Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement regarding President Biden’s State of the Union remarks on the fentanyl crisis:

“Fueled by the President’s failure to secure our southern border, the illicit fentanyl crisis is tearing apart families across America. In 2021, synthetic opioids—like fentanyl and its analogues—were the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-49. Yet, the Biden administration has refused House Republicans’ efforts to keep these deadly substances out of our communities. 

“Energy and Commerce Republicans have heard from countless families, like Deb and Ray Cullen and Molly Cain, whose 23-year-old sons, Zachary and Carson, were poisoned by drug dealers with illicit fentanyl. For families like the Cullens and the Cains, the Biden administration must work with us to bring those who traffic and sell these lethal substances to justice.  

“President Biden has previously said he supports a toothless ban on fentanyl-related-substances that would fail to stop dealers and criminals. It is past time that he support the HALT Fentanyl Act, led by Reps. Griffith and Latta, to stop new fentanyl analogues from being created and bring to justice those responsible for their spread.  

“We cannot let this scourge of poison continue to proliferate in America.” 

Note: Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Bob Latta (R-OH) have introduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which would permanently place fentanyl analogues in the Schedule I category, as well as grant researchers the ability to conduct studies more easily on these Schedule I substances. 

Democrats blocked the effort on the House Floor in the 117th Congress.