U.S. SENATOR KATIE BRITT, COLLEAGUES PASS LEGISLATION TARGETING DEADLY FLOW OF FENTANYL

Washington, D.C., August 1, 2023 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently joined her colleagues in passing the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act. This bill aims to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl into our country by choking off the income source of those who traffic in synthetic opioids. 

This legislation was introduced by Ranking Member Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and cosponsored by Senator Britt, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and 59 other senators.

The FEND Off Fentanyl Act is a bill designed to target the flow of the deadly narcotic into the United States by empowering the U.S. Department of the Treasury to target, sanction, and block the financial assets of transnational criminal organizations trafficking fentanyl. In addition, the proceeds from any seized assets would be used to further the efforts of law enforcement.

“The devastation that this deadly poison has brought to our communities, schools, and families must end now,” said Senator Britt. “Truly stopping this nationwide crisis means that we have to go after the well-financed, well-organized, and well-connected individuals profiting from fentanyl trafficking. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the Treasury Department has the tools they need to protect Americans and hold bad actors accountable. I’m proud to have cosponsored this legislation and grateful to my colleagues for supporting it.”

The FEND Off Fentanyl Act passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The full bill text of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act is available here.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 45, and more than 150 people die each day from overdoses related to fentanyl.

As the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Britt has led hearings on fentanyl and spoken out against the Biden Administration’s proposed budget cuts to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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