Congressional candidate and career politician Rick Saccone was caught admitting he doesn’t believe the government should be fighting the opioid epidemic. Instead, Saccone would leave the entire burden on those struggling with addiction and their families. American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to his callous remarks, first reported by the Daily Beast, with the following statement:
“Saccone’s comments reveal exactly what he would do as a member of Congress to combat the opioid crisis sweeping through Pennsylvania and the nation: nothing. That is unacceptable. The heartbreaking devastation opioids are causing for thousands of Pennsylvanians has already cost thousands of lives and strained too many families, many of whom don’t have the resources to help loved ones recover on their own. It is disturbingly out of touch for Rick Saccone to suggest that this epidemic calls for anything less than a full government response to bolster the efforts of families and nonprofit organizations.”
In contrast to Saccone, Pennsylvania’s state government has designated the opioid crisis a “Statewide Disaster Emergency. ” Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has “barely tried” to fight the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania and across the country.
From the Daily Beast:
In a recent panel on parental opioid addiction, flagged by the liberal American Bridge PAC, [Saccone] raised a question about constituents who might not want to be held responsible for the health problems of others.
“What about the constituents who would say, ‘Look, it’s not the taxpayers, it’s not the rest of us’ responsibility to pay for that—it’s the grand—it’s family’s responsibility to take away, when they’ve had a family crisis, to take responsibility for these actions and step up and do that,” Saccone asked. “It’s not for the taxpayers themselves to step in and pay for that, necessarily.”
Saccone’s campaign did not make him available for an interview.
Watch Saccone’s Unfeeling Remarks In Their Entirety HERE.
Published: Feb 7, 2018