The introduced bill creates a task force to fight the fentanyl crisis in America.
This week in Congress, Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick introduced a bipartisan bill that would establish a joint task force focusing on curbing fentanyl distribution into the United States. ‘
The bill was cosponsored by Pennsylvania’s other senator, Democratic Senator John Fetterman, as well as Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware.
The bill would designate a centralized group made up of representatives from a dozen government agencies to jointly “disrupt trafficking networks, enforce sanctions,” and address China’s role in the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
The Department of Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, the FBI, Commerce, Defense, and National Intelligence would all be represented on the task force to address the lack of a central entity where agencies can share information and coordinate efforts against opioid distribution.
A director would be appointed by the President, report to the Attorney General, and would submit a report 180 days after assuming the role.
In a statement, McCormick said, “Fentanyl killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year and over 200 Americans each day. This legislation would empower our federal government to coordinate all the tools at its disposal to combat the trafficking of lethal fentanyl that is ruining American families. I’ve heard from too many families who have lost their loved ones to fentanyl overdoses, I refuse to allow it to continue.”
The bill says the task force would not be authorized to “investigate, target or prosecute individuals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement actions against low-level drug dealing.”
Philadelphia’s 2023 fatal overdoses were three times higher than they were in 2013. The C.D.C. estimated a 3% decrease in overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023 from 2022.
Illegally manufactured fentanyl is exported to the U.S. in powder or pill form from China, Mexico, and India. Fentanyl can be more than 50 times stronger than heroin, and could be more potent and unpredictable when obtained illegally.
Fetterman said in a news release, “Fentanyl claims a Pennsylvanian’s life nearly every two hours – it’s a crisis that demands a crisis-level response. This bill creates a task force of experts with real experience busting up international criminal rings to disrupt supply chains and pursue the traffickers exploiting our communities. As I’ve said before, I’ll work with anyone to get this poison off our streets, and this task force is a step in that direction.”
