WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding his legislation, the Protecting Our Infants Act:

“Prescription drug and heroin abuse have risen to epidemic levels in my home state of Kentucky.

“More Kentuckians now lose their lives to drug overdose – largely driven by painkillers – than to car crashes.

“It’s a huge problem.

“Earlier this year, I convened a listening session in the commonwealth to hear from those closest to the problem – from professionals across the medical, public-health, and law-enforcement spheres – as well a brave young man who managed to break his heroin addiction after watching his own friends overdose.

“We discussed the extent of the problem, and one issue in particular that grabbed my attention was the increasing number of infants in Kentucky being born dependent on opiates.

“Researchers estimate that “more than one baby every hour” is now born dependent on drugs and suffering from withdrawal – a number that’s increased in my home state by more than 3,000 percent since the year 2000. We’ve gone from 29 infants identified as suffering from drug withdrawal annually to more than 950, and experts believe there are even more cases that go unreported.

“It’s just heart-breaking. I say that especially as the father of three daughters. These children are the most innocent members of our society. We have to protect them.

“Thankfully, the commonwealth is taking this problem seriously. Both the Kentucky Perinatal Association and the Kentucky Perinatal Quality Initiative Collaborative have made as their primary focus reducing the number of infants born dependent on opiates and other drugs.

“I commend their efforts. But there’s more we can do here at the federal level. Maternal addiction and infant opiate dependency are epidemics that can best be overcome by effective coordination between stakeholders at the state and federal levels.

“One bill that was recently introduced in the House, the CRIB Act, would help address the need for greater coordination between doctors, nurses, hospitals, and governments at the state and federal level. I commend the sponsors of that legislation for their leadership.

“And today in the Senate, I will introduce the Protecting Our Infants Act, which seeks to address not only infants suffering from opiate withdrawal, but maternal opiate addiction as well. It would help identify and disseminate recommendations for preventing and treating maternal addiction so that we can reduce the number of infants born dependent on opiates and other drugs. My bill would also promote recommendations as to how to pinpoint those babies suffering from withdrawal – and how best to treat them. And because I’ve heard from so many experts in Kentucky on the need for more research into infant withdrawal and its long-term effects, my bill would shine a light on those areas as well.

“The Protecting Our Infants Act would also encourage the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work with states to improve the availability and quality of data so that they can respond more effectively to this public health crisis.

“My legislation is no silver bullet, but it is a step in the right direction. And it will help ensure that our public health system is better equipped to prevent and treat opiate addiction in mothers and their newborn children.

“Together, we can overcome this tragic problem. I’m going to remain focused on it until we do.”