U.S. Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the heroin epidemic in his home state on Wednesday.
Portman discussed how the heroin epidemic has reached crisis levels and pushed for a vote on his bill to address this problem, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Portman also discussed how many Ohioans have channeled their grief into positive solutions to face this crisis head-on.
“I think this hearing will be very effective in helping bring awareness to the severity of the problem, and we’ve heard it already this morning,” Portman said as he testified. “But I think it’s just as important that we talk this morning about the reasons for hope, that there are alternatives out there, there are ways to address this. There are ways we can make progress in combating this epidemic and lives can be saved.”
