Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Chair, everyone in this body knows someone who has been affected by the drug overdose epidemic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2022, there were more than 107,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. Sixty-seven percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Right now, fentanyl analogues are considered schedule I substances, but only because of a series of scheduling orders that expire on December 31, 2024. Since we put that temporary order into place, we have seen a reduction in the trafficking of fentanyl analogues into our country.

According to a 2021 GAO report, fentanyl analogues coming into the U.S. dropped by 90 percent in the year that we did the temporary scheduling. This bill aims to curb overdose deaths by permanently scheduling fentanyl analogues as schedule I substances. This will strengthen law enforcement's ability to prosecute fentanyl traffickers and act as a deterrent.

The HALT Fentanyl Act also promotes research--this is something new-- by removing barriers to the research.

In the Energy and Commerce Committee, we heard that there are as many as 4,800 potential analogues. Our experts at NIH, FDA, and other agencies have studied roughly 30 of the 4,800. By encouraging research of schedule I substances like fentanyl analogues, we can better understand how these substances work and how we may prevent potential harmful impacts in the future.

Because fentanyl itself has a proven medical use, it is considered a schedule II narcotic, but illicit derivatives of fentanyl, also called fentanyl analogues, currently have not demonstrated medical value.

Let me be clear. This bill will have no impact whatsoever on a physician's ability to administer fentanyl in proper medical scenarios. The HALT Fentanyl Act deals specifically with fentanyl analogues, not fentanyl itself.

The DEA has said that permanently scheduling fentanyl analogues is their top legislative priority. We must not allow this temporary extension to expire.

On Monday, the Biden administration released a positive statement regarding the bill. In the statement, they supported the provisions I just described: permanent scheduling and streamlined research.

The Biden administration did recommend a few other items they would like to see related to fentanyl analogues. I am open and willing to have those discussions, but that is not this bill.

Madam Chair, we should vote to advance this bill that we agree on and that does help stop the bad guys, particularly those bringing these substances over the border.

Once fentanyl analogues are permanently made schedule I, Congress will continue to build off this work and continue to address the illicit fentanyl crisis.

These large numbers that we have seen on fentanyl deaths and fentanyl analogues are because of these drugs coming across the border. They are 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Why would we not take every step possible that we can to stop it?

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