Roskam's response to opioid epidemic? Less treatment for addicts

One of the cruelest aspects of my Congressman Peter Roskam's quest to toss 23 million off the health care rolls is the devastating effect it will have on skyrocketing drug deaths. 59,000 died from drug overdoses last year with the increase over the previous year the largest ever recorded, spiked largely by new and powerful opioids. Drug deaths are now top killer of persons under 50. But the number would be even higher had not the Affordable Care Act (ACA) began covering nearly three million addicts under the ACA's Medicaid expansion. Roskam looked at those numbers, listened to his president and Republican leadership which demanded we gut the ACA to refund much of its cost to the wealthiest Americans, and voted YES to repeal, stating to me and his other 730,000 constituents: “In stark contrast to Obamacare, the American Health Care Act empowers individuals and families by equipping them with the resources to make the best health care decisions for themselves. We’re getting rid of Obamacare’s draconian taxes and mandates"

That makes me wonder...what kind of resources does Roskam's American Health Care Act provide opioid abusers tossed off Medicaid by possibly the cruelest piece of legislation introduced in my 73 years? Maybe it has a provision for such hapless souls to write the government to send them a recorded message of Nancy Reagan imploring them to "JUST SAY NO".

I'm a member of Congress and I enabled Rep. Scalise's shooting' - Rep. Chris Collins

No, Rep. Collins didn't quite say that but it's true nonetheless. What he actually titled his disgraceful op ed about the Congressional Republican baseball practice shooting was 'I'm a member of Congress and I'm going to carry a gun.' Collins' boast, in response to his colleague Steve Scalia getting a hole blown in his hip by a deranged man with a high powered rifle, is ludicrous and laughable. Can you imagine Collins perched on second base with a six shooter on his hip. Had he been the target of hidden, heavily armed James Hodgkinson, the rifle bullet might have discharged Collins weapon, further injuring him or an innocent bystander.

Collins was simply parroting the NRA mantra that every mass shooting must be met solely with more 'good guys' like Collins ​wearing firearms. He's worked feverishly since his election in 2012 in New York's 27th District to oppose every sensible gun control policy proposed by President Obama claiming, “Western New Yorkers’ Second Amendment Rights have been under constant assault by President Obama and Governor Cuomo. I have fought everyday to stand up to their unconstitutional assault on our freedoms, and I am humbled to receive the endorsement of the NRA​,” That bit of sophistry garnered Collins an A+ rating from the NRA, while the gun carnage from millions of high powered weaponry Collins allows to flow into unstable hands reaches his fellow A+ rated congressman Steve Scalise.

Simply put, Rep. Chris Collins is not representing the people of New York's 27th, or any of the sensible people throughout this gun induced blood-soaked nation. He's earning his pay and endorsement from the NRA and the gun and ammo lobby. And by carrying a gun around, he's doing more harm to himself and innocent bystanders than he can imagine.

Afghan soldiers telling Uncle Sam: "Get the hell out of our country"

For the second time in a week, an Afghan soldier of the army we're supposedly helping turn back Taliban advances opened fire on their helpers, wounding seven of America's finest. This second such 'green on blue attack', as in Afghan regular against US regular, raised US causalities to three dead and eight wounded. Meanwhile the clueless amateur masquerading as President abdicated his Constitutional responsibility to run the Afghan war, turning over policy and troop levels to the Pentagon. What the clueless amateur and his power-crazed generals will never admit is our 17-year-long war In Afghanistan is utterly without merit in protecting our national interests and can never be won. All it does is add to the ghastly death toll of 3,509 coalition soldiers and uncountable thousands of Afghans. Yet this week, Defense Secretary James 'Mad Dog' Mattis will skip over the message disaffected Afghan soldiers are telling us, to get the hell out of their country....and send more canon fodder to be killed for nothing, maybe even by the soldiers they're assisting.