Extending Temporary Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today very concerned about the deadly threat of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues.

Last week, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on this exact issue.

Here are the facts: More than 88,000 overdose deaths were reported by the CDC in a 12-month period ending in August of 2020. This is a record for the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a year.

In 2018, synthetic opioids, which includes these dangerous fentanyl analogues, were involved in 744 deaths in just Kentucky. I learned from a substance use healthcare provider in my district that almost all their patients have some sort of fentanyl in their system. Many of the patients are not aware of it themselves. Just last month a 2-year-old in Kentucky died from exposure to fentanyl; therefore, I support a permanent solution of scheduling fentanyl analogues.

Last week, some of my colleagues--and we had witnesses--tried to argue that a long-term solution for banning fentanyl is a social justice issue. In fact, one witness shared, ``it is being argued that fentanyl class scheduling is suddenly unnecessary because of the low number of prosecutions to date--eight. However, eight mandatory minimum sentences in 3 years, four of them being members of a cartel, proves that prosecutors are not going after low-level users.

The witness also argued that this scheduling of fentanyl analogues-- the decrease of new fentanyl analogues coming to this country was 90 percent.

If someone is being unjustly prosecuted for fentanyl analogues, then that should be addressed.

However, not scheduling fentanyl analogues, when we had a witness testify it drops 90 percent being imported, would be deadly for Americans since fentanyl and its analogues are responsible for thousands of deaths each year.

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