U.S. SENATE – Senator Steve Daines spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate today about the fentanyl epidemic that is a direct result of the Biden administration’s failure to secure the southern border. Specifically, he highlighted Reilly Schrapps, a 24 year old from Butte who died after taking a pill laced with fentanyl last summer.
Click HERE to watch full remarks and HERE to download.
Excerpts from Daines’ remarks as prepared for delivery:
“When most people talk about the fentanyl crisis gripping our communities today, they talk about the numbers. And the numbers are powerful. In 2022, synthetic opioids, like deadly fentanyl, claimed over 75,000 lives in our country. It’s estimated over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids, the most common one being fentanyl. But today, what I really want to tell you about is one person. I want to tell you about Reilly Schrapps from Butte, Montana.
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“According to those who knew him best, Reilly was an avid fisherman and sportsman and spent his free time enjoying the great Montana outdoors with family and friends, floating the Big Hole River, skiing Discovery and camping at Canyon Ferry. Reilly was also an artist. He enjoyed all these things and more until July 30, 2022 – the day he died taking a pill laced with fentanyl. He was just 24 years old.
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“Fentanyl overdoses quickly became the leading cause of death for 18-45 year olds in our country. It’s a fast acting poison 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine that is taking children away from their parents and spouses away from their partners. Over 75,000 people died just last year.
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“Since President Biden took office, there have been over five million illegal border crossings including gang members, drug dealers and suspected terrorists, as well as thousands of pounds of deadly, illegal fentanyl. This is the most in U.S. history. Mexican cartels are using chemicals from China to make illicit fentanyl which is then pressed into counterfeit pills, smuggled across the southern border and sold as pill and powder form in our communities. These cartels are terrorist organizations – we need to call and are treat them as such.
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“We are a northern border state with a southern border crisis, and the consequences of this crisis are tragic. Because these statistics aren’t just numbers – they’re human lives. Like Reilly’s. Every single one is someone’s child, someone’s parent, someone’s friend. And they’re people who should still be here.”
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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke, Blake Kernen