Controlled Substance Onboard Vessels

Floor Speech

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Mr. McDOWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Ezell for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 2351, which will strengthen the ability of the United States Coast Guard to respond effectively to opioid overdose situations.

The Coast Guard is on the front lines of the fight against fentanyl, working to stop traffickers at sea and saving lives in the process. This bill will ensure that they have the tools needed to do just that, because when an overdose happens, there is no time to wait.

This bill will give the Coast Guard broader authority to prosecute cases where illicit drugs are discovered on unmanned vessels or smuggled onboard without the knowledge of the crew.

This bill also ensures that Coast Guard facilities have naloxone and other similar medications on hand to treat overdoses, bringing the Coast Guard in line with other branches of the military.

By giving our coastguardsmen and -women access to naloxone, we are giving them the ability to save lives at sea and protect themselves should they come into contact with these deadly drugs. Put simply, we have their backs, and they have ours.

This commonsense bill will make it easier and safer for our servicemembers to protect our maritime borders with confidence when intercepting these poisons before they reach our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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