Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 1462, the Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015, introduced by my colleagues, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts and Mr. Stivers.
Over the past several years, opioid addiction has risen dramatically in the United States, reaching epidemic proportions. The death rate for heroin overdose doubled in just 2 years, from 2010 to 2012.
One of the issues that has arisen as a result of this epidemic is neonatal abstinence syndrome, known as NAS.
These are infants born addicted to opioids and suffer medical issues associated with drug withdrawal. Symptoms can last for weeks, keeping otherwise healthy infants confined to the hospital at the start of their lives.
NAS can result from the use of prescription drugs or from the use of illegal opioids. Sadly, over the past 15 years, a prevalence of NAS has tripled in the United States. This is a rapidly growing problem that needs to be addressed for the safety of our mothers and children.
H.R. 1462 would address the increasing problem of prenatal opioid abuse and neonatal abstinence syndrome. Preventing opioid abuse among pregnant women and women of childbearing age is crucial in addressing NAS.
The Government Accountability Office has identified that more research is needed in this area to help treat babies born with NAS and mothers addicted to opioids.
This legislation would help fill this research gap by studying issues and developing recommendations for preventing and treating prenatal opioid abuse and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, during the hearing in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, one of the physicians testifying, a neonatologist, turned out to practice with my first cousin, so I got to do research further into what is moving forward in this bill.
I learned even more from personal stories about how important it is and how critical this is and how sad it is for children to be born addicted and how the opportunity is for us to help.
I certainly appreciate my friend from Massachusetts, Ms. Clark, and my friend from Ohio, Mr. Stivers. I would encourage all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1462, Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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