OPINION:
For many American families, the fentanyl poisoning crisis can be summed up in two words: devastating and deadly.
Over the last couple of years, more than 100,000 Americans have died from fentanyl poisoning. It’s important to remember that this is more than an overwhelming statistic; each number represents a life that ended far too soon.
We won’t beat around the bush; the Biden-Harris administration’s weak border policies have led to this crisis. Over the course of this administration, tens of thousands of pounds of illicit fentanyl have crossed our borders and reached our communities. Just in the last year, 20,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the southern border. For perspective, 2 mg of fentanyl — the amount that would fit in the ear of President Abraham Lincoln on the penny — is considered a lethal dose.
As members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, we’ve met too many families who have told their stories of fentanyl poisonings that killed their loved ones. It’s excruciating to hear, but it’s nothing compared with what these families have gone through.
It’s why we rolled up our sleeves and crafted the HALT Fentanyl Act, a bill to help put an end to the fentanyl crisis by permanently labeling fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I narcotics.
Our bill takes aim at these substances, which have been maliciously tweaked by manufacturers of illegal drugs. According to a report from the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl-related substances “have no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.”
We crafted our bill carefully to ensure that researchers would still be able to study fentanyl-related substances so we could learn more about potential medicinal benefits. Of some 4,800 fentanyl analogs, fewer than 40 have been tested. The HALT Fentanyl Act would help establish a framework for more comprehensive research while granting more tools to get these illicit substances off our streets.
This important legislation advanced last year through the House Energy and Commerce Committee and was passed by the full House, where it received wide bipartisan support.
However, it is stalled in the Senate. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who is leading the Senate version of the HALT Fentanyl Act, moved to pass the bill earlier this year. Unfortunately, the Democrats objected, and the bill didn’t move.
What is stopping Senate Democrats from advancing this bill? Our bill has widespread bipartisan support. Both the DEA and Customs and Border Protection have listed this legislation as a top priority in the fight against fentanyl. Even President Biden last year signaled he would sign our bill if it came to his desk.
There should be no excuse for this bill not to move through the Senate.
It did come as a surprise to us, though, that the Biden administration announced a “new” proposal to designate fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I narcotic — which is exactly what our bill does, but without a research component.
While we appreciate the attention to this issue, we agree that the administration’s efforts would be best placed in asking Senate leaders to take up the House-passed HALT Fentanyl Act, where it has been sitting and collecting dust for 16 months.
As members of Congress who care deeply about the state of our country and the health and well-being of the American people, we will continue to call on the Senate to bring forward the HALT Fentanyl Act for a vote.
We have the chance to help remedy the fentanyl crisis and save lives. Let’s get this done.
• Bob Latta has represented Ohio’s 5th Congressional District since 2007. Morgan Griffith has represented Virginia’s 9th Congressional District since 2011.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.