Maxine Dexter

Ms. DEXTER

Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this bill because it is abundantly clear it is not a serious effort to address the drug overdose epidemic in this country. It is, in fact, partisan. Treatment is not partisan, but this bill is. Before coming to Congress, I was a practicing physician. In 2022, I took care of a young person in the ICU who had unintentionally overdosed on what was thought to be a pain pill but turned out to be a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. I worked all night to save this young man's life, but his brain never woke up. I was the one who had to tell his mother and extended family that he was never going to come home. This tragic story is all too familiar for Oregonians. In Congress, I am laser-focused on getting my community the resources it needs to ensure that no parent or family ever has to experience the pain of losing a loved one to an overdose. That is why I am disgusted by the administration's current illegal freezing of all Federal funds, including over $8.6 billion in grant funding for Federal programs to combat the opioid crisis. I offered a simple amendment to this bill before us today. That amendment stated that this bill could not take effect until we get confirmation that last week's funding freeze and any future freeze does not jeopardize Americans' access to substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services. The Republicans claim to care about addressing this crisis, but they refused to bring that amendment up for a vote. It is shocking to me what we have come to. My Republican colleagues are so afraid to stand up that they will rip essential healthcare services away from our most vulnerable. We must take a stand, and I am going to take a stand. For those who are watching who are suffering, please know that we will not stop fighting. We cannot arrest our way out of this.

Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak, and I rise to strongly support this amendment. If we want to save lives, if that is truly what we are all here to do, let's make sure that is the outcome before we move forward. As I stated, I am a physician. I am a lung doctor. I have taken care of people with addiction for 20 years. I know, Mr. Speaker, that people have to fail before they succeed most times when they struggle with addiction. Criminalizing all use of fentanyl derivatives means that people will be driven into the shadows because they fear going to jail should they have an addiction. This is a chronic disease. If we believe criminalization is the path to helping save lives, I want to see that because that has not been our experience in Oregon where it has been nationally recognized that we have struggled. The other point I will make is that the scheduling of all fentanyl derivatives ties our hands. We cannot develop treatments that are derivatives of fentanyl if we criminalize all fentanyl-related derivatives. Mr. Speaker, not only do we deny ourselves the opportunity for treatment upstream, but downstream, we criminalize people into the shadows where they are more likely to die of overdose.

Ms. DEXTER

Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman from Maryland for this opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a proud member of the Congressional Labor Caucus in support of our Federal workers today. I introduced new legislation earlier today to protect Federal workers who stand up against Elon Musk's grotesque seizure of critical government agencies. My bill, the Stop Musk Act, would prevent retaliation against any Federal employee who resists illegal or unconstitutional efforts led by Elon Musk. In the last week alone, Musk has seized control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's payment system, exposing Oregonians' personal financial information; has shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, putting the lives of millions of people at risk; and threatened the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, otherwise known as NOAA, undermining our work to combat the climate crisis. This is just the beginning. Under this legislation, Federal employees who resist, circumvent, or prevent Musk's illegal and unconstitutional takeover would be protected against retaliation for their efforts to fight back. The world's richest man should not have the power to unilaterally dismantle the Federal Government and the critical services it provides Oregonians. Federal employees are at the forefront of fighting Elon Musk's power grab, and we must protect them. All week, I, like all my colleagues, have been hearing from constituents who are demanding action. Let me be clear: We will use every legislative, judicial, and public pressure tactic to stop Musk's takeover and protect our workers. This multifront battle will be fought in the courts, the Halls of Congress, and in the public sphere. We must stay loud. We must stand tight. We must press on.

Ms. DEXTER

Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in vehement opposition to this bill, which amounts to legalizing physician intimidation and healthcare obstruction. Killing infants after birth is murder. It is illegal everywhere in this country. This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to make healthcare providers fear that they will be criminally prosecuted or sued for giving lifesaving, legal healthcare. Under this bill, infants born with a heartbeat but without any chance of survival must be subjected to immediate traumatizing life support rather than being allowed to die peacefully in their mothers' arms. This bill does nothing to save babies or protect mothers. Instead, it is a disgusting fear tactic, and it will absolutely exacerbate the already dire shortage of women's healthcare across this Nation. Make no mistake: Women across this country will be harmed with this bill. No doctor should have to choose between administering the treatment their patient needs and going to jail, and no politician should be making decisions about any patient's healthcare.

Ms. DEXTER

Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves at a make-or-break moment in America. The people from East and North Portland, Sandy, Gresham, Estacada, and Hood River have spoken with a united voice. It is time to make bold progress on the issues that matter most: addressing our homelessness and addiction crises, ensuring access to affordable healthcare for all, building an economy that works for our working families, and, as wildfires ravage our coast, tackling the climate crisis head-on. As a critical care physician, I have spent the past two decades caring for the sickest Oregonians. Each day that I walk through these doors, I carry their stories with me. For those patients and every family who calls Oregon home, I am committed to doing the hard work of bringing people together to deliver results for our community. My job is to be your voice in Congress. I am here to listen, to learn, and to do what is required to ensure that every Oregon child has the opportunity to grow up in a healthy, thriving community.

Ms. DEXTER

Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, as a working-class kid who grew up in sports, the mother of two college athletes, and a physician, I understand how important sports are to our kids' development and their sense of community. No child in this country should be denied access to the opportunity to play a sport, including our transgender children. I will vote against the GOP child predator empowerment act because it does not protect women. It attacks children. Under this bill, kids as young as 4 years old could be forced to undergo invasive medical exams and answer personal questions about their bodies from adults they don't know or trust. This legislation distorts commonsense conversations about how to ensure fairness in our athletic competitions and instead denies our children their basic rights and safety. In Congress, I will continue to stand up against attacks on our transgender community because every child in Oregon deserves our support and care.