September 27, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 157 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H8074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH

  (Mr. BURCHETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize September as 
National Recovery Month and to celebrate the millions of Americans who 
are recovering from substance abuse.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues Representatives 
Trone, Riggleman, Kuster, and Fitzpatrick for leading this initiative.
  Like so many communities across America, my district in east 
Tennessee has been affected by the ongoing opioid crisis. I am proud to 
work with my fellow Members in the Freshman Working Group on Addiction 
to bring attention to the severity of overdoses and how we can support 
those in recovery.
  Almost 70,000 Americans overdose on drugs each year, and some 23 
million Americans are recovering from substance abuse.
  Friends, family, local organizations, and healthcare providers must 
do everything they can to combat this horrible addiction, and Congress 
also needs to play its part.
  I sponsored the Effective Drug Control Strategy Act to improve 
federally funded drug demand reduction programs and prevent addiction 
before it begins. Madam Speaker, the House should seriously consider 
this legislation and the positive impacts it would have on preventing 
drug addiction.

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