U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie speaks to Craig Davis in the Nash 103.7 studio. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
U. S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, first elected to represent Kentucky’s second congressional district in the House in 2009, visited Nash 103.7 to speak with radio personality Craig Davis on Wednesday morning about issues facing the nation, and the Commonwealth, including drugs, healthcare and the localized national debt crisis for Glasgow.
He also came to Glasgow to give Edwin Smith World War II veteran replacement medals that he never received after it was thought the records were lost due to St. Louis fire.
“I live in Bowling Green but Glasgow, we’re all in the same region and I consider this home as well,” Guthrie said.
During the roughly 20 minute long radio interview, Guthrie spoke on a wide range of issues facing the U.S. including the Fentanyl and drug-related issues. One of the great victories, he said, was the ease of access to Narcan.
“The administration touts that the rates of overdose deaths have decreased, and that’s true and that’s outstanding, but we haven’t solved the problem,” Guthrie said. “The reason it’s decreased, in my opinion, is because of the access to Narcan and that was something Congress did.”
Fentanyl, Guthrie said, is an opioid that is highly addictive and usually lethal and warned any other drug can be laced with it.
“There’s not a harmless drug,” Guthrie said. “If you’re not getting your prescription from a licensed pharmacist that was prescribed by a healthcare provider…, you could get Fentanyl because anything can be laced.”
“If you’re selling Fentanyl that’s killing our kids, you belong in jail,” Guthrie added.
He also talked about illegal drugs in general saying “the government should not provide drug paraphernalia” to people when asked about clean needle exchange sites and other such places.
Lastly, Guthrie discussed healthcare in the U.S saying that the government spends roughly 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Product on providing healthcare, more than any other county, he said. The dramatic prices of healthcare are one of the main contributors to the national debt crisis, Guthrie said, and needs to be brought under control.
“Part of a bill we’re working on is where an insurance company can’t charge you more than the cost of the product,” Guthrie said. “It seems like that would be self-evident, but in our healthcare system nobody knows the price of anything.”
“If we’re going to solve our debt problem we have to get a handle on healthcare costs,” Guthrie added.
In addition to talking about the debt crisis on national terms, Guthrie also localized the issue for Glasgow residents.
“By spending too much money at the federal level it causes inflation to rise,” Guthrie said. “Spending too much money at the federal level affects the prices you pay.”
In the end, Guthrie said he appreciated the chance to get to talk about these issues.
You can hear Guthrie on air here.
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