Georgia Mountain News

Congressmen Brett Guthrie and Earl L. "Buddy" Carter have expressed approval following the House's passage of H.R. 27, known as the HALT Fentanyl Act. The legislation passed with 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. They also acknowledged Reps. Griffith and Latta for their roles in advancing the bill, stating they intend to collaborate with the Senate for further progress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson highlighted the significance of the bill in addressing the fentanyl crisis: "Today, the House took a critical step forward to combat the fentanyl crisis by passing the HALT Fentanyl Act." He criticized what he perceives as failures by the Biden administration regarding border security, attributing these failures to a surge in fentanyl entering the U.S., resulting in over 200 deaths daily. He emphasized that this bill aims to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs.

Reps. Griffith and Latta commented on the importance of addressing lethal fentanyl-related substances: "The ongoing fentanyl crisis has been fueled in part by a rise in lethal fentanyl-related substances." They urged swift Senate action on HALT Fentanyl to support President Trump's efforts against drug trafficking.

Drug traffickers exploit loopholes by altering fentanyl's chemical structure, creating new variants known as analogs or fentanyl-related substances (FRS). Temporary scheduling authority allows immediate classification of FRS under existing regulations but is set to expire in March 2025.

H.R. 27 seeks to make this class-wide scheduling order permanent, providing law enforcement with tools necessary for controlling these drugs' distribution while allowing research into their health effects.