the money to pay for it. but my amendment would have been fully paid for by rolling back just a fraction of the tax giveaways that my republican colleagues and president trump handed out to drug companies and other wealthy corporations. do you know what the drug companies did with their massive tax cuts? they pocketed the money. and then they announced that they would spend tens of billions of dollars buying back their own stock to benefit their shareholders. so far they have announced

buybacks totaling $15 billion and fisa, a company that smell and market opioids, announced buybacks of $10 billion. do we really believe it's more important to give drug companies of billions of dollars in tax breaks than it is to address the most deadly health crisis in three decades? is of billions of dollars in tax breaks that really where ou priorities are? i say we're better than that. this crisis does not discriminate based on politics. people are dying in red states, blue states, and purple states. our party should be saving the lives of our fellow americans. they are counting on us to lead. finally, i cannot leave this podium without noting the staggering hypocrisy of those who claim that they want to help

americans -- mr. polis: an additional 30 seconds. mr. cummings: struggling with substance abuse while at the same time sabotaging the affordable care act. now the trump administration is threatening the health coverage of millions of americans with pre-existing health conditions, which include substance abuse now the trump administration is disorders. about 2.6 about 2.6 million people in my state of maryland have pre-existing conditions. we can cannot go back to the bad old days when our family, friends, and neighbors were discriminated against because they got sick. urge members to urge members t rule. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. colorado, mr.from buck. mr. buck: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: continues to reserve. and the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis. mr. polis: the gentleman from colorado prepared to close. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for the balance of his time. mr. polis: here we're a year and a half colorado, mr.

buck. mr. into this session of congress and yet -- finally the republicans are bringing something to the floor around the opioid epidemic, but it is too little, too late. they prioritize, unfortunately, corporate tax giveaways over families that are struggling and communities who are affected by the path of destruction caused by opioid drug abuse. as we address the opioid addiction, we need to remember communities were suffering from substance use disorders long before congress began to wake up to this issue. pioid abuse affects both rural and urban communities and urban communities and has a human face and tragedy in every congressional district. we should support efforts to address this through treatment instead of incarceration or punishment. through alternatives instead of giving washington, d.c., bureaucrats more power.

i urge my colleagues to vote no on the previous question and no on the rule, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado, mr. buck, is recognized, for the remainder of his time. mr. buck: thank you, mr. speaker. tens of thousands of americans are dying each year due to opioid abuse. what started as a epidemic of prescription drug abuse has led into a resurgence in heroin addiction and synthetic drug abuse. the easy availability of these drugs has led to the widespread abuse and death. my home of eastern colorado has particularly hard hit by this aflick shun and most recent statistics available, more than 400 coloradoans died of opioid and synthetic overdose, but it doesn't include many of the lives wrecked and torn apart from this curse. we know many of the bad actors. we know china and mexico in particular are deadly merchants in this sickening trade. anything that we can do to block these goods from entering our country, we should do. our neighbors, our children, our

loved ones deserve a fighting chance. these bills today form yet another defense against the opioid crisis in america. i want to thank chairman sessions, chairman brady, chairman hensarling, and chairman goodlatte for bringing these bills forward. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the rule, supporting bills, and ng standing in the gap in defense of our communities that are ravaged by this crisis.

i yield back the balance of my time, and i move the previous question on the resolution. yea ordered. pursuant to clause 9, rule 20, the chair will reduce to five minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on the question of adoption of the resolution. this is a 15-minute votes -- vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] esentati

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yea are 230. the nays are 183. the previous question is order oed. the question is on adoption of the resolution. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: request a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. those favoring a vote will rise.

a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] pposes ressly prited by e u.s. house representas.]

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 233, the nays are 175. the resslougs is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 the chair will postponeproceedings today on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered. or a vote objected to under clause 6 rule 0. the house will resume proceedings on postponed

questions at a later time. the house will be in order. the house will be in order. members, take your conversations off the floor. the speaker pro tempore: members, take your conversations off the floor. and also clear the aisles.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5294. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. e clerk: union calendar 583, h.r. 5 94, to address the impact of drug apuse in appalachia and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. barr leta, and the gentlewoman from from the virgin islands, ms. plaskett each will control 20 minutes. mr. barletta: i ask unanimous

consent that all members may have five legislative days to resize and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5294 the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barletta: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time he wishes to use under the rule. mr. barletta: h.r. 5294 the treating barriers to prosperity act positions the ap latchian regional commission to better serve communities that struggle with the ongoing opioid crisis. n 2015, there were 5,595 overdose deaths in appalachia, drug-related death rate, 65% higher than the national average. 9% of those deaths were a result of opioid abuse.

the majority of the lives lost were individuals between the ages of 25 and 44. people who were in their prime working years. the speaker pro tempore: members, please take your conversations off the floor. e speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. barletta: in any home state of pennsylvania, the statistics are striking. the drug enforcement sfration eported that more than 4,600 pennsylvaniaians died in 2016 from drug overdoses with thousands more affected by addiction. his is an increase of 37% from 2015 with opioids accounting for

45% of the overdoses. these troubling statistics make it clear that the opioid crisis is not only destroying lives, it has created a significant challenge to work force and economic development throughout appalachia. in distressed communities like many in appalachia, many economic development programs must adapt and become real partners in addressing this crisis. one approach is ensuring our economic development agencies have the clear thots they need. these 4 clarifies that funds maybe used to facilitate best practices among the appalachian states in programs designed to reduce the harm by opioids. the bill also clarifies funds can be used specifically to attract and retain health care

businesses and workers. this is critical, as it will focus on both job creation and at the same time, provide much needed access to health care services to those struggling with addiction. finally, the bill recognized that in many areas of appalachia, infrastructure such as broadband must be developed to support these businesses and innovations like telemedicine. i want to thank the gentlewoman from nevada for co-sponsoring this legislation with me along with mr. rogers, for his leadership on this issue. i urge my colleagues to support this bill in taking an important step in combatting a national epidemic. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from virgin islands is recognized. ms. plaskett: i yield myself such time as i may consume.

i rise in h.r. 5294. introduced by subcommittee chairman barletta and subcommittee ranking member titus. the appalachian regional commission has made significant progress in addressing the persistent poverty and economic despair in appalachia. the epidemic sweeping the nation threatens our progress. the high rates of substance abuse and mortality in appalachia compared to the rest of the united states is a serious impediment to sustained economic growth. employers are seeking a healthy work force when making decisions about where they will locate their businesses. high rates of substance abuse and mortality make it difficult for employers to find and hire qualified candidates. appalachia continues to face significant disparity to catch up to thet