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Congressman Guest Reintroduces END FENTANYL Act
Washington, D.C. – Washington, D.C. – As first reported by the Clarion Ledger, Congressman Michael Guest (R-MS), joined by Congressman David Trone (D-MD), reintroduced the bipartisan Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of life (END FENTANYL) Act. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Senate version earlier this year.
“The damage that has already been caused by fentanyl is irreparable. Overdoses caused by fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in Americans aged 18 to 45, but we can act to mitigate the continued devastation that the drug is causing in communities across our nation,” Congressman Michael Guest said. “This bill is a strong step forward in our mission to save as many lives as possible from this deadly drug, and we must continue to work with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities. I’m grateful for Congressman Trone and Senator Scott for their efforts towards this important goal.”
“Far too many Americans have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses, and millions more are currently suffering from substance use disorder. Working together, we must do everything we can to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into our communities,” said Congressman David Trone. “The END FENTANYL Act will allow us to keep inspection practices at the border up to date to better combat this ever-evolving epidemic and save lives. This is a common-sense, bipartisan effort that we can all get behind.”
“For too long, the crushing heartbreak felt from losing a loved one to a drug overdose, and the opioids that cause them, have plagued American families. This epidemic, fueled by the massive amounts of fentanyl flowing illegally over our southern border into our communities, has only grown worse under Joe Biden’s failed open border policies. Every life taken by an accidental drug overdose is a preventable tragedy and we must do everything in our power to stop them. That’s why I am once again leading a bipartisan group of my colleagues to introduce the END FENTANYL Act. We must continue to do everything possible to ensure our brave CBP agents, who are on the frontlines of this battle, have every tool needed to fight back, keep these dangerous drugs out of our country and save lives,” said Senator Rick Scott.
The END FENTANYL Act would require CBP to update its manuals at least every three years to identify ways to help prevent drug and human smuggling activity through ports of entry. It also would require the CBP Commissioner to report any changes that are made to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
As the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Congressman Guest has focused on combatting the fentanyl epidemic by cutting off its source in Mexico. Last year, Congressman Guest cosponsored another piece of legislation to address this critical issue. The bill would increase the sentence of those found smuggling fentanyl into the U.S. to life in prison.
“It’s time we take a hard stance against the smuggling of this deadly drug. With this legislation, we’re letting drug smugglers know that if they choose to bring fentanyl into American states, communities, and homes, the price they’ll pay will be severe,” Rep. Guest said at the time of introduction.
The END FENTANYL Act was cosponsored by Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05), Tony Gonzalez (R-TX-23), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Susie Lee (D-NV-03), and Dina Titus (D-NV-01).
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