Frank Guinta

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment that I introduced with my colleague, Congresswoman Kuster. This amendment would add prevention and recovery programs to the list of allowable uses in this legislation. While the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic is taking a terrible toll on our Nation, with proper treatment and recovery support systems, individuals can and do recover. Today, 23 million Americans are in recovery from substance use disorders and are contributing to our society and to our economy. In my home State of New Hampshire, over 430 people died of opioid overdose just last year. This number, unfortunately, is expected to rise in 2016. By allowing prevention and recovery programs to receive this important grant money, individuals who need the long-term recovery support have a better chance of surviving and thriving as they beat their addiction. Beyond the work that we are doing here in Congress, I would like to thank all of those heroes who are helping our communities to address this widening crisis. Specifically, in New Hampshire, people like my friend, Melissa Cruz, are among the many who are working behind the scenes to end this epidemic. Her work with Hope for New Hampshire Recovery to create another treatment and recovery center in our State's largest city, Manchester, my hometown, is essential to getting addicted Granite Staters back on their feet for long-term success. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment.

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for his support in this area and appreciate his willingness to continue to work in this arena. I certainly will continue to do that. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of H.R. 5046, the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act, and H.R. 4641, which will establish an interagency task force to review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and prescription pain medication. Overprescription of opioids is leading to addiction, shattering lives, and creating death around our country. In my home State of New Hampshire, deadly overdoses following the abuse of heroin and opioids claimed the lives of over 430 people last year alone. That is about 1 in every 3,000 people from my State falling victim to an epidemic, succumbing to a preventable problem. According to the CDC, overdose deaths have tripled over the last 10 years. Desperate families, too long, are crying out for help. I commend my colleagues for rising to the occasion in this legislative response, tackling this issue in a bipartisan way, and making the proper commitment to fund an adequate response to help those who are in need. These two pieces of legislation are designed to assist those battling the epidemic on the front lines, from law enforcement officers to underfunded recovery systems and personnel, and everyone in between. I am moved time and time again by the painful stories of the victims and courageous individuals coming to their aid, and I urge the House to offer its support in this struggle. I was pleased that just last night the Committee on Rules accepted my amendment, allowing prevention and recovery programs to accept grant money authorized by the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment when it comes to the House floor tomorrow. As the House response to the Senate-passed Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, these bills are a joint step toward progress and safety. I am a proud sponsor of many of these bills coming to the floor this week, and I hope for their swift and timely passage as urgent relief for those who are suffering around our Nation. We must provide a thorough and wide-ranging plan to meet the enormity of this terrible epidemic, which invades every corner of the United States, takes lives across traditional divides, and manifests itself in ways to which we are not accustomed. My colleagues and I are committed to seeing the House of Representatives answer this challenge by passing the most vigorous and inclusive plan possible. I am confident we will do all that we can to pass this plan this week, go to conference with the Senate, and put a bill on the President's desk before June. Our plan is urgently needed. Almost 130 people die every day from opioid overdoses. Eighty percent of the opioids prescribed worldwide are prescribed here in the United States. In my district and around the country, I hear from families and friends who know someone coping with substance use disorder. We will only make a dent in this great challenge by listening to its victims. We need to listen to fathers like Doug Griffin of Newton, New Hampshire. His daughter Courtney fell victim to heroin abuse at 20 years old. Doug remembers Courtney as a vivacious girl, funny, passionate, and charming. She loved music and s'mores and told Doug she planned to become a marine, a beautiful young woman prepared to sacrifice for her country in one of its greatest and most honorable services. That was Courtney. But 3 years later, she was lost on the streets, overwhelmed by the sorrow and confusion this epidemic instills, moving from rehab facility to rehab facility. Prescription pills, fentanyl, and street heroin ensnared Courtney in a fatal web of addiction, and she lost the will to live. Courtney was a 20-year-old girl--20 years old--a neighbor, a friend, a daughter. How can we begin to comprehend the depth of that kind of tragedy? Because Courtney's pain was so great and because she had so few options for treatment, Doug says he and his family hid the truth from the outside world. To help others, they are speaking out now; and by speaking out and listening, we start to understand this tragedy. Doug is courageously telling everyone he knows the warning signs of heroin abuse and the deficiencies in our public response. Millions of Americans share Courtney's story and Doug's anguish. It is only by speaking out and sharing grief that we will remove the stigma preventing far too many from seeking help. This week, during Heroin and Opioid Abuse Awareness Week, we have an opportunity to hear, learn, share, and fight back. We can hear the stories of grieving and resolute families, the stories of resilient victims. We can learn of the intensity of their experiences and glean from them the lessons we need to fight back. We can share their lessons and bring them to bear in our discourse and through our legislation, and we can start to turn the tide. As the House considers this vital legislation, I encourage my colleagues to listen to their constituents, hear their stories, share their struggles, and help them fight back.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment offered by my colleague, Congresswoman Kuster, and myself, originally part of the STOP ABUSE Act that we authored earlier this year, as previously mentioned. This amendment would simply require the task force to research addiction trends in communities with high rates of prescription drug abuse. In our home State of New Hampshire, much of the heroin abuse we have seen today can be traced back to the overprescribing of narcotic drugs. This trend, which began in the 1990s, paved the way for the rampant heroin abuse that we are seeing today. Last year, as you know, 430 people in our State died of an opioid overdose. This year that number is expected to be exceeded. So this amendment would research these trends so we can work to resolve the problem before the epidemic continues and expands. I would urge my colleagues to support this important amendment. Again, I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire for her tireless work not just here, but on the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Heroin Epidemic. We are clearly providing options and solutions to help those families in need.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. I want to thank the gentleman from West Virginia for his leadership on the Nurturing and Supporting Healthy Babies Act. I look forward to voting this week in favor of the gentleman's legislation, and I appreciate the gentleman's compassion and passion for the issue. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Congressman Carter.

Mr. GUINTA. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), for his leadership in Lali's Law and making sure that that bill comes to the floor for passage, as it is incredibly important to his district and honors Alex and his challenge. I yield to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster), my friend and the co-chairman of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, who is working diligently with me on this task force to do everything we can to help citizens of our State and the Nation.

Mr. GUINTA. I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire for talking about Carl and our good friend Kriss and her stepdaughter Amber. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), my colleague.

Mr. GUINTA. I thank Congressman Fitzpatrick for his leadership on the bipartisan task force and for working with us to combat this significant challenge. I yield to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York (Mr. Donovan).

Mr. GUINTA. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan) for his leadership on the John Thomas Decker Act and his work in fighting this addiction as well. Again, I thank the gentleman very much. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins).

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record.

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), who is doing great work in this area. New England is particularly stressed with an opioid epidemic, as are many other States around the country, but her work is important because we share a cross-State border. We need to continue to work together on this particular issue. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), a leader on the heroin and opioid epidemic and bringing legislation to the floor.

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his work on the Opioid Abuse Reduction Act, I thank him for his work on the task force and continuing the fight in this epidemic. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. GUINTA. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his being here this evening, his leadership. He has talked very eloquently over the last several months about constituents of his that he is working so closely to help in creating an opportunity for recovery. So I thank the gentleman and thank him for being here. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Chester, Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello).

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello) for being here this evening and for his leadership in authoring the Prevent Drug Addiction Act of 2016, another mechanism by which we can provide opportunity to those who suffer from the ailment of addiction. His work is very well-regarded on the bipartisan task force and, again, I thank him for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another honorable gentleman from the great State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan), my good friend.

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership, and particularly for his expertise in the area of pharmacology. It is a critical component of understanding that we need to achieve based on the opioid crisis. I appreciate the gentleman's leadership and his ability to work with the Congress to make sure that we are finding and striving for solutions beyond opioids for prescriptions for pain in the country. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California, Congressman Knight.

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight) for his service on the task force, his service for the last 18 years in uniform, and the gentleman's continued service here in the Congress. The gentleman's depth and understanding of the issue is critical to the passage of the legislation that we are bringing to the floor this week. I look forward to continuing our work with the gentleman, and I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from our great State of New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster), my esteemed colleague, who is the co- chairman of the bipartisan task force.

Mr. GUINTA. I want to thank the gentlewoman, my colleague from our State of New Hampshire, where, unfortunately, last year, 430 people perished due to opioid abuse and addiction. That is 1 out of every 3,000 of our residents. It is a significant challenge in our State, in the Northeast, and New England, but all across the country. Almost 50,000 people, last year, died of this epidemic. It is not just an epidemic, but an emergency, one that I believe this Congress is firmly standing strong in a bipartisan way to find solutions, to do our part at the Federal level to make sure that we have every opportunity not just to help those who seek treatment and recovery, but also to strengthen law enforcement, to focus on those individuals who are selling these drugs across the country, from California to New Hampshire, but also being proactive in prevention and in education. We often speak of our friends and constituents in New Hampshire that continue to suffer, but we also talk about our children. I have a 12- year-old and an 11-year-old that I hope will live lives without and free from drugs. I want to make sure that every seventh- and eighth- grader in the State of New Hampshire understands the severity of the problem and understands that this is something that is deadly that we cannot even take once. As you mentioned, the challenge of fentanyl, lacing a pill of heroin with as many as three small pieces of fentanyl the size of grains of sand can kill a person. Most people don't realize that. This is a deadly, deadly epidemic. This week the House of Representatives takes up a whole host of bills. After the Senate passed their CARA Act 94-1, we have had four committees of jurisdiction work and try to improve that piece of legislation. I look forward to sharing a very strong bipartisan vote this week on a whole host of bills, going to conference with the Senate, and getting this bill to the President's desk. It is a mark of bipartisanship and it is a mark of leadership, something that the country needs to see from this institution and from this city. I want to thank all of my colleagues who participated in this Special Order tonight to kick off Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week. We have heard stories of success and difficulty come in equal measure from every corner of the country. I commend the House for passing a comprehensive bipartisan bill for the relief of the vulnerable, the victimized, and distressed in my district, in your district, and throughout the Nation. Any measure we take to lighten even slightly the burden of suffering patients and families can make the difference between fatal despair and renewal. The House is scheduled to take up several similar measures this week. It is my hope that, when combined, our efforts will begin to form a solution to this harrowing and tragic national crisis. We will continue to work for safe communities and effective evidence-based treatments. But I want to end this evening on a favorable note. I want to share the story of my friend, Abi Lizotte, who the gentlewoman from New Hampshire, Congresswoman Kuster, knows all too well. Abi Lizotte last year had been addicted to heroin for an extended period of time and had nowhere left to turn. Her family wouldn't help her. Her friends wouldn't help her. Even the people she bought drugs from wouldn't help her. She was 8 months pregnant. She finally called a nurse, a nurse that had helped her earlier in the year, and asked for assistance. She went to the hospital and thankfully was able to see a physician. That physician told her that she was days away from dying while she was carrying her child. Thankfully, through the grace of God and the help of people in New Hampshire, she was able to start the process of recovery. Today my friend Abi--and I am proud to call her my friend--has testified in front of our committee hearings in New Hampshire, has testified about the experience that she had and the loneliness and despair that she experienced. She is now 6 months clean with an 8-month-old son named Parker. It is a story of success. She continues each and every day to strive for that success for others. She actually goes to schools in New Hampshire and speaks to kids about her experience in the hope that other people will not fall to the same experience she had over the last several years. I count her as a friend, but I focus our work in her name, just as you focus your work in the name of Kriss Soterian's stepdaughter, Amber, because these are people we know. These are people that we don't just represent. They are people that we want to try to save. I am very, very happy to see our leadership, the bipartisanship this week in the legislation that will come to this floor, and I pray that next year we don't see the same number of deaths, that we start to see a decline. But, regardless, this is just the beginning of this process where we will continue to fight for every life, to fight for every person who is dealing with the disease of addiction, and will continue to work in a bipartisan way because people of our Nation deserve it. I want to thank my colleague again, Ann Kuster from New Hampshire, my co-chair of the bipartisan task force, for her leadership. I thank the speakers this evening. I look forward to a productive week and a productive year. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clark for yielding, and I extend my gratitude to her for joining me tonight in this Special Order. I am also grateful for the opportunity to join bipartisan members-- Republican and Democrat--from around the country to talk about heroin abuse, an increasingly deadly public health crisis. Last year I joined with my colleague from New Hampshire, Congresswoman Kuster, to create The Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic. We strive to fight the tragedy of opioid addiction and fatal overdose from around the Nation. Since its creation last October, our task force has grown to 80 members. Our growth and impact is a testament to the depth of the crisis and the focus of the Members of this body. In my home State of New Hampshire, abuse and overdose claimed the lives of 430 people in 2015. To put that number in perspective, that is 1 out of every 3,000 residents died of an overdose last year. The CDC reports that, nationally, overdose deaths have tripled over the last 10 years. I am proud of the work we have done so far to combat this epidemic. But as many struggling families and ailing communities know, there is much more work to be done. A few weeks ago the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic proposed a legislative agenda. Our bills would assist law enforcement, treatment providers, and recovery personnel in their battle against the epidemic. During this Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week, we will see our legislation come to the floor for a vote. I am pleased that my colleagues have tirelessly worked to protect our loved ones from this epidemic, and I am proud to cosponsor many bills coming to the floor this week, including the House response to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. To address the comprehensive nature of this epidemic, we must provide a comprehensive legislative package to bolster the efforts of those helping our communities. I have filed several amendments to this package for this week. They will increase grants for medication-assisted treatments and long-term recovery. I also have filed legislation that would reauthorize recovery court programs for 3 years, and I am grateful that my bill, the Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016, passed by suspension in the House earlier today. I hope this provision will be included in the conference report. Very simply, these provisions are absolutely crucial to aiding those in need. My colleagues and I have committed to seeing the House of Representatives pass the strongest and most comprehensive plan possible. I believe we will do our due diligence to pass this plan, go to conference with the Senate, and put a bill on the President's desk before June. Our plan is urgently needed. Nearly 129 people die every day from an opioid overdose. In my district and around the country, I hear from families and friends who know someone coping with substance use disorder. We will only make a dent in this great challenge by listening to its victims. We need to hear fathers like Doug Griffin of Newton in New Hampshire's First District. His daughter, Courtney, fell victim to heroin abuse at just 20 years old. Doug remembers Courtney as a bright, lively girl with a great sense of humor and a deep passion for life. She played music. She loved s'mores. Courtney told Doug she planned to become a marine and serve her country. But 3 years later she was lost on the streets, in and out of rehab facilities. Prescription pills, fentanyl, and street heroin ensnared Courtney into a fatal web of addiction. She lost the will to live. Because Courtney's pain was so great and because she had so few options for treatment, Doug says he and his family hid the truth from the outside world. To help others, they are speaking out now, just as this body is this evening. Doug is courageously telling everyone he knows about the warning signs of heroin abuse and the deficiencies in our public response. Millions of Americans share Courtney's story and Doug's anguish. It is only by speaking out and sharing grief that we will remove the stigma preventing far too many from seeking help. Tonight it is about telling the truth. It is about finding the solutions we need and why we need them. It is about putting political disagreements aside and cooperating for the common good, for the common good not just of our constituents, but our country. As the House considers this vital legislation, I encourage my colleagues to listen to their constituents, hear their stories, share their struggles, and help them fight back. We could win this public emergency, and it starts this week with the comprehensive CARA legislation. I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for working so judiciously and in a manner that I think puts people ahead of anything else that this body is doing. I commend my colleagues, and I am honored to work with them on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I thank the congresswoman from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts just to the south of my district.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my congratulations to Lorraine Miville in celebration of her reaching the milestone 85th birthday. As she reflects on the great memories and milestones that have highlighted the past eighty five years, I know she will think fondly on all that she's accomplished and the positive impact she's had on New Hampshire. It is with great admiration that I congratulate Ms. Miville on achieving this wonderful milestone, and wish her the best on all future endeavors.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a Granite State first responder for his thirty-nine years of service to the Manchester Fire Department in Manchester, NH. Chief James Burkush joined the Manchester Fire Department in 1977 and became Chief in 2008. Firefighter Burkush was a standout member of the department and worked through the ranks of the department over the next thirty one years before being appointed Chief on February 19, 2008. Throughout his storied career Chief Burkush responded to many different calls, but it is the efficiency and professionalism with which Chief Burkush handled every situation, no matter how dire, that makes him an exceptional leader and role model. Chief Burkush remains an exemplary public servant, and I applaud his dedication to making his community a better, safer place to live. On April 29, 2016 Chief Burkush retired from the Manchester Fire Department with thirty nine years of service to the people of Manchester and the Granite State. He will now take on the role of Chief with the Hooksett Fire and Rescue Department. On behalf of the people of the First Congressional District of New Hampshire, I thank him for his dedicated service to the community and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation, the Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016. This legislation simply directs the GAO to study State and local Good Samaritan laws that protect caregivers, law enforcement personnel, and first responders who administer opioid overdose reversal drugs or devices, as well as those who contact emergency service providers in response to an overdose from civil or criminal liability. A Good Samaritan law offers legal protection to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are or who they believe to be injured, ill, or otherwise incapacitated. These laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but generally they prevent an individual who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being successfully sued or prosecuted for wrongdoing. Their purpose is to keep people from being reluctant to help an individual in need for fear of legal repercussions. This legislation is crucial toward understanding which Good Samaritan laws are working well to provide a framework for others to follow. In my home State of New Hampshire, last year we had 430 people die from a drug-related overdose. The number continues to climb because the coroner's office has not concluded the autopsies from last year. Imagine a family member who is trying to grieve over their loved one who had the illness of addiction and somebody stood over that body and was afraid to help. I think that this legislation is important, and I am glad that it is striking a bipartisan tone, because this is about saving lives. This is about providing assistance to those who are in moments of deepest despair in their life. I work on this issue not just on behalf of my constituents and the 50,000 people across the country who have passed due to this sickness, but I also do it in the name of my friend, Abi Lizotte, who is a survivor, who is 8 months clean, with a 6-month old child, who testified at a hearing in New Hampshire about the possibility of success because she had somebody who assisted her. This addiction has ripped the country apart. We have an obligation as a Congress to act, and I am so pleased with the leadership of Chairman Goodlatte and so many Republicans and Democrats who have shared the same hope and understanding that life is worth fighting for. So I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I appreciate the committee's work, the chairman's work, the bipartisan work.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize National Nurses Week, a time to celebrate the contribution of over 3 million registered nurses around our country. They are our friends and neighbors who care for our loved ones and treat us when we are sick. A nurse is usually the first person we talk to at the doctor's office, even first thing in the morning. A nurse may be the first person we meet in life. Increasingly, as the American population ages, nurses are filling larger roles. In New Hampshire, especially rural regions, we need them more than ever. At job fairs I hosted in Manchester and Laconia, healthcare employers are scouring the State for help. I cosponsored the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act to allow nurse practitioners to visit more patients at home. Nurses are on the front lines of the heroin epidemic in the Granite State and around the country. Some are Members of Congress, putting their kindness, compassion, and understanding to work in government. During National Nurses Week, please thank a nurse for his or her contributions.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Mr. Speaker, I stand today in strong support of H.J. Res. 88, disapproving the harmful rule submitted by the Department of Labor. It is 1,000 pages to define one word. No wonder the American people are angry and frustrated with Washington, D.C. They should be. I think people are a little bit smarter, and understand the term ``fiduciary.'' This rule threatens small businesses and individual savers by replacing current regulations dealing with investment advice. But we want to make sure, of course, that consumers are being protected and given the best advice possible when it comes to their financial security, but the DOL rule is not the way to do it. I am concerned that the Department proposal would be particularly harmful to low- and middle-income working American families looking for options to save, to invest, and to plan for their future. Compliance with this rule would limit educational opportunities for individual retirement accounts and retirement savings plans, since distribution of materials about these services would be considered providing recommendations. That just doesn't make sense to me. The proposal would actually make it much more difficult for people in my district and people across the country to save for their future. The cost of compliance is significant. I urge my colleagues to vote for this joint resolution.

Mr. GUINTA

Mr. GUINTA. Madam Speaker, the Firearms Transfer Improvement Act, which I introduced in Congress, would provide a significant boost to New Hampshire gun dealers, nearly all of them small-business owners, as well as the Granite State's tourism industry and larger economy. At its foundation, this bill is meant to protect every American's right to bear arms, an essential freedom that is as important as it ever was. My bill would extend the same Federal law that allows interstate long gun purchasing to handgun purchases. For instance, a Vermonter could purchase a handgun in New Hampshire, where no sales tax exists, and transport it home, as long as he or she follows his or her State's gun laws. This bill would be a boon for States like New Hampshire that, in addition to enjoying greater Second Amendment freedom, would also enjoy greater economic freedom. Granite Staters stand to benefit immensely, as do sporting enthusiasts around the country. I would like to thank the 18 original cosponsors for their support of this necessary legislation.