Stop Pills That Kill

This week, several counties in Texas declared the immigration crisis at our southern border an “invasion,” and Arizona AG Brnovich urged Governor Doug Ducey to do the same. President Joe Biden continues to ignore the crisis and has doubled down on his America Last policies by moving forward with his plan to end Title 42, also known as the Remain in Mexico policy, after the Supreme Court’s ruling last week.

This fiscal year, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) is on pace to exceed 2 million detentions. CBP agents are understandably overwhelmed as many smugglers take the opportunity to capitalize on the chaos in order to traffic synthetic opioids across the border. These synthetic drugs are responsible for the tragic deaths of thousands of Americans. In 2021, the CDC reported that an estimated 80,816 overdose deaths were caused by synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, CBP seized 10,586 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border, more than double the amount apprehended in FY 2020.

We must do everything we can to fight this epidemic. That is why I joined Representative Ken Buck (CO-04) in cosponsoring his bill, the Stop Pills That Kill Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation, which is sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the U.S. Senate, seeks to deter narcotics traffickers and strengthen the nationwide fight against fentanyl by implementing new penalties for counterfeit pill production. The bill also instructs the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to create an in-depth plan for stopping the rapid spread of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl or methamphetamine in communities across America. Additionally, it requires the Attorney General, in conjunction with the DEA and Office of National Drug Control, to submit an annual report to Congress on the risks of pills laced with illicit drugs, along with information on efforts to raise public awareness and actions from law enforcement to combat the opioid crisis.

We have seen too many tragedies in Arkansas and across the nation as a result of this deadly drug. We must protect our communities and ensure those who are peddling this poison are met with the strongest deterrents possible. I look forward to seeing the Stop Pills That Kill Act become law soon.