[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 209 (Thursday, December 21, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8209-S8211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTERDICT ACT
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, as we await Senator Markey's and Senator
Johnson's remarks, I wish to set the stage. The CDC released a new
report last night showing a massive increase in the number of Americans
dying from drug overdoses.
My State is second to the Presiding Officer's State. It has the
second highest rate of deaths per capita in the country. In my State of
Ohio, unfortunately, far too many people die from opioid overdoses than
any other State in country. Families are torn apart. Children lose
parents. Parents lose sons and daughters.
The CDC pins much of the blame of this epidemic on this relatively
new deadly synthetic fentanyl. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than
heroin. Senator Capito knows that, as do Senators Johnson and Markey.
All of us in the Senate are aware of that.
This drug is being illegally trafficked into this country from Mexico
and China. We have a bill to stop this today. The INTERDICT Act. I want
to thank Senator Markey for his leadership on this bill and also my
colleague Senator Portman for his support. Senator Portman and I have
been working on a number of issues across party lines for months and
months. It would provide more funds for Customs and Border Protection
to screen packages effectively and safely, to stop fentanyl whenever
possible before it reaches Akron, Toledo, Dayton, or the smaller cities
of Chillicothe, Mansfield, and Zanesville.
This passed the House with only two or three negative votes. It has
the support of major law enforcement organizations, including sheriffs
and police officers. Our law enforcement officials, better than
anybody, see the devastation that fentanyl causes our communities. They
know the risk our officers face dealing with this deadly substance.
That is why this bill needs to pass into law.
Just this week, the National FOP, the Federal Law Enforcement
Officers Association, the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery
Initiative--a recent phenomenon, unfortunately--all publicly asked us
to pass the bill.
Americans are dying in record numbers. Life expectancy in our
country--I believe, for the first time in the lifetimes of any of us--
actually dropped last year. Think about that.
We have made progress, as I mentioned, in this body. I wear a pin on
my lapel of a canary in a bird cage. The mine workers in West Virginia,
Ohio, and elsewhere would take this canary down to the mines. If the
canary died, the mine worker was on his own. He didn't have a union
strong enough or a government that cared enough to help him. In those
days, people lived 45 years on average--for a person born in the United
States in 1900.
Today we live 30 years longer for a whole host of public health
reasons--from Medicare to Medicaid, to safe drinking laws, to clean
air, to minimum wage--all the things that we do. For the first time, I
believe, in our lifetime, life expectancy actually has dropped because
of drug overdoses for the second year in a row, and it is in large part
because of these overdose deaths.
Why shouldn't we take steps today to stop this? We can do this by
putting the INTERDICT Act on the President's desk, immediately giving
law enforcement the tools they need to keep fentanyl out of the country
and off our streets.
Mr. MARKEY. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. BROWN. Of course.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the Senator for yielding, and I thank the Senator
from Ohio for talking about this very important issue.
Fentanyl is a killer that is descending upon every single community
in the United States. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times
stronger than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.
Fentanyl is the Godzilla of opioids.
Senator Brown represents Ohio; I represent Massachusetts. The
fentanyl epidemic has a bull's-eye on Ohio and a bull's-eye on
Massachusetts. The deaths from fentanyl are skyrocketing. In 2016,
upwards of 70 to 75 percent of all of the opioid deaths in
Massachusetts were because of fentanyl. Fentanyl was found in the blood
system of those people who died. Last year, 2,000 people in
Massachusetts died of overdoses. Three-quarters of them had fentanyl.
If the epidemic had been hitting the rest of the country at the same
rate that it has been hitting Massachusetts, last year 75,000 people
would have died with fentanyl in their blood systems.
Last night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released
shocking new numbers on drug overdose deaths in the United States.
These numbers show the spike in deaths caused by fentanyl and other
synthetic opioids.
Here are the new numbers nationwide. More than 42,000 Americans died
from an opioid overdose last year. That is a 27-percent increase over
the number of Americans who died from an opioid overdose in 2015. It
went up 27 percent from 2015 to 2016. Of the 42,000 lives lost to
opioids last year, nearly half of them nationwide--just over
[[Page S8210]]
19,000--can be directly attributed to fentanyl and other synthetic
opioids. The number is a much higher percentage in Massachusetts.
Fentanyl is overrunning our communities, laying waste to them. There
is no easy solution, but we know that we must staunch the flow of this
drug before we lose an entire generation to this terrible killer. That
is why I introduced legislation with Senator Brown and Senator Rubio to
help those on the frontlines stop this deadly drug from ever getting
into our communities. The bill is called the INTERDICT Act. It provides
badly needed high-tech equipment and other scientific resources to U.S.
Customs and Border Protection to catch illicit fentanyl being
trafficked into the United States, mainly from China and Mexico.
When U.S. Customs and Border Protection detects a suspicious package
or substance, it has had very good success identifying an illicit drug
like fentanyl with the help of high-tech, hand-held chemical screening
devices. Using these devices, Customs and Border Protection agents can
detect, identify, and seize illicit drugs like fentanyl on the spot.
Those rapid results provide vital information for border agents to
continue their investigation and, if appropriate, proceed with seizure
and arrest.
What is more, these devices and their ability to immediately identify
fentanyl and other hazardous illicit substances also serve to safeguard
the health and well-being of Customs and Border Protection agents so
they are not accidentally exposed to fentanyl. That is what these
devices help to make possible.
So we introduced the INTERDICT Act with Sherrod Brown of Ohio;
Senator Capito, the Presiding Officer in the Senate today; Senator
Rubio; and we have added another 16 Senators from both sides of the
aisle.
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I would be glad to yield.
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I thank Senator Markey for his leadership
on this issue. This has gotten this far because of his efforts in so
many ways.
I want to enter into the Record three letters that are dated
yesterday and today. Actually, one is from the National Fraternal Order
of Police, signed by Chuck Canterbury, their national president, in
support of this bill, with a very persuasive, passionate laying out of
reasons it matters. The second is a letter from the Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Association, signed by Dominick Stokes. Mr. Stokes
is a longtime friend of mine. The third letter is from the Police
Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative group, signed by Frederick Ryan,
all making endorsements for this bill.
I ask unanimous consent those three letters be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
National Fraternal Order of Police,
Washington, DC, December 20, 2017.
Hon. A. Mitchell McConnell, Jr.,
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Hon. Charles E. Schumer,
Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators McConnell and Schumer: I am writing on behalf
of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to urge the
Senate to consider H.R. 2142, the ``International Narcotics
Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming
Contraband with Technology (INTERDICT) Act,'' which passed
the House 412-3 in October.
Heroin and prescription opiates have created a devastating
epidemic across our country, and now these overdoses
outnumber gunshot deaths and motor vehicle deaths. This
epidemic has worsened with the influx of synthetic opiates
like fentanyl from foreign countries, especially China and
Mexico. For example, synthetic fentanyl is cheaper than
normal opiates bought on the street and it is 50 times more
deadly than heroin.
Our law enforcement officers at the United States Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) are on the forefront of stopping
the deadly influx of synthetic fentanyl into our communities
from these foreign countries. The CBP needs all the resources
they can get to stop this devastating flow of drugs into our
country.
This legislation will ensure that CBP will have additional
portable chemical screening devices at ports of entry, mail
and express consignment facilities, and more fixed chemical
screening devices at CBP laboratories. The bill will also
provide CBP with sufficient resources, personnel, and
facilities, including scientists to interpret the screening
test results from the field.
With all the additional resources CBP will be better
equipped on all fronts to thwart the deadly flow of synthetic
opiates across our borders.
On behalf of the more than 330,000 members of the Fraternal
Order of Police, I want to thank you for helping fight
against the heroin and opioid epidemic and fighting every day
to rid our communities of these drugs. If I can be of any
additional help to you. please feel free to contact me or my
Senior Advisor, Jim Pasco, in my Washington office.
Sincerely,
Chuck Canterbury,
National President.
____
Federal Law Enforcement
Officers Association,
Cabin John, MD, December 21, 2017.
Hon. A. Mitchell McConnell, Jr.,
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Hon. Charles E. Schumer,
Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators McConnell and Schumer: I am writing on behalf
of the members of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers
Association (FLEOA) which is a professional organization
representing more than 26,000 federal officers and agents in
65 law enforcement agencies including the United States
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). FLEOA has endorsed H.R.
2142, the ``International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency
Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband and Technology
(INTERDICT) Act'' which passed the House with a 412-3 vote. I
urge the Senate to consider this bill for passage.
Probably the most serious crisis facing law enforcement is
the proliferation of heroin and opiate drugs, which are
causing more deaths from overdoses than ever experienced
before. In fact, synthetic opiates like fentanyl are now the
leading cause of overdoses because they are cheaper and
dramatically stronger than heroin.
The INTERDICT Act will provide CBP with portable screening
devices at ports of entry and mail facilities. In addition,
it will increase detection devices at CBP testing facilities
and laboratories. The Act will also provide CBP with
additional staffing and resources. This will allow CBP to
successfully diminish the importation of synthetic opiates
into the United States.
FLEOA applauds your assistance in helping CBP and the other
federal agencies in their efforts to reduce the plague these
illegal substances have induced on our country.
Sincerely,
Dominick Stokes,
FLEOA V.P. for Legislation.
____
Police Assisted
Addiction Recovery Initiative,
Gloucester, MA, December 21, 2017.
Hon. A. Mitchell McConnell, Jr.,
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Hon. Charles E. Schumer,
Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators McConnell and Schumer: The Police Assisted
Addiction Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is a nonprofit
organization that trains and supports more than 360 law
enforcement agencies that have launched programs that serve
as a pre-arrest bridge to treatment. PAARI was pleased to
offer its strong support for S. 708, the bipartisan INTERDICT
Act, which was introduced by Senators Markey, Rubio, Brown,
and Capito. This bill will expand U.S. Customs and Border
Protection's ability to use technology to detect fentanyl and
other narcotics coming into the United States from abroad and
which are causing a public health epidemic in our
communities.
While the Senate has yet to act on S. 708, the House of
Representatives took action and on 25 October 2017, passed
companion legislation HR 2142, by a vote of 412-3. As this
year draws to a close, we urge the Senate to take up and pass
the House version of INTERDICT this year.
Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in
the United States, with more than 54,000 overdose deaths
reported in 2015. Almost 33,000 of those overdose deaths--
roughly 60 percent--involved opioids, including prescription
opioid pain relievers, heroin, or the synthetic opioid
fentanyl. In particular, as the CDC's recent report has just
shown, fentanyl and its analogs are becoming increasingly
responsible for these overdose deaths.
Fentanyl is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and
100 times more powerful than morphine. It is dangerous and
potentially life-threatening to simply touch or accidentally
inhale the white powdery substance. Sometimes, unbeknownst to
the user, fentanyl is often mixed with heroin or other
substances, or formed to resemble prescription opioid pills.
Most illicit fentanyl comes to the United States from China
and Mexico, delivered through the mail or express consignment
carriers, or smuggled across the southwest border of the
United States. The INTERDICT Act will help the United States
better identify and stop these dangerous substances from
landing in communities across America.
Now is the time to act. This holiday season too many seats
at too many tables are empty due to the unrelenting flow of
fentanyl into the United States. We must give our law
enforcement personnel the tools necessary to stop this flow.
We can do that, in part, by getting the INTERDICT Act to the
President's desk this year. That is why PAARI strongly
supports this important legislation which will give U.S.
Customs and Border Protection the additional resources it
needs to fight the flow of fentanyl and other deadly drugs
into the United States.
Sincerely,
Frederick Ryan,
[[Page S8211]]
Chief of Police, Arlington Massachusetts,
PAARI Board of Directors Co-Chairman,
PAARI National Police Council Chairman.
Mr. BROWN. I think it is pretty clear how important this is. This
bill got, I believe, 2 or maybe 3 negative votes out of 400-some in the
House of Representatives. There is no organization I know of that
opposes it. I hear from people in my State consistently about how
important this is, from police organizations to parents, to individual
police officers and county sheriffs and all, and deputy sheriffs.
There is just no reason we shouldn't be able to do this before we go
home for Christmas. There are a lot of things we should do before we go
home for Christmas, including the Children's Health Insurance Program,
but this is one we know we can do. There seems to be no substantive
disagreement from any large number of groups or individuals that I can
see, so I am hopeful we can move forward with this in the next few
minutes.
Mr. MARKEY. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. BROWN. Yes.
Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I thank the Senator for yielding.
Can I just list the names of the organizations that support this bill
so the police can interdict, stop the fentanyl from coming into our
country?
It is the National Fraternal Order of Police, it is the Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Association, it is the National Border Control
Council, it is the Police Assisted Recovery Initiative, it is the
National Sheriffs' Association, the National Tactical Officers
Association, the National Association of Police Organizations, the
National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition, the Sergeants
Benevolent Association, the American Legion, the International Union of
Police Associations, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Major
County Sheriffs of America, and the Massachusetts Coalition of Police.
So it is pretty much every single law enforcement agency at all levels
in the country saying: Please give us this tool now so we can detect
this incredible killer in our country.
Three former Commissioners of U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
appointed by both Democratic and Republican Presidents, support the
INTERDICT Act. President Trump's nominee to head the agency, Kevin
McAleenan, testified that he supports getting more of these high-tech
scanners into the hands of Customs and Border Patrol.
Despite working for months with Senate leadership to try and secure
authorization for funding, we just can't seem to get this over the
finish line so that in the new year they have these devices. The way it
works is, you just put the device up next to a package, and it will
tell you if it has got fentanyl or not. Right now, many law enforcement
agencies will not even allow one of their police dogs to sniff for
fentanyl because it will kill the police dog. That is how dangerous
fentanyl is, and that is why these electronic devices are so important.
It ensures that we have minimized the exposure of our officers to these
substances and, at the same time, dramatically increase the likelihood
that we are going to identify the fentanyl in a package and, as a
result, deter these people from China or from Mexico who bring it into
our country and are killing us by the thousands.
At 42,000 deaths last year, it is now approximating the total number
of deaths in the war in Vietnam throughout its entire history. That is
just 1 year, 42,000 people--1 year. That is a terrorist attack of a
magnitude on our own streets that is unimaginable.
With these devices, we don't completely solve the problem, but we put
more weapons in the hands of our law enforcement officials, detection
devices that can minimize the likelihood that these terrible people
from China, from Mexico, principally, can bring this stuff into our
country.
So this is a huge issue. It goes right to the heart of the
seriousness of dealing with this issue. My only hope is, we have an
ability to be able to move this thing forward in a way that lets the
American people say: We understand the issues you want us to work on,
and the opioid crisis is at the top of the list. It is indiscriminate.
It affects potentially every family. No one is immune to addiction. No
family is immune from addiction. It could hit any family at any time,
and fentanyl is the ultimate killer.
I thank the Senator.
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I thank Senator Markey and hope we can
work things out with Senator Johnson on this issue.
____________________