August 1, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5529 

they’ve demonstrated to their communities and their families and their 

friends their entire lives: they’ve 

worked hard and earned this right by 

excelling in school, by helping their 

neighborhoods, and by serving our Nation. 

I know who you are—you are the 

next generation of leaders of our great 

Nation. On August 15, show all of 

America who you are. We need your example because it’s vital to remember 

that every time we’ve expanded civil 

rights in America—every time—someone tried to stand in the way. From 

women’s suffrage, to voting rights for 

African Americans, to Americans with 

disabilities, to marriage equality, 

someone will raise their voice against 

expanding the rights enjoyed by some 

Americans to all Americans. There is 

always someone who says these rights, 

these liberties, this equality, it’s for 

me, it’s not for you. 

So I ask my DREAM Act-eligible 

friends—1 million strong—on August 

15, show America who you are and remind America that freedom and equality is for all of us. 

f 

HONORING DEPUTY WILLIAM 

MAST, JR. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 

North Carolina (Ms. FOXX) for 5 minutes. 

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, my heart is 

heavy for the family and friends of 

Watauga County Sheriff’s Deputy William Mast, Jr., who gave his life in the 

line of duty on July 26. 

In his 23 short years, Deputy Mast 

made an imprint on the communities 

he served and called home. He was a 

graduate of Watauga High School and a 

member of Bibleway Baptist Church. 

He cherished the North Carolina way of 

life—hunting, fishing, off-roading, and 

riding horses in our beautiful country. 

The thoughts and prayers of thousands remain with his beloved wife, 

Paige, their unborn child, William, his 

parents, Angela Wall and William 

Mast, Sr., his extended family, and the 

entire Watauga County Sheriff’s Office. 

May each be comforted and find 

peace in the midst of this tragedy. And 

may we be faithful to remember that 

the safety we experience in our communities is maintained, in part, because people like Deputy Mast volunteer to place themselves in harm’s way 

for our protection. For that caliber of 

service and sacrifice, we are grateful. 

f 

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

West Virginia (Mr. RAHALL) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to urge legislative action on a 

widespread public health crisis. 

I want to thank, first of all, my colleagues, especially my good neighbor 

and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from 

Kentucky, Mr. HAL ROGERS, Congresswoman MARY BONO MACK, and Congressmen STEVE LYNCH and BILL

KEATING—whom you’ll hear from in a 

moment—all tremendous leaders in our 

fight to stop this epidemic. 

The CDC has confirmed what local 

leaders and professionals across the 

board have been struggling with daily: 

prescription drug abuse is a national 

epidemic—a term the CDC does not use 

lightly. 

It is no longer a silent epidemic. It 

can be seen at any hour of any day on 

street corners and in school yards. 

Every day, there are new stories reporting overdoses, deaths, accidents, 

and tragedies of families torn apart by 

the vicious cycle of prescription drug 

abuse. And the cycle is certainly vicious. 

Unlike cocaine or heroin, prescription drugs are legal and frequently prescribed by caring physicians who are 

led by the principle oath of ‘‘first do no 

harm.’’ Yet, alarming statistics show 

that children and adults are blind to 

the harmful consequences of these 

drugs even as they become addicted, 

paying upwards of $150 per pill to buy 

them on the black market. 

Distressingly, my home State of 

West Virginia has our Nation’s highest 

rate of drug-related deaths. In fact, between 2001 and 2008, more than 9 out of 

10 of those deaths involved prescription 

drugs. Incredibly, drug overdoses now 

kill more West Virginians each year 

than do car accidents. 

But the alarming use and deaths by 

prescription drugs is not just in West 

Virginia. As other distinguished Members will tell you, prescription drug 

abuse hits everyone, whether you’re 9 

or 90, whether you’re rich or poor, living in big cities or small towns, whether you’re Democrat, Independent, Republican, or whatever, anywhere in our 

great United States. 

We know there is no one single answer, no single action, and no silver 

bullet in the fight against prescription 

drug abuse. I’ve met many times with 

law enforcement, community organizations, educators, physicians, and many 

other constituents, and I know that 

fighting back against prescription drug 

abuse will take the work of an entire 

village. 

We must strengthen drug diversion, 

educate children and adults on prevention, work with the medical community on addiction and pain treatment, 

and treat and rehabilitate those affected by vicious addiction before they 

succumb to the death spiral. 

b 1020 

I and my distinguished colleagues 

have put forth and supported legislation that aims to combat prescription 

drug abuse. We know that something 

more must be done from a Federal 

level, and that’s why I’ve introduced 

H.R. 1925, the Prescription Drug Abuse 

Prevention and Treatment Act. This 

bill would implement multiple measures essential to combating prescription drug abuse, education and training, monitoring, evaluation and enforcement, and it provides a good 

guideline to coordinate Federal, State, 

and local efforts to fight this epidemic. 

The bill establishes mandatory physician and consumer education and authorizes Federal funding to help our 

States create and maintain prescription drug monitoring programs that all 

States can access. It would also set up 

a uniform system for tracking painkiller-related deaths, helping States 

and law enforcement professionals 

manage and report data. 

The West Virginia State Police, our 

State’s attorney general, and even physicians have all consistently stressed 

the need for access to a prescription 

drug monitoring system that is shared 

between State lines and updated in real 

time. 

I know my colleagues have authored 

and supported similar bills, like H.R. 

2119, the Ryan Creedon Act, which also 

seeks to implement targeted physician 

education on prescription drug abuse 

and addiction, and H.R. 1065, the Pill 

Mill Crackdown Act, which would help 

further eradicate pill mills throughout 

our Nation. These bills address critical 

issues that ought to be part of this 

Congress’ effort to craft legislation to 

assist our States and communities in 

combating prescription drug abuse. 

The toll of destruction and devastation heaped upon America’s families 

and our economy by this epidemic demands that U.S. Congress must act, 

and act swiftly. So I urge my colleagues to move forward and bring legislation to the floor that will enable 

our communities to fight back against 

prescription drug abuse. 

Let us act with dispatch and compassion and with an acute understanding 

of the enormity of the challenge before 

us. The future of our families and children and the entire health and wellbeing of local communities and our Nation depend on us. 

f 

THE MEDICINE CABINET EPIDEMIC 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Kentucky (Mr. ROGERS) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. 

Speaker, I want to begin by thanking 

my colleague and friend from across 

the Big Sandy that divides Kentucky 

and West Virginia and my good friend 

across the aisle, NICK RAHALL, for organizing these Special Orders by the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug 

Abuse. Congress, the DEA, the medical 

community, State partners, and particularly the Federal Drug Administration must do more to fight the medicine cabinet epidemic. 

The Office of National Drug Control 

Policy in the White House has identified prescription drugs as our Nation’s 

fastest growing drug problem, easily 

eclipsing cocaine and heroin abuse. As 

has been said, the national Centers for 


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