and ten minutes. the committee on border security facilitation operations will come to order. without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at anytime. thank you for joining today s hearing to examine the department of homeland security s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. the past few years have weighed heavily on the american people. a once in a lifetime virus, and it resulting economic slowdown, exacerbated existing public health crisis, including our nations struggle with drug addiction and overdose deaths. in fact, data from the center for disease control and prevention suggests that drug overdoses have increased sharply since the pandemic began. they believe more than 107,000 overdose deaths occurred in 2021, breaking all previous yearly records. the opioid crisis in the united states claims more lives each year than firearms, suicide, homicide, or motor vehicle crashes. tackling the drug crisis is one of our most pressing national security law e