President Joe Biden is urging Congress to collaborate with him to combat the issue of fentanyl before the end of his term. The Biden administration has introduced new policy proposals to address the ongoing drug epidemic, as former President Donald Trump intensifies criticisms against Vice President Kamala Harris, portraying her as ineffective in the fight against illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants entering the country from Mexico.
The White House announced a set of initiatives from Biden aimed at reducing the prevalence of fentanyl. These proposals include urging Congress to pass legislation to establish a registry for pill press and tableting machines, as well as enhancing penalties for convicted drug smugglers and fentanyl traffickers. Biden also aims to tighten regulations on importers sending small packages into the United States, requiring them to provide more information to Customs and Border Protection officials to enhance the detection of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
Biden’s efforts to combat fentanyl may also benefit Harris, as Trump and his allies attempt to portray her as a key figure in the administration’s challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The president emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Still, far too many of our fellow Americans continue to lose loved ones to fentanyl. This is a time to act. And this is a time to stand together — for all those we have lost, and for all the lives we can still save.”
To improve information-sharing between law enforcement agencies and federal entities regarding the production and smuggling of fentanyl, Biden plans to sign a national security memorandum. The White House reported that over 442 million doses of fentanyl were seized at U.S. borders in the last five months.
Despite Trump’s campaign advertisements targeting Harris for the surge in illegal border crossings during the Biden administration, border crossings have decreased more recently. The current administration urges Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, including funding for additional border agents and drug detection equipment.
Biden’s proposed pill-pressing registry is designed to help law enforcement crack down on drug traffickers who use pill presses to produce fentanyl pills. Illicit fentanyl production primarily occurs clandestinely in Mexico, utilizing chemical precursors from China. Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, have been a major contributor to the deadliest drug crisis in the U.S., with over 100,000 deaths linked to drug overdoses by 2022, according to the CDC.
Administration officials are set to meet with Chinese government representatives to discuss efforts to curb the flow of chemical precursors from China, which are utilized in fentanyl production. While China has taken steps to address the issue, a House committee report indicated that China continues to contribute to the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. by subsidizing the production of materials used in drug manufacturing outside the country.
