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Lawmakers wore purple ribbons to the SOTU and surprisingly it had nothing to do with Trump

January 31, 2018 | | Print Article

It’s good to know Democrats can agree with the president on something.

Senate Democrats in attendance at President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday donned purple ribbons to raise awareness of the national opioid epidemic, the New York Times reports.

(SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images).

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was seen wearing a purple ribbon at the event, as were several other members of his party.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who handed out the ribbons to fellow lawmakers, was among those bringing attention to the issue of substance abuse.

“I’ll be wearing a purple ribbon during the President’s State of the Union to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic & substance use disorders,” Shaheen wrote on Twitter prior to the president’s speech. “This is an important opportunity to send the message that more must be done to address this crisis.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was also spotted wearing a purple ribbon.

(Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images).

Several Democrats posted photos of themselves sporting ribbons to social media.

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) expressed hope that President Trump would lead the charge on the opioid crisis during his address.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) used the opportunity to criticize the president for allegedly failing to do enough on the issue.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) called on the federal government to provide funds for prevention and treatment programs.

The misuse and proliferation of opioids has been a growing issue in the US–one President Trump has frequently vowed to tackle.

The president spoke about the crisis in his State of the Union address, declaring that his administration “is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need.”

“In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses: 174 deaths per day,” President Trump noted. “Seven per hour. We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge.”

The president related the story of Albuquerque policeman Ryan Holets, who was at the event along with his wife.

While on duty one night, Officer Holets encountered a pregnant woman on the verge of injecting heroin. In that moment, Holets said he felt God speak to him. He and his wife adopted the woman’s baby.

“Ryan and Rebecca: You embody the goodness of our Nation,” said the President Trump. “Thank you, and congratulations.”

The president declared a national public health emergency about opioids last year.

In November, Health and Human Services announced that President Trump was donating his entire third quarter salary–$100,000–to fighting the opioid epidemic.

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images).

While Democrats finger-point and virtue-signal, the president proves he’s the adult in the room by taking action on the issues facing America.

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Luis Miguel
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