The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Congressional Hearing on the National Heroin Epidemic
Record date · January 1, 2015
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What This Bill Does
This document is a transcript of a 2015 House Judiciary hearing regarding the rising rates of heroin use and overdose deaths across the United States. Lawmakers and expert witnesses discussed the scope of the crisis and potential policy responses.
The hearing serves as a formal record of Congressional inquiry into the heroin epidemic, which informs future federal funding, drug enforcement strategies, and public health legislation.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Public health officials
These officials are responsible for implementing strategies to address overdose mortality rates discussed in the hearing.
Law enforcement agencies
Agencies like the DEA are involved in the enforcement and policy strategies regarding heroin distribution.
Key Facts
- The hearing took place on July 28, 2015, in the Rayburn Office Building.
- The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations held the hearing to address the national heroin epidemic.
- Chairman Sensenbrenner reported a 72 percent increase in heroin-related deaths in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, in 2014.
- Six heroin overdoses occurred in Superior, Wisconsin, over a 6-day period in February 2015.
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- The hearing included testimony from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and local prosecutors from Virginia and New Mexico.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceFull breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Regional Spike Reporting
The hearing highlights a specific focus on localized data (Milwaukee and Superior, WI) to illustrate a national trend.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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