Vice President Pence Talks Meth, Recovery and Mexico in Billings

Vice President Mike Pence visited Billings on Wednesday to get a first hand report of the meth addiction problem in Montana and what is being done to stop it.

The Vice President was hosted by Rimrock Foundation CEO Lynette Kosovich, and was flanked on stage by the state’s top two Republicans, Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte.

After sitting in on a round table discussion by the HIDTA task force, Pence had a two-pronged comment to the crowd gathered in the state’s largest city.

“I have two messages today, said the Vice President. “If you’re involved in selling drugs to people here in Montana, we are going to find you and we are going to stop you. My second message is if you are caught up in drug abuse and addiction here in Montana, there is help. The people of this state and this nation want to put their arms around you and help you restart you life free of drug addiction.”

Pence then took the opportunity to share some news from President Trump regarding Mexico and the efforts to get that country to take more responsibility at the southern border.

“It was my privilege to be a part of those negotiations,” he said. “As I stand before you today I’m proud to say thanks to the President’s leadership, Mexico has agreed to allow all Central Americans that come across our border and claim asylum to remain in Mexico, and not within our system within the United States or vanishing into the United States, but to remain in Mexico while they’re being processed.”

Pence had more on the commitment from the Mexican government to stem the flow of refugees flooding into America.

“Mexico has agreed to deploy 6,000 of their National Guard to their southern border to enforce their laws,” he said. “This is more than Mexico has even done before, and it is going to help solve the humanitarian crisis at our border and it’s going to make it more possible for us to confront the scourge of drugs coming north from Mexico.”

Pence then visited a care facility that housed children whose parents are addicted to meth, heroin and other drugs, one of whom had finished her treatment and was about to head home to Missoula.