Schmidt, Congress Take Strong Step Forward in Fight Against Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Schmidt (KS-02) today released the following statement celebrating Congress’s recent passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act. The legislation permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as a schedule I drug, ensuring law enforcement has the tools it needs to keep these harmful substances off the streets and out of communities in Kansas and across the country.
The bill has been passed by both the House and Senate and next will go to President Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.
“As Kansas’s top law enforcement official for more than a decade, I saw firsthand the devastation fentanyl wreaks on our communities,” Congressman Schmidt said. “By permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a schedule I drug, we’ve made significant progress in crippling drug peddlers’ ability to mass manufacture and distribute this poison. I will always support legislation that protects Kansas communities, empowers law enforcement, and deals with the fallout of the four-year border crisis.”
Earlier this year, Congressman Schmidt voted to pass the House version of the HALT Fentanyl Act.
BACKGROUND
S.331, the HALT Fentanyl Act, was originally introduced by Congressmen Morgan Griffith (VA-09) and Bob Latta (OH-05) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to permanently classify FRS (fentanyl analogues) as schedule I drugs. In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary scheduling order for FRS, which was subsequently extended by Congress several times. Without congressional action, the order will expire, making many FRS street-legal and stripping law enforcement – including Customs and Border Protection – of their ability to seize these deadly drugs.
Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, lead to nearly 70 percent of overdose deaths, as the drug can be deadly in even small doses and is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years old, responsible for more deaths than heart disease, cancer, suicide, and homicide.
###