My weekly column: Keeping deadly drugs out of our communities
On Wednesday July 16th, I had the privilege of being at the White House when President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law. Joined by families who have tragically lost loved ones and children to an overdose, the ceremony was a sobering reminder that too many Americans – especially young people – still lose their lives to the illicit drug trade orchestrated by criminals who have no regard for human life. We need real solutions to the opioid epidemic and rapid action to protect our children and neighbors. Fortunately, with the stroke of his pen, President Trump ensured that we can strengthen our mission to reduce overdoses and save lives by marshaling every available resource to keep our country safe and secure.
The signing of the HALT Fentanyl Act – which I voted for – is a historic moment in the fight against illicit fentanyl, the drug cartels, and malicious distribution of deadly drugs into our communities. This legislation – now the land of the land – makes a simple, yet critical amendment to federal law. It permanently lists all fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This designation allows law enforcement officials to intercept and confiscate dangerous drugs and detain individuals suspected of carrying and distributing lethal Schedule I narcotics. Tougher penalties were also implemented as part of this law, varying in length and severity depending on the amount of the substance smuggled and distributed. Individuals found guilty of trafficking 100 grams or more of a fentanyl-related substance could face at least ten years in prison. Stricter punishments will hold criminals accountable and send a clear signal to would-be perpetrators that those who break our laws and threaten the lives of our citizens will face the full force of federal prosecution.
In conjunction with the HALT Fentanyl Act, President Trump’s immediate work to secure our border and deter drug trafficking has made our communities safer. While the Biden administration’s open-border policies welcomed illegal immigration and let criminals walk right into our country without any questions asked, our borders are once again operational and secure thanks to President Trump. As part of our “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” which I voted for and President Trump signed into law on Independence Day, we also secured important provisions to keep our border secure and bolster our fight against the drug cartels and international crime syndicates. These measures include full funding for the border wall and support for the latest technologies to strengthen our response to potential lawbreakers and drug smugglers. Furthermore, we ensured that we could hire 10,000 new ICE agents, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new border patrol agents to shore up our security presence along our nation’s borders. Border investments of this magnitude will help us keep deadly drugs and criminals away from our kids and out of our rural communities.
In the past, I voted for, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed, several pieces of legislation – including the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act and the Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act – to stop the flow of fentanyl and other poisonous substances into our country. These bills identify and eradicate the illegal financing mechanisms employed by drug cartels to profit off human lives and impose costly sanctions on Chinese manufacturers that produce, distribute, and sell illicit fentanyl. We cannot overlook the role that China plays in the fentanyl crisis, and we must hold criminal fentanyl manufacturers liable for their disgusting actions.
In 2023, more than 107,000 Americans died from a drug overdose – 75,000 of whom were killed by synthetic opioids like fentanyl – and fentanyl poising is now the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 49 years old. We must reverse these alarming trends and ensure that fewer families endure the pain and heartache of losing a loved one. With the HALT Fentanyl Act signed into law, we are taking decisive action to keep fentanyl out of the United States, punish drug traffickers and criminals, and save precious American lives.