Classic moments of life and in 2011, it was selected in the issue, one of the best photos in life magazine for the past 75 years. American history tv, all weekend, every weekend, only on cspan3. The house energy and commerce subcommittee on health met yesterday to hear testimony from members of congress about how the nations Opioid Epidemic has affected their districts and their constituents. Texas congressman, michael burgess, chaired this hearing. Its three hours and fifteen minutes. The subcommittee will come to order and ill recognize myself for an opening statement. The United States of america is in the midst of a fierce battle against an epidemic brought to us by opioids. It does not matter where you live, this crisis has touched every corner of american society. While new england and the ohio valley regions represent states hardest hit by the epidemic, Health Officials from the south and reaching across the Mountain West all report a growing number of Overdose Deaths in those counties. The latest figures from the centers for Disease Control and prevention as astounding. 91 americans die every day from an overdose. Now more than ever, we must come together and strengthen our commitment to fight this malady. I expect today will bring to the forefront key insights and potential solutions on this critical issue. In the previous congress, the energy and Commerce Committee led several bipartisan initiatives to help address the Opioid Epidemic. The comprehensive Addiction Recovery act and the 21st century cures act are now law, and providing resources at the state and local levels. Muchneeded policy changes are being implemented. The passage of both with the passage of both kara and cures. In fact, as a result of kara, patients suffering from Substance Abuse now have greater access to evidencebased treatment, Addiction Treatment services, and overdose reversal therapies. Cure is, on the other hand, provided 1 billion for grants for states to support treatment and Recovery Services. I believe these initiatives are making a significant difference. At the same time, other issues have emerged in this fight. Earlier this year, our committee responded to reports of people overdosing on heroin laced with synthetic opioids, fentanyl, which are 100 to 1,000 times more potent than morphine. They have become a Public Health threat and illegal Online Pharmacies primarily operating in Foreign Countries are exacerbating this epidemic every day for our state and federal officials. Todays hearing will allow us to gain membership perspective on potential ways to complement existing policies and federal regulations to combat the Opioid Epidemic. Representatives both on and off the energy and Commerce Committee will testify about the Opioid Epidemic, share their stories and propose legislative solutions for our consideration. In advance, i want to thank house members for participating in this important discussion, and we look forward to hearing from everyone who is going to be before us today. Let me yield what little time i have left to the vice chairman of the health subcommittee, mr. Guthrie. Thank you very much. Obviously, im going to be brief. So many families have been devastated by this. And dreamland, which is a book i read about the Opioid Crisis, an important book i read about the Opioid Crisis, had all these different scenarios, and but when you see it in reality, i was in owens borough one evening and met a mom. The mom was a mother of an athletic student, an athlete and honor student who had her acl torn playing soccer. Was prescribed pain killers. After her recovery, she was addicted to pain killers since she couldnt have access to them, turned to heroin and passed away due to an overdose. This is a sad story thats repeated through all groups and all areas, and its something that im looking forward to hearing all the testimony today to look for ideas to further do what congress has done and moving forward, as well. I thank you, mr. Chairman, for yielding, and i yield back the balance of my time. The chair recognizes the Ranking Member of the subcommittee, mr. Green, three minutes for an opening statement, please. Thank you, mr. Chairman. The theres for Disease Control and prevention has called for Prescription Drug overdose and has found Drug Overdose to be the leading cause of injury and death in the United States. Between 1999 and 2010, the death rate from prescription pain killers more than quadrupled and only continues to rise. In 2015, more than 5 2,000 people died of Drug Overdoses in america, and about twothirds of those were linked to opioids. The total is only rising. The New York Times analysis of preliminary data found that 59,000 to 65,000 likely died from overdoses in 2016. Today its estimated more than 2 million have use disorder and too few people are in treatment. The rate of heroin overdoses has increased dramatically. This rise is directly linked to the Opioid Epidemic. In 2010, approximately 3,000 drug poisoning deaths were connected to heroin. In 2013, the number jumped to a total of 8,000 Overdose Deaths and only continues to rise. Theres no community that has not been touched by this crisis and some have been ravaged by it. This committee has taken steps to address the crisis. But so much is needed to combat it when families and communities across the country are being torn apart. Included in the 21st century cures of the state targeted response to the Opioid CrisisGrant Program, it provided 1 billion over 2017 and 2018 to states to address the Opioid Epidemic. Extending this money is a crucial part of any continued federal leverage to respond to the epidemic. We need an approach that deploys proven strategies and spans the entire spectrum from prevention to treatment and recovery. These include robust funding to support prevention, Crisis Response and expanded access to treatment and lifelong recovery tools. The Affordable Care act is a vital part of our efforts to fight against the Opioid Epidemic. More than 1. 5 million americans with Substance Use disorders have access to treatment through medicaid. That didnt before the aca, thanks to the Medicaid Expansion. Unfortunately, americans fighting addiction live in states that refuse to expand their Medicaid Programs like texas are left out in the cold. For those in the individual market, all plans must include services for Substance Use disorders and Mental Health and consumers cannot be denied coverage because of a history of Substance Abuse, all thanks to the aca. This is not a small feat. Prior to the aca, roughly a third of all individual market policies didnt cover Substance Use treatment. Repealing the mental Substance Use disorder coverage provision of the aca will remove at least 5. 5 billion annually from the treatment of lowincome people with mental and Substance Use disorders. Going even further, scrapping the Medicaid Expansion in states that took the money would be absolutely devastating to our fight against Prescription Drug and heroin addiction crisis. Were in the midst of the largest Public Health crisis in our country, and this is not time to cut Health Care Safety nets that serve those in recovery. Im pleased that we have the opportunity to hear from our colleagues about their proposals and to combat the Prescription Drug epidemic. We need a comprehensive solution to the crisis that includes real dollars and targets the entire spectrum of addiction. Prevention, Crisis Response, for those who fall through the cracks and expanding access to treatment and providing support for recovery. We must be guided by science and avoid stigmas and not fall into traps, misconceptions about proven treatment strategies. I thank the chairman for having this conversation and look forward to advancing new strategies and funding to turn the side of this growing crisis really help families and communities that desperately need it. And i yield back my time. The gentleman yields back. The chair thanks the gentleman. Well actually ill make an organizational note before we move to our first panel. We are going to be hearing from energy and commerce members at the outset. Energy and commerce members are welcome to give their testimony from the witness table or from the dais, whichever they prefer. We move to our first panel with chairman walden, pallone, upton, issue and lada. Youre welcome to testify from the table or the dais. So the chair recognizes the chairman of the full committee, mr. Walden. I thank the chairman. I come here today on behalf of my constituents like i do every day. But i think especially today with our opportunity for all members to make their case to the energy and Commerce Committee, first we want to welcome them. And i think as our colleagues on both sides of the aisle have already said, all of us and all of our communities face these challenges related to Drug Overdoses. I held a round table the day before yesterday in bend, oregon, where i learned a lot about the problems theyre facing and some of the successes theyre having. And the importance of the work that were doing here. Its a heart breaking epidemic thats been featured on the front pages of our local newspapers, on national television, as part of the stories from our friends and Family Members. And with good reason. Conservative estimates forecast that more than 90 americans die from opioid abuses overdoses each day. 90 a day, mr. Chairman. While more than 1,000 are treated each day for abusing opioids. In 2016 alone, more than 64,000 americans died from Drug Overdoses. And in oregon alone, more people died last year from Drug Overdoses than from Car Accidents. I recently held round tables in southern and Central Oregon to discuss how we can combat this crisis. Meeting with people on the front lines in our communities to find out whats working, what more can be done, is crucial to our efforts to end this scourge. Energy and Commerce Committee has led a number of bipartisan initiatives to help address the Opioid Epidemic from groundbreaking initiatives that are now law, like the comprehensive addiction and recovery act, cara, and the 21st century cures act. Resources are becoming available and important policy changes are being implemented to stem the tide of opioids. Cara established a comprehensive strategy for improving evidencebased treatment for patients with Substance Abuse disorders and it made significant changes to expand access to Addiction Treatment and services and overdose reversal medications. The new law also included criminal justice, Law Enforcementrelated provisions. 21st century cures act provided 1 billion for grants for states the first half made available in april of 2017 to be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration, or samsa. My state of oregon received a 6. 5 million in grants to help combat the epidemic that plagued our great state. However, so much more work needs to be done. Since the passage of cara, other issues have emerged in the fight against opioids, such as the proliferation of fentanyl and its analogs. And then there are allegations of pilldumping and the practice of patient brokering. My own district, ive heard the all too familiar tale of the mother whose son was prescribed opioids and he became addicted. Another, a sister died of overdose after years of suffering from addiction and bouncing between pharmacies. He spoke about how better tracking and treatment could have helped catch his sisters problem earlier and perhaps made counseling more effective. As it was, she was only caught because two pharmacies in a small town happened to check with each other. You see, by then it was too late, though. These two stories may have come from oregon but theyre not exclusive to the beaver state. Theyre why were here today. Addressing the Opioid Epidemic requires an all hands on deck effort. Today well be hearing testimony and stories from our colleagues, both on and off the energy and Commerce Committee about what more can be done. And im looking forward to hearing feedback and input from both sides of the aisle to hear about whats working and whats not and find ways to complement our existing law and to address emerging issues. So with that, mr. Chairman, i appreciate everyone here today. With us taking time to participate. I look forward to hearing from all of my colleagues and together we must continue to fight this Opioid Crisis in america. And i yield back. The gentleman yields back. The chair thanks the gentleman. And, again, just to reiterate the format for today. Members on the energy and Commerce Committee are invited to either give testimony from the witness table or from the dais, whichever they prefer. So at this time, ill recognize the Ranking Member of the full committee, frank pallone, from new jersey for five minutes, please. Thank you, chairman burgess. Todays member day provides us the opportunity to hear from our colleagues about how the epidemic is uniquely affected their districts, as well as to hear their ideas of additional efforts and funding that is needed to help individuals, families and communities affected by this crisis. Like all communities across the country, the Opioid Epidemic is having devastating consequences in my home state. Drug overdoses are the leading causes of accidental death in new jersey. According to the centers for Disease Control and prevention, there was a 16 increase in drug Overdose Deaths in new jersey between 2014 and 2015, and last year drug Overdose Deaths topped more than 2,000. And unfortunately, were continuing to see increased deaths from this tragic epidemic. Im proud of the steps this committee has taken to respond to this tragic epidemic that is taking the lives of 91 americans every day. Im pleased that we Work Together in a bipartisan fashion to pay us the comprehensive addiction and recovery act or cara. We also Work Together to create the state targeted response to the Opioid CrisisGrant Program, as part of the 21st century cures act. And this Grant Program provides a billion dollars to states to address the Opioid Epidemic. There were positive and well, these were positive and bipartisan laws that we produced in 2016 during the last year of the obama administration. That was 2016. 2017 has been much different. Congressional republicans have spent much of this year trying to repeal the Affordable Care act, which would have prevented millions of americans from getting the help that they need to treat opioid use disorders. And the repeal legislation passed here in the house would have allowed insurers to once again discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, such as opioid use disorders. The republicanpassed bill would also have allowed states to waive essential health benefits, including Mental Health and Substance Use treatment. Thankfully, those repeal efforts have failed to date. So as we move forward, whats clear is that individuals with Substance Use disorder, their fa