A Senate panel unanimously advanced Wednesday a bill that targets every part of the illicit fentanyl chain, from Chinese chemical suppliers to Mexican cartels that ship the deadly drugs to U.S. towns, marking bipartisan progress on the overdose fight and giving a 2024 presidential contender a win on a major GOP issue.
The Senate Banking Committee voted 23-0 in support of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act which targets the flow of deadly synthetic opioids and the shadowy system of money laundering that underpins it.
The bill declares fentanyl trafficking a national emergency and would require the president to sanction the property of fentanyl traffickers while using the proceeds from forfeited property to enhance drug-fighting efforts.
“This bill will direct the Department of Treasury to use our economic sanction tools to choke off the profits of the Chinese precursor manufacturers and Mexican cartels that push fentanyl across our border, leading to the deaths of more than 70,000 Americans,” said Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican who is eyeing the presidency and cosponsored the bill with Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat.
Lax border policies and the unchecked flow of fentanyl are frequent talking points in early GOP campaigning for the White House, so the legislation could give Mr. Scott a leg up on opponents.
At times, Mr. Scott’s remarks at Wednesday’s markup mirrored his optimistic stump speech about rising from poverty to become the first Black senator from South Carolina.
“I talk a lot about opportunity in this country because it provided me with remarkable opportunities. But the [fentanyl] deaths represent the loss of opportunity to fulfill one’s purpose, to contribute to their own communities and to achieve their version of the American dream,” Mr. Scott said. “That is why I’m especially proud the committee will take up my FEND OFF Fentanyl bill.”
Fentanyl is the No. 1 killer in a broader U.S. overdose crisis that has killed more than 100,000 Americans per year. Roughly 70,000 of the 107,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. were linked at least in part to fentanyl in 2021, the most recent year for which complete data is available.
A Politico/Morning Consult poll from November underscored Republican voters’ interest in the fentanyl and border issues.
Nearly 6 in 10 voters said fentanyl trafficking should be a top investigative priority for Congress, including 70% of Republicans compared to less than half of Democrats. Seven in 10 Republicans pointed to U.S.-Mexico border operations as a top priority compared to fewer than 20% of Democrats.
Former President Donald Trump has compared the flow of fentanyl into America to a military attack on the U.S. and said he would direct the Department of Defense to consider covert operations and other actions to stop the cartels.
Another 2024 GOP candidate, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, is highlighting the scourge of illegal drug use and has said he would be willing to use military force against Mexican cartels.
The bipartisan bill advanced Wednesday focuses on financial weapons. One provision would require the Treasury Department to prioritize fentanyl-related transactions in Suspicious Activity Reports, which flag odd transactions.
The bill also would order the administration to report to Congress on actions the U.S. government is taking to reduce the international trafficking of fentanyl and related opioids.
Mr. Brown said he worked with Mr. Scott to gather feedback from law enforcement, advocates and others to craft the bill.
“I wanted to thank my colleagues for joining this bill, and look forward to continuing to work with all of you to get this signed into law,” Mr. Brown said.
President Biden also says he takes the fentanyl crisis seriously as he ramps up his reelection bid.
He wants more funding for border inspections to intercept fentanyl at points of entry and has directed his White House drug czar, Dr. Rahul Gupta, to make naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversing drug, more affordable and ubiquitous.
Dr. Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said he met with naloxone manufacturers Tuesday and told them no one should be denied naloxone because of cost. He also wants communities at higher risks of overdoses to be “saturated” with naloxone.
Dr. Gupta ordered the companies to report back to him on their progress over the next six months.
“President Biden has set a clear directive: increase access and affordability of these life-saving medications. We are looking at every option to do so — and manufacturers have a critical role to play in this effort,” he said. “At a time when we are losing more than 100,000 Americans a year to drug overdose and poisoning, we are asking all manufacturers who currently have [Food and Drug Administration]-approved overdose reversal medications on the market to take urgent action and help end the nation’s overdose crisis.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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