Folks, this is a longer, more personal email about my nephew Ian in honor of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

Ian is one of more than 1 million Americans who died from a drug overdose since the start of the pandemic. Despite our family’s best efforts, on New Year’s Eve 2016, Ian succumbed to his addiction at just 24 years old.

Losing Ian struck our family to our core, and I refuse to let his death be just another statistic.

This fight requires all of us to push for the change we want to see. Will you add your name urging my colleagues in Congress to take action?

Holding major pharmaceutical companies accountable in this crisis is an important first step, but no one lawsuit can end the epidemic, and it certainly won’t bring our loved ones back.

As soon as I stepped foot in Congress, I hit the ground running. I served as a co-chair to the Bipartisan Task Force on Addiction, which is now the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. During the 117th Congress, our taskforce passed 26 bills into law!

This fight has always been close to my heart, and I’m prepared to help lead the charge as Senator.

But, just like a single lawsuit can’t fix this crisis, neither can one person. It’s going to take all of us to demand increased funding for drug addiction prevention, mental health resources, and the support needed to finally end the opioid epidemic as we know it.

Thank you.

– David