Langevin, King, McCaskill Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Help Combat Illicit Fentanyl Entering United States

U.S. Congressman James Langevin (D-R.I.), Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.), and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) have introduced the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a Joint Task Force to better coordinate the interdiction of illicit fentanyl and other opioids entering the United States.

“The opioid emergency gripping our nation is an incredibly complex problem that requires collaboration across agencies and our private sector partners to stem the tide of this epidemic,” said Langevin, a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. “Rhode Islanders and Americans across the country are looking for solutions to prevent the trafficking of these opioids and reduce the human toll of this crisis. I'm proud to join Representative King and Senator McCaskill in introducing a bill that will help the Department in its effort to track, interdict, and prevent the proliferation of these highly addictive and deadly narcotics in our communities.”

“It is imperative that we do all that we can to stop this epidemic,” said King. “I am proud to work with Rep. Langevin on this important legislation and will continue to do all that I can to make sure the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act becomes law.”

“Joint Task Forces require agencies to put their heads together in order to make a real impact—it’s a valuable tool that can and should be brought to bear on this ongoing national public health crisis,” said McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “Communities and families across Missouri are being ravaged, and I’ll continue to support any tool we’ve got to help address this epidemic.”

Currently, the Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized to establish Joint Task Forces for various purposes related to securing the land and maritime borders of the United States. This legislation expands the purposes of these task forces to include interdicting fentanyl and other opioids entering the United States, and it encourages DHS to work with private sector entities, such as parcel carriers, in creating such a task force.

In 2016, approximately 116 people in the United States died every day from an opioid-related drug overdose, amounting to over 42,000 fatalities in a single year. While many individuals battling addiction still use heroin and over-the-counter opiates, the emergence of fentanyl has rapidly increased the deadliness of the opioid epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined opioid overdoses in ten states and found more than half of the deaths attributable to opioid overdoses involved fentanyl. Most cases of fentanyl-related death or overdose are linked to illicitly produced fentanyl, 90% of which is produced in China.

Read Langevin, King, and McCaskill’s legislation online HERE.