Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3153, the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act, also known as the EFFORT Act.

The opioid crisis has, tragically, destroyed the lives of many Hoosiers. According to the most recent available data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017, drug overdose deaths in Indiana increased by 22\1/2\ percent from the previous year. Indiana's 2017 rate of overdose deaths at over 29 per 100,000 was significantly higher than the national average.

This epidemic does not discriminate, and we must use evidence-based policy to ensure the health and well-being of current and future generations. The National Science Foundation's research has increased what we know about addiction, and while this research is at the top of its class, gaps still remain in the prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.

That is why I joined my colleague, Congresswoman Wexton, to introduce the EFFORT Act, directing the National Science Foundation, in consultation with the National Institutes of Health, to support merit- reviewed and competitively awarded research on the science of opioid addiction.

By expanding basic research, we can promote collaboration and further understand how to better treat the multiple aspects of the opioid addiction.

I hope we can see an end to this crisis soon, and I am proud that Congress is taking action to fight back.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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