Rep. Garrett Issues Statement on President Trump Declaring Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 -- Rep. Thomas Garrett, R-Va., member of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump's decision to declare the opioid crisis public health emergency:

"To stay ahead of threats to the homeland, America must continue to evolve and improve our national defenses to ensure we are one step ahead of the dangers facing our nation. This week, I was proud to support the INTERDICT Act (H.R. 2142) when it passed the House. This legislation would improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to protect our country from the influx of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic drug accelerating the tragedy of the opioid crisis.

"The opioid epidemic is having devastating effects on Virginians, where nearly twice as many died from drug overdoses (1,420) than from car accidents (741) last year, alone. Similar statistics played out across the country in 2016 -- roughly 59,000 people died from drug overdose deaths, the largest annual increase ever recorded in the United States.

"President Trump showed true leadership in declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency. I stand ready to work with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress to continue addressing the opioid crisis the right way: through reasonable legislation passed by Congress, rather than by executive fiat."