U.S. Senator Katie Britt Hails Passage of HALT Fentanyl Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act:

“We made a promise to the American people to take decisive action against the deadly fentanyl crisis, and with the passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act, we are keeping that promise,” said Senator Britt. “This legislation makes it clear that the era of allowing fentanyl to flow into our country is over. I’m proud to send this bill to President Trump’s desk as we continue taking action to protect American children and families from the devastating impacts of fentanyl.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), drug overdose deaths are the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, and nearly 70% of overdose deaths in 2022 were from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act and ensure law enforcement has the tools necessary to end this epidemic.

Senator Britt recently participated in a Senate Judiciary hearing where she stated her strong support of the HALT Fentanyl Act. “In my view, we need to be as bold as possible when it comes to taking steps to protecting American children and families from the scourge of fentanyl. That’s one of the reasons I am a co-sponsor of the HALT Fentanyl Act,” Senator Britt said.

Senator Britt is a strong supporter of numerous pieces of legislation to combat our nation’s fentanyl crisis, including a bill to create a Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics. This task force would streamline interagency collaboration, enhance legal enforcement, and report regularly to Congress. On the task force, Senator Britt said, “The flood of fentanyl into our nation is truly devastating American families and communities. I am deeply grateful for this effort to develop a coordinated federal task force to combat the illicit fentanyl and other synthetic narcotics trafficked by bad actors.”

She is also a co-sponsor of Senator John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Fairness in Fentanyl Sentencing Act, which would change the quantity thresholds triggering mandatory minimum prison sentences for fentanyl distribution. It would also direct the U.S. Postal Service to increase its chemical screening and dedicate more personnel to the task of interdicting fentanyl and other illegal substances imported into our country. 

Senator Britt recently spoke on the Senate floor to reiterate Senate Republicans’ expeditious efforts to prioritize addressing the fentanyl crisis. “The era of allowing deadly fentanyl to flow into our country is over. The American people need us to act now and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re going to clean up our streets. We’re going to protect our families. We’re going to secure our borders, and we’re going to ensure that our children actually have the opportunity to live their American Dream. Let’s make America safe again.”

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