U.S. Senator Katie Britt is continuing her work to fight the fentanyl crisis that has plagued the United States for over a decade now.

On Thursday, Britt (R-Montgomery) voted to advance a bill out of committee that would permanently reclassify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act while also providing law enforcement with additional resources to address the ongoing issue.

The bill, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act, could not come at a more significant time as deaths and overdose rates remain high nationwide.

“American families are counting on Congress to stop the flood of fentanyl into our nation and our communities. This bill takes the necessary steps of permanently placing fentanyl-related substances under Schedule 1 classification and ensuring that law enforcement officers have the tools necessary to actually end this epidemic,” said Britt.

“The era of allowing deadly fentanyl to flow into our country is over, and I will work tirelessly to get this bill to President Trump’s desk to save lives from this devastating poison.”

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.

Britt also spoke during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in strong support of the legislation.

“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,” she said.

The Senator later took to the floor of the upper chamber and shared a solemn reminder of the price of inaction on the issue, highlighting two victims of fentanyl overdoses.

“Daniel and Devin’s stories — and what their families have been through — are nothing less than heartbreaking, and it exemplifies what we’re going through as a nation: A national nightmare. I’d like to thank Jaime Puerta and Bridgette Norring for sharing their stories and for the courage that they have shown in the face of gut-wrenching tragedy.”

“Our government has failed to prevent the flow of fentanyl into our country in far too many ways,” Britt said. “As Chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I will work to make sure the people tasked with protecting the public from this poison have the resources they need to help.” 

Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten