WASHINGTON, D.C. –– On Dec. 20 Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after his legislation with Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) to extend the emergency scheduling of fentanyl analogues through December 31, 2024, was included in the government funding package that will be considered by Congress this week.
“Fentanyl is wreaking havoc on our communities in Central Washington, made worse by President Biden’s open-border policies which are allowing it to flood across our southern border at alarming rates,” said Rep. Newhouse. “That is why I introduced legislation to extend the scheduling of all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs so we can ensure our law enforcement officers have the critical tools they need to keep these dangerous drugs off the streets, reducing overdose numbers in our communities. I am pleased this legislation was included in the final omnibus, meaning certainty and safety for our communities is just around the corner.”
“As we continue working to fight the addiction epidemic, it’s critical that we make sure law enforcement retains the tools they need to seize fentanyl-related substances and combat drug trafficking,” said Rep. Pappas. “My legislation to extend the temporary scheduling of fentanyl analogues will ensure that law enforcement can continue working to keep these deadly substances out of our communities. I want to thank Representative Newhouse for partnering with me on this issue, and I will continue to work across the aisle and alongside law enforcement and public safety experts as we fight for comprehensive solutions that will keep our families and communities safe.”
Background:
Rep. Newhouse has been a leader in confronting the opioid crisis during his time in Congress, taking the following actions to combat trafficking of deadly substances, expand treatment opportunities, and secure our southern border:
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On March 7, 2022, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Save Americans from the Fentanyl Emergency Act of 2022, or SAFE Act of 2022, alongside Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Ted Budd (R-NC). This legislation will permanently schedule all current and future fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, to ensure law enforcement can continue to prosecute the sale and use of these substances.
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On February 10, 2022, Rep. Newhouse sent a letter to President Biden urging his Administration take immediate action on the influx of fentanyl streaming into our country by securing our borders and making fentanyl-related substances’ Schedule 1 classification permanent to ensure law enforcement can continue to prosecute the sale and use of these substances.
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On February 8, 2022, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Dignity Act, which restarts all currently paused border infrastructure contracts and increases funding for physical border infrastructure.
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On February 3, 2022, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Law Enforcement Officers Preventing (Drug) Abuse Related Deaths or LEOPARD Act. This bill authorizes rural community response pilot grant programs to allow state and local law enforcement agencies to purchase naloxone, an effective tool to prevent and reduce opioid overdose deaths and directs at least 50% of the programs’ grant funding to rural communities.
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On March 2, 2022, Rep. Newhouse cosponsored the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act. This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
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In 2016, Rep. Newhouse voted in favor of the bipartisan 21st Century CURES Act, which increased state grants for treatment from $500 million to $1.5 billion. Half of those grants were made available in 2017, and the next half in 2018.
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In 2016, Rep. Newhouse supported the House passage of H.R. 5046, the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016 and 17 bills to address the national opioid abuse crisis. H.R. 5046 combats the opioid epidemic by establishing a streamlined, comprehensive opioid abuse grant program that encompasses a variety of new and existing programs, such as vital training and resources for first responders and law enforcement, criminal investigations for the unlawful distribution of opioids, drug courts, and residential substance abuse treatment. The bill authorizes $103 million annually for the grant program and is fully offset for cut-go purposes.
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