Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 4739 because of the valuable impact it will have on Customs and Border Protection officer safety.

The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on communities across the Nation. It touches people from every age group, race, class, gender, and background. Parents are losing their children; children are losing their parents. It is devastating.

Illegally manufactured opioids from China and Mexico are pouring into the United States through our mail system and across our borders. The first line of defense against these illicit substances is the brave men and women of Customs and Border Protection. They work tirelessly every day to protect us, and we must make sure they have the equipment and training they need to do it safely.

The safe handling of opioids by CBP law enforcement officers is crucial, as just 2 milligrams can be lethal. H.R. 4739 requires the Commissioner of CBP to establish and regularly update a policy for the safe handling of synthetic opioids by officers, agents, canines, and other personnel.

The bill also requires that protective equipment and opioid receptor antagonists be made available for all relevant CBP employees and canines. When it comes to officer safety, we should never consider ourselves too careful.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make the Congresswoman aware that I have no further speakers on this bill, and I am prepared to close.

I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York.

Mr. Speaker, transnational criminal organizations are constantly developing new forms of synthetic opioids and new methods for smuggling these drugs into our country. To combat such activity, Congress must ensure that CBP officers serving on the front lines are protected from accidental exposure.

This bill is one step of many that must be taken to slow the opioid crisis and end the devastation brought to our communities by this epidemic. By protecting the CBP officers and agents who operate as our frontline defenders against the importation of synthetics, this bill ensures that they will remain safe and equipped to respond to the constantly changing threat posed by synthetic opioids.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4739, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source