WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act, by a vote of 312 to 108.

“As Republicans work to fix the previous Administration’s border crisis and save lives from fentanyl poisoning, this legislation will serve as an important tool for law enforcement to fight against transnational crime organizations and drug smugglers,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Carter. “We are grateful for Reps. Griffith and Latta for their leadership on this legislation and will work with the Senate to see it passed and sent to President Trump’s desk.” 

“Today, the House took a critical step forward to combat the fentanyl crisis by passing the HALT Fentanyl Act. For far too long, the Biden administration’s failure to secure our border allowed this deadly drug to pour into our country and kill more than 200 Americans a day. This bill permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, giving law enforcement the tools needed to halt this epidemic,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “With this legislation and President Trump’s recent actions to secure our northern and southern borders, Republicans are taking decisive, strong, and immediate action to keep these dangerous drugs out of our communities.” 

“The ongoing fentanyl crisis has been fueled in part by a rise in lethal fentanyl-related substances. We are pleased to see House passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act, which prioritizes the safety of American life and highlights our commitment to defeating the scourge of fentanyl,” said Reps. Griffith and Latta. “Accordingly, we urge swift passage of HALT Fentanyl in the Senate so we can complement President Trump’s actions to curb the flow of fentanyl into America.” 

Background: 

Drug traffickers are able to exploit loopholes in the criminal code by making minor changes to the chemical composition of fentanyl, creating an “analog” or fentanyl related substances (FRS). Congress granted temporary scheduling authority that allows Drug Enforcement Agency to immediately schedule FRS as a class, removing the incentive for new FRS to be created. The temporary scheduling authority, however, expires in March 2025. 

H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act, led by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Bob Latta (R-OH), would make the temporary class-wide scheduling order for FRS permanent. It ensures law enforcement have the tools they need to keep these extremely lethal and dangerous drugs off our streets. The bill also ensures practitioners can research fentanyl related substances so we can better understand their overall effects on people's health. 

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