He was a young Montana man with a full life in front of him, but the fentanyl epidemic killed him.

Reilly Patrick Schrapps passed away in July 2022 after taking a pill laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl. His death has become part of the face of young people who became addicted to fentanyl and died from an overdose.

U.S. Senator Steve Daines asked Reilly’s Dad, Tom, to join him Tuesday night at the State of the Union in Washington, D.C. Tom Schrapps, lives in Butte.

Tom Schrapps talking with Senator Daines. Mr. Schrapps was a guest at the State of the Union Address after he son died from an overdose in the illegal fentanyl epidemic.

“I’m very honored to be going. I wish I wasn’t going—in regards to my son…If it’s coming from the southern border, we need to stop that. We can’t stop it today or tomorrow, but if we start today there might be a difference next year,” Schrapps said.

“I hope that the President will hear stories like Tom and Reilly’s and do everything he can to secure our southern border and stop the flood of dangerous drugs like fentanyl in to our communities,” Daines said.

Every year, a member of Congress is allowed one guest to the President’s State of the Union address.