Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats . Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “In today’s hearing we will discuss fourteen bills aimed at protecting Americans from illicit drug threats. “Illicit drugs continue to pose a serious and evolving challenge to American safety and national security—fueling overdose deaths, increasing crime, and putting immense pressure on law enforcement and public health systems. “So far this Congress, we have gotten strong policies across the finish line to crack down on the illicit drugs crisis that we see across the country. However, there is still more to be done to protect our communities from these lethal substances. “This is an issue that affects particularly Virginia, and Appalachia, who have unfortunately been impacted by the opioid epidemic. “I hear countless stories across my district of individuals taking illicit drugs and mixing them with drugs we will be discussing today like xylazine and fentanyl. Many of these illicit drugs are coming from illegal pill presses often with ingredients coming from China. “Our local law enforcement have been on the front lines battling this crisis and this hearing will give us the opportunity to build on the work this subcommittee did in passing the HALT Fentanyl Act, led by myself and Mr. Latta, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, led by Chairman Guthrie. The President signed both of these pieces of legislation into law last year. “We will examine H.R. 1266, the Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act, led by Representative Pfluger from Texas. This bill would classify Xylazine as Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, while also protecting its legitimate use in large animal veterinary medicine. “This is extremely important for my district because, according to the National Cattlemen’s Association, Virginia’s Ninth District is the largest cattle-producing Congressional district east of the Mississippi River. “H.R. 5630, an important data collection issue that is championed by Representative Houchin from Indiana, would require enhanced data collection and reporting for opioid use disorder diversion data as part of a State’s plans for their Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services block grants. “H.R. 2004 Tyler’s Law is led by Representative Latta from Ohio. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to complete a study on how frequently hospitals test for fentanyl in patients experiencing an overdose and then use its results to issue guidance on implementing fentanyl testing in emergency rooms. “Also introduced by Representative Latta is H.R. 7970, the Strengthening Tools to Outlaw Poisonous (STOP) Nitazenes Act, which would permanently schedule nitazenes as Schedule I controlled substances. “H.R. 8000, the End Needless Distribution (END) of 7-OH Act led by Representative Bilirakis from Florida would regulate synthetic versions of 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance. “Representative Hageman from Wyoming champions H.R. 5880, the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would add a serialization requirement for pill presses and punches. “H.R. 1227, the Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (or PAIN) Act led by Representative Miller Meeks from Iowa and Representative Barragan from California, which I am a cosponsor of, would expand access for seniors to non-opioid pain management options in Medicare Part D. “H.R. 2715, the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act introduced by Representatives Higgins and Carter from Louisiana, would grant the FDA authority to destroy any FDA-regulated products that pose a significant risk to U.S. public health at our ports. “We will also be discussing other bills that deal with addressing this illicit drug issue and while some of these bills may need further work, it is critical that we continue to look for ways to restrict access to lethal and dangerous substances in order to protect American lives, strengthen public safety, and prevent further harm to families and communities nationwide. “I   look forward to hearing from our witnesses before us and to the discussion.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats . “I hear countless stories across my district of individuals taking illicit drugs and mixing them with drugs we discussed today, like xylazine and fentanyl,” said Chairman Griffith.   “While some of these bills may need further work, it is critical that we continue to look for ways to restrict access to lethal and dangerous substances in order to protect American lives, strengthen public safety, and prevent further harm to families and communities nationwide.” Watch the full hearing  here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) on H.R. 1266, the  Combating Illicit Xylazine Act : “Under the leadership of President Trump, we have finally closed our Southern Border and made all Americans safer by that action. However, we all recognize there is more work to be done, and I am pleased to see many pieces of legislation that are being considered today that will do exactly that. First, xylazine, referred to as “tranq”, is now reported to be the most commonly mixed alternate drug being stored and transferred and mixed and sold with heroin, with fentanyl, with cocaine. When I talk to the coroners at home and I ask them which drug is most commonly being used in South Central Pennsylvania, they say, ‘I’ll tell you what it’s being mixed with, it’s being mixed with tranq.’ And then it’s a polymorphous mixture of drugs that come in with it. I’d like to really publicly express my strong support for H.R. 1266, The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, led by Representatives Panetta and Pfluger, which would permanently schedule this substance while providing the necessary safe harbor for its continued legitimate veterinary use.” Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (FL-02) on H.R. 7184, the  PRESS Act :  “You know, in 2025, the CDC reported an estimated 72,000 deaths from overdose, so think about that for a minute; 72,000 peoples’ souls lost. You know, it highlights the brokenness of our system. I think we can fix this. I think the bills before us today represent some real, concrete solutions to address the crisis that has claimed more American lives than any war in modern history. Fentanyl alone accounts for an estimated 45,000 deaths in 2025, and that threat is not static; it’s evolving. It’s changing. As we’ve discussed today, it’s almost faster than our regulatory framework can track. And I’m aware that there’s many problems that cause this, but I want to focus on the sort of upstream sources right now. This is not just a domestic public health problem. This is a national security issue, and it has a return address. The Chinese Communist Party has subsidized and incentivized the chemical companies in our country to export fentanyl and all these other related precursors to produce synthetic opioids and whatnot that are illicitly sold in the United States. And I don’t think this is negligence. This is policy.” Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) on H.R. 1227, the Alternatives to Pain Act :  “Increasing access to opioid alternatives not only can reduce the cost of medical care but can also improve patient outcomes. One of my constituents from Iowa city, John Greenwood’s story, exemplifies this strategy. John is the Chief Strategy Officer of Goldfinch Health, an organization that launched the Billion Pill Pledge to help reduce the number of opioids left over after surgery by 1 billion. John trains health care professionals about optimal pain management, but this work is also personal to him because his son was born with a missing bone in his skull and has required 13 operations in five years. By utilizing only non-opioid therapeutics, his son was able to get through a seven-hour skull operation and recover with zero complaints about the pain while being treated at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Because of his son’s recovery, which was smooth and comfortable, he was able to be discharged from the hospital four days early. This also saved the health care system and the family thousands of dollars in NICU costs alone. My bill, the Alternatives to Pain Act, is written to ensure more patients get this approach and reduce the risk of addiction from prescription opioids.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Full Committee Markup. Read more below.  FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP: The Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of two bills to reauthorize FirstNet and modernize the emergency alert system.  DATE:  Wednesday, March 25, 2026   TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to review the 1996 Telecom Act.   DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026   TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is holding a hearing on how the Committee is cracking down on illicit drug threats in order to protect Americans families and keep communities safe.  DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026  TIME:  2:00 PM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  ###