Congresswoman Lee Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Coalition in Introducing END FENTANYL Act

WASHINGTON – This week, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined Congressman Michael Guest (R-MS) and Congressman David Trone (D-MD) to introduce legislation to help put an end to fentanyl drug smuggling and modernize outdated guidelines for responding to illegal activity at the border. The bipartisan, bicameral Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act would empower law enforcement to find new ways to stop the flow of fentanyl by requiring Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies. In recent years, fentanyl seizures at the border have risen dramatically, alongside overdose-related deaths across the country, but outdated CBP policies do not always provide up-to-date guidance on how to handle emerging drugs like fentanyl.

"Stopping fentanyl is a life-or-death issue – not a Republican or Democratic one," said Congresswoman Lee. "That's why I'm proud to bring Republicans and Democrats together in introducing this common-sense legislation to support the efforts of our law enforcement officers with new tools and training resources to help stop the flow of fentanyl and save lives. I'm doing everything in my power to push this legislation through the gridlock and to the President's desk. Lives are on the line and we need action now."

"The damage that has already been caused by fentanyl is irreparable. Overdoses caused by fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in Americans aged 18 to 45, but we can act to mitigate the continued devastation that the drug is causing in communities across our nation," Congressman Michael Guest said. "This bill is a strong step forward in our mission to save as many lives as possible from this deadly drug, and we must continue to work with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities. I'm grateful for Congressman Trone and Senator Scott for their efforts towards this important goal."

"Far too many Americans have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses, and millions more are currently suffering from substance use disorder. Working together, we must do everything we can to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into our communities," said Congressman David Trone. "The END FENTANYL Act will allow us to keep inspection practices at the border up to date to better combat this ever-evolving epidemic and save lives. This is a common-sense, bipartisan effort that we can all get behind."

The END FENTANYL Act would require CBP to update its manuals at least every three years to identify ways to help prevent drug and human smuggling activity through ports of entry. It also would require the CBP Commissioner to report any changes that are made to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

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