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WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act, or SMARTER Act, Tuesday, a bill that would require the Federal Trade Commission to go through the same procedures that the Department of Justice must go through when enforcing antitrust law, and would require the Federal Communications Commission to issue merger review decisions expeditiously.

Our nation is struggling through one of the worst public health crises in its history. Approximately 64,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016 and opioids accounted for nearly two-thirds of those deaths. This plague has not spared Utah. In fact, Utah is one of the states hardest hit by the opioid crisis. On average, nearly six Utahns die every week from opioid overdoses and opioid deaths now outnumber deaths from motor vehicles and firearms.

Our nation is struggling through one of the worst public health crises in its history. Approximately 64,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016, the most recent year of national data. Opioids accounted for nearly two-thirds of those deaths. This plague has not spared Utah. In fact, ours is one of the states hardest hit by the opioid crisis. On average, nearly six Utahns die weekly from opioid overdoses. Opioid deaths now outnumber deaths from motor vehicles and firearms. And three Utah rural counties were identified recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as being among the most vulnerable nationwide.

“It is unfortunate that the previous administration rushed to produce an executive agreement with Iran that it knew could never withstand the scrutiny of the United States Senate. I hope that the current administration will be able to negotiate a better deal and that when it does it will submit the resulting treaty to the Senate for ratification as required by the Constitution."