H5532 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE August 1, 2012 

it is a very important piece in preventing new users from abusing painkillers and safeguarding against overdose. Just as seatbelts and airbags in 

cars cannot prevent all car accidents, 

tamper-resistant formulations will not 

prevent all instances of drug abuse, but 

it is a necessary tool in protecting vulnerable populations like the adolescents I have spoken about. 

With this bill, we’re also preparing 

for the potential onslaught of pure 

hydrocodone pills. These are currently 

being developed, and without proper 

physical and pharmaceutical barriers 

in place to prevent the tampering of 

these painkillers, this potential advent 

of pure hydrocodone will dramatically 

increase the already alarming rates of 

abuse and addiction. The bill would 

mandate the tamper resistance of these 

pills, as well as many others. 

These pills provide great relief for 

many Americans in terms of extreme 

pain, but we must do something about 

another type of pain, a terminal pain, a 

pain that family members and loved 

ones feel when they have lost someone 

to the disease that results in this type 

of addiction. 

I encourage all my colleagues in the 

House to cosponsor H.R. 6160, and further encourage the development of 

these tamper-resistant mechanisms. 

It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s an important first step. 

f 

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE IN 

AMERICA 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Massachusetts (Mr. LYNCH) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I want to 

thank my friend and colleague, Mr. 

KEATING, for his leadership on this 

issue. 

I rise this morning, along with several of my colleagues, Mr. RAHALL and 

Mr. KEATING, whom you just heard, and 

also Chairman ROGERS, to talk about 

the very important issue of prescription drug abuse in America. 

Prescription drugs are responsible for 

the fastest growing area of drug abuse 

in this country, ahead of cocaine, heroine, methamphetamines, and other 

drugs. In fact, according to the Centers 

for Disease Control in Atlanta, prescription drugs cause most of the more 

than 26,000 fatal overdoses that we see 

each year. Despite this alarming number, there exists a lack of knowledge 

about this particular type of substance 

abuse that prevents many people from 

identifying it as the problem that it is, 

and that in turn makes it more difficult to achieve a real solution. 

Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic in this country plain and simple, 

and it must be dealt with as such. 

While prescription drug medication can 

help people suffering from a range of 

chronic and temporary conditions, for 

many others, exposure to pain medication, whether prescribed or obtained 

through other means, can be the beginning of a long and tragic battle with 

addiction. As you heard from previous 

speakers, from Massachusetts to West 

Virginia to Kentucky and to California, many of my constituents also 

struggle with prescription drug addiction and its consequences. Those people 

are homemakers, they are professionals, they are students and laborers. 

Addiction does not discriminate. 

Abuse of prescription medicine, especially opioid pain relievers, is a major 

problem nationally and in Massachusetts, where deaths, emergency room 

episodes, and admissions for treatment 

related to non-heroin opioids has skyrocketed in recent years. In fact, 99 

percent of individuals entering treatment facilities who report heroin use 

started with a prescription medication 

like OxyContin. 

OxyContin is a narcotic painkiller 

which has started too many people on 

this terrible journey to addiction. It is 

a drug that by design is inherently so 

powerfully addictive that it actually 

changes the brain over long periods of 

treatment, and it creates customers for 

life. It creates addicts. OxyContin is a 

drug that has caused so much grief to 

individuals, families, and communities, 

has caused so much pain and suffering, 

that earlier this year the nation of 

Canada removed it from the market. I 

commend them for that. I, in fact, filed 

a bill in May of 2005 to do exactly the 

same thing in the United States, but 

because of the powerful lobbying efforts of the drug companies, that legislation was not successful. That’s a big 

part of the problem. 

In the United States, we continue to 

put corporate profit ahead of personal 

loss. Reports of the abuse of OxyContin 

surfaced soon after its introduction in 

1996, a year in which Purdue Pharma, 

the manufacturer of OxyContin, made 

$1 billion on the drug. In 2007, Purdue 

Pharma pled guilty to criminal charges 

that they intentionally misled doctors, 

Federal regulators, and patients in regard to the addictive nature of their 

gold-mine drug in order to boost their 

profits. Despite its troubled history, 

OxyContin is still available. In 2011, it 

earned $2.8 billion in profits for the 

company. 

In addressing the problem, we need to 

consider the range of contributing factors. We need to look at the composition of the drugs and the marketing of 

these addictive drugs and the regulatory approval process. There are two 

measures that I want to note here: one, 

there has been a significant effort to 

reformulate this drug so that it is less 

susceptible to abuse. I commend the 

drug-makers on that effort. The second 

issue is with BlueCross BlueShield, 

which has instituted a limiting factor. 

It requires a robust reevaluation of any 

patient who is being prescribed 

OxyContin over a period of time. I 

think that is one of the best decisions 

by an insurance company in this country in some time. 

I commend my colleagues on the 

Congressional Prescription Drug Abuse 

Caucus for their legislative efforts, and 

I look forward to continuing to work 

with them on this very important 

issue. 

f 

THE VICTIMS OF COLUMBINE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Colorado (Mr. PERLMUTTER) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Good morning, 

Mr. Speaker, and to a fellow softball 

coach. 

The columbine is the State flower of 

Colorado. It’s a beautiful flower found 

in our mountains with whites and blues 

and yellows. It’s just a gorgeous State 

flower for us to have. 

Thirteen years ago, on April 20, 1999, 

at Columbine High School, we had a 

terrible tragedy. And I want all of us to 

remember the names of the kids that 

were killed at that shooting: Cassie 

Bernall, Steve Curnow, Corey 

DePooter, Kelly Flemming, Matt 

Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel 

Rohrbough, Rachel Scott, Isaiah 

Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend, Kyle Velasquez, and teacher, 

Dave Sanders. 

b 1050 

Now Columbine, just like this flower, 

has recovered, sprouted. It’s a beautiful 

school. It has strong academics, strong 

sports, and good citizens. We’re very 

proud of the kids in that high school. 

It’s near where I live. 

We have suffered some scars from 

Columbine in Colorado, but we’ve also 

learned some lessons. We’ve learned 

some lessons that were put to good use 

10 days ago in Aurora, Colorado. 

Aurora, as many of you will remember from your mythology classes, is the 

goddess of the dawn. And there will be 

a new day. 

We’re suffering in Colorado right 

now. It’s a beautiful State. It is a wonderful place. We’ve had two very difficult, tragic moments. And in these 

last 10 days, Mr. Speaker, I have had a 

chance to go to five funerals and visit 

with some people in the hospital. 

I want us to remember the names of 

the people that were killed 10 days ago: 

Jonathan Blunk, Alexander Jonathan 

(AJ) Boik, Staff Sergeant Jesse 

Childress, Gordon Cowden, Jessica 

Ghawi, Petty Officer 3rd Class John 

Larimer, Matthew McQuinn, Micayla 

Medek, Veronica Moser, Alex Sullivan, 

Alex Teves, Rebecca Wingo. 

Beautiful people, good people harmed 

in a very senseless moment in our history. 

But in the midst of this tragedy, 

there were a lot of heroes. And from 

Columbine, we learned lessons to get in 

and move quickly to save lives. 

So beginning with the Aurora police 

force and the firefighters from Aurora, 

there were tremendous acts of courage 

that saved lives, that saved people 

from bleeding to death. We saw in our 

medical teams a coordination of efforts, the likes of which none of us 


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August 1, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5533 

would ever want to go through again, 

but tremendous efforts on the part of 

the medical teams to save lives. 

Yesterday I had a chance to meet 

with some of the people still in the hospital, which gave me so much hope and 

inspiration. I want to start with the 

family where the husband and the 

wife—she’s 9 months pregnant—decided 

that they want to go to a movie before 

they have their first born. They want 

to get that one last date out. 

He’s shot. She suffers shots from the 

shotgun pellets. He’s down on the first 

floor having surgery on his brain. She 

is up on the third floor of the hospital 

having a baby—baby Hugo, who is like 

the biggest kid I have ever seen at that 

age. His hands, he’s definitely going to 

be a baseball player. And the Rockies 

came by to visit him and gave this 

baby two baseballs. 

But she was so positive and so optimistic about her son’s future and about 

the future of her husband, who has had 

great medical care and will have longlasting injuries, but he will do well. 

And this wife was so positive, a young 

woman who is really optimistic about 

life. 

Another young man who was shot in 

the side, he was in a coma. He has since 

come out of it, and he is now planning 

to start his first year of college at 

Western State in Gunnison, Colorado. 

And finally, one guy who had been in 

a difficult state, the President of the 

United States came and visited him. He 

woke up at that moment—whether it 

was because of that visit or not, who 

knows, but he has a huge smile. The 

Rockies came to visit him, and he said, 

‘‘I’m sorry, but I’m a Yankees fan.’’ 

And then, to my chagrin, he also is a 

fan of the San Diego Chargers and the 

Oakland Raiders, when he should be a 

Broncos fan. But he is recovering well, 

too. 

These people are recovering. Our 

community will recover. We live in a 

great State. 

And I want to just finish with these 

words, if I could, Mr. Speaker. Ordinarily I speak off the cuff, but one of 

the staff members in my office, who is 

a Coloradan, wanted me to say this, 

and I believe it. 

Even after these tragedies, we must 

remind ourselves and the world what it 

is to be a Coloradan. 

We are the cities and the open spaces. 

We are the mountains and the prairie. 

We are the mountains and the trees. 

We are the snow and the sunshine. 

We are loving families and longtime 

friends. We are the welcoming neighbor 

and the kind stranger. 

We are Coloradans. We live in paradise and surround ourselves with loving, wonderful people who enrich our 

lives. This is what defines our State. 

We will always remember the victims, we will always honor the heroes, 

and we will grow stronger. 

I am proud of my State. I’m sorry for 

what happened. But we will grow from 

this. 

RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF PROFESSOR THELMA 

MCWILLIAMS GLASS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 

Alabama (Ms. SEWELL) for 5 minutes. 

Ms. SEWELL. I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to a distinguished 

Alabama educator and civil rights pioneer, Professor Thelma McWilliams 

Glass. She was known for her exemplary efforts in the field of higher education and her tireless commitment to 

the struggle for racial equality. 

Professor Thelma Glass was the last 

surviving member of the Women’s Political Council, the organization that 

was instrumental in the planning and 

organization of the Montgomery Bus 

Boycott in the 1950s. 

She recently passed away in Montgomery, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 

25, at the age of 96. 

Professor Thelma Glass was born in 

Mobile, Alabama, on May 16, 1916, and 

at an early age was instilled with a 

love of learning that led to her lifelong 

pursuit of academic excellence. She 

graduated valedictorian of Dunbar 

High School in Mobile, Alabama, at the 

age of 15 and earned a bachelor’s degree 

from Alabama State University and a 

master’s degree from Columbia University, both in geography. 

In 1942, Thelma McWilliams married 

the love of her life, Arthur Glass. They 

were both professors at Alabama State 

University for over 40 years. Their love 

for each other was as strong as their 

dedication and commitment to the students they taught at Alabama State 

University. After 41 years of marriage, 

her husband, Professor Arthur Glass, 

passed away in 1983. 

Professor Thelma Glass was an accomplished educator who taught geography at Alabama State University for 

40 years. She led by example, displaying the same exceptionalism, tenacity, and commitment to public 

service that she demanded of her students. After four decades of dedication 

to Alabama State University and her 

community activism, in 1981, the Thelma M. Glass auditorium in Trenholm 

Hall was dedicated on the campus of 

Alabama State University in her 

honor. 

Professor Glass was at the forefront 

of the civil rights movement, showing 

great courage as she stood up to social 

injustices of segregated Montgomery, 

Alabama, in the 1950s. She was a core 

member and secretary of the Women’s 

Political Council that formed at Alabama State University to campaign 

against the abuses and the indignities 

of segregation. 

The activism of the Women’s Political Council laid the groundwork for 

the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. When Rosa Parks set the protest 

into motion with her arrest in 1955 

after refusing to give up her seat on 

the bus, women like Professor Thelma 

Glass were ready and willing to fight 

against such racial injustice. 

The Women’s Political Council was 

soon absorbed into the newly formed 

Montgomery Improvement Association 

with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at its 

helm. Professor Glass continued to 

play an integral role by copying thousands of flyers and recruiting her students to help spread the word of the 

bus boycott. She risked her life driving 

in carpools and organizing transportation for those participating in the 

boycott. 

The success of the Montgomery boycott pushed the civil rights movement 

into full force, as African Americans 

across the South fought against racial 

inequality and ultimately led to the 

signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 

by President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

It was women like Professor Glass 

who refused to sit on the sidelines and 

be a footnote in history that made it 

possible for all of us to enjoy the rights 

that we do today. I know I would not 

be standing here today as the first African American Congresswoman from 

Alabama if not for activists like Professor Thelma Glass. 

The remarkable career of Professor 

Thelma Glass as an educator and civil 

rights activist has been recognized by 

numerous awards. In 2011, Professor 

Glass received the Black and Gold 

Standard Award, one of the highest 

honors awarded to an alumnus by Alabama State University. Professor Glass 

was an active member of Alpha Kappa 

Alpha sorority, the Montgomery chapter of the Links Incorporated, and St. 

John A.M.E. Church. 

Thelma Glass was, indeed, an inspiration to all. I know on a personal note, 

Professor Glass served as a role model 

and mentor to my mother Nancy Gardner Sewell, whom she encouraged as a 

student at Alabama State University 

to pledge Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 

She was the epitome of a woman of 

grace and style who lifted as she 

climbed. 

I stand on the shoulders of these 

trailblazing activists such as Professor 

Glass, this remarkable woman who 

paved the way for the advancement of 

African Americans. 

Our Nation is eternally grateful to 

Professor Thelma Glass’ commitment 

to racial equality and social justice 

that is a great example to all of us. She 

left an indelible mark on the State of 

Alabama and on this Nation, and today 

I proudly stand to acknowledge her legacy and hope that we all remember it 

for generations to come. 

f 

b 1100 

REPUBLICAN INTRANSIGENCE AND 

OBSTRUCTION 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Maryland (Mr. HOYER) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, this week’s 

middle class tax cut debate is unfortunately an unnecessary sequel to December’s fight over extending payroll 

tax cuts. Republicans campaigned on a 

pledge to seek bipartisan solutions to 

our pressing challenges, but when faced 


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