[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8022-H8024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JOINT TASK FORCE TO COMBAT OPIOID TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2019
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3722) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
authorize a Joint Task Force to enhance integration of the Department
of Homeland Security's border security operations to detect, interdict,
disrupt, and prevent narcotics, such as fentanyl and other synthetic
opioids, from entering the United States, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3722
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Joint Task Force to Combat
Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF JOINT TASK FORCE TO COUNTER OPIOIDS.
Subsection (b) of section 708 of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 348) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by adding at the end the following
new clause:
``(iv) Enhancing the integration of the Department's border
security operations to detect, interdict, disrupt, and
prevent narcotics, such as fentanyl and other synthetic
opioids, from entering the United States.'';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through (13) as
paragraphs (11) through (15), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new
paragraphs:
``(9) Engagement with the private sector.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of a Joint Task Force may
engage with representatives from a private sector
organization for the purpose of carrying out the mission of
such Joint Task Force, and any such engagement shall not be
subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.
App.).
``(B) Assistance from private sector.--
[[Page H8023]]
``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1), the
Secretary, with the agreement of a private sector
organization, may arrange for the temporary assignment of an
employee of such organization to a Joint Task Force in
accordance with this paragraph.
``(ii) Agreement.--The Secretary shall provide for a
written agreement between the Department, the private sector
organization concerned, and the employee concerned regarding
the terms and conditions of the assignment of such employee
under this paragraph.
``(C) No financial liability.--Any agreement under this
paragraph shall require the private sector organization
concerned to be responsible for all costs associated with the
assignment of an employee under this paragraph.
``(D) Duration.--An assignment under this paragraph may, at
any time and for any reason, be terminated by the Secretary
or the private sector organization concerned and shall be for
a total period of not more than two years.
``(10) Collaboration with task forces outside dhs.--The
Secretary may enter into a memorandum of understanding by
which a Joint Task Force established under this section to
carry out any purpose specified in paragraph (2)(A) and any
other Federal, State, local, Tribal, territorial, or
international entity or task force established for a similar
purpose may collaborate for the purpose of carrying out the
mission of such Joint Task Force.''.
SEC. 3. NOTIFICATION; REPORTING.
(a) Notification.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall--
(1) make a determination regarding whether to establish a
Joint Task Force under section 708 of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 to carry out the purpose specified in clause (iv)
of subsection (b)(2)(A) of such section, as added by section
2 of this Act; and
(2) submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate written
notification of such determination, including, if such
determination is in the negative, information on the basis
for such negative determination.
(b) Reporting.--If the Secretary of Homeland Security
establishes a Joint Task Force under section 708 of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 to carry out the purpose
specified in clause (iv) of subsection (b)(2)(A) of such
section, as added by section 2 of this Act, the Secretary
shall--
(1) beginning with the first report required under
subsection (b)(6)(F) of such section 708, include with
respect to such a Joint Task Force--
(A) a gap analysis of funding, personnel, technology, or
other resources needed in order to detect, interdict,
disrupt, and prevent narcotics, such as fentanyl and other
synthetic opioids, from entering the United States; and
(B) a description of collaboration pursuant to subsection
(b)(10) of such section (as added by section 2 of this Act)
between such a Joint Task Force and any other Federal, State,
local, Tribal, territorial, or international task force,
including the United States Postal Service and the United
States Postal Inspection Service; and
(2) in each review required under subsection (b)(11)(C) of
section 708 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as
redesignated by section 2 of this Act, an assessment of the
activities of such a Joint Task Force, including an
evaluation of whether such Joint Task Force has enhanced
integration of the Department's efforts, created any unique
capabilities, or otherwise enhanced operational
effectiveness, coordination, or information sharing to
detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent narcotics, such as
fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, from entering the
United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous materials on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, every day, in communities across this country, synthetic
opioids kill Americans in shocking numbers. H.R. 3722 will take a step
forward by addressing this epidemic, which is one of the most severe
ever facing our country.
The opioid crisis, having already claimed hundreds of thousands of
American lives over the past two decades, has evolved into a new and
even more dangerous phase.
The first periods of the crisis were characterized by the overuse of
prescription opioids and heroin. Devastating as these stages were, the
current phase is even more deadly still.
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are coming into our country from
laboratories in China and Mexico and are wreaking havoc on communities
across the entire country. These extremely potent chemicals frequently
cross our borders through legal channels such as international mail
facilities, sometimes in small packages, and are difficult to detect or
interdict. The bill now before us aims to address part of this
challenge.
The Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act, sponsored by
Representative Jim Langevin, passed through the House on a voice vote
during the 115th Congress before stalling in the Senate. This Congress,
the bill, once again, passed out of the Committee on Homeland Security
with unanimous consent.
The core of this bill will require the Department of Homeland
Security to stand up a joint task force dedicated to preventing
synthetic opioids from reaching our borders. The joint task force model
allows DHS to ensure that the strengths and capabilities of its various
components are all leveraged to maximum effect.
Steps such as improved screening procedures, greater targeting of
suspicious senders, and better information-sharing processes can all
aid our law enforcement agencies in halting the ongoing flow of
synthetic opioids across our borders.
Unlike the existing authority governing DHS joint task forces, this
bill will allow DHS and the private sector the opportunity to
collaborate on this challenge. Private-sector partners also have
strengths and capabilities that can greatly enhance joint efforts to
prevent legitimate commercial activities from being exploited by bad
actors.
The crisis at hand requires innovative solutions. A greater focus on
increased collaboration between DHS, its components, and private-sector
partners all could go a long way in addressing a major driver of this
crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3722.
The opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities across this
Nation. Approximately 115 Americans die every single day from an opioid
overdose. Opioid abuse doesn't discriminate. It touches people from
every age group, race, class, gender, background, and economic status.
{time} 1430
Some Americans become addicted after taking doctor-prescribed doses
for an injury or a surgery, while others try them in illicit forms and
become dependent.
Another disturbing trend we are seeing is illicit drugs being laced
with fentanyl, which is 100 times more powerful than morphine,
frequently leading to accidental overdose.
We have seen estimates concluding that more than 2 million of our
fellow Americans are addicted to opioids, and, as a physician, I have
seen lives devastated, families disrupted and often destroyed as the
addict's behavior drives them to horrific acts.
As we work to confront this epidemic, we must prevent
overprescription, stop the illicit flow into the United States, and
treat those Americans who have become addicted.
This bill would authorize a joint task force within the Department of
Homeland Security to organize opioid interdiction efforts across
multiple components and agencies in a unity-of-effort campaign. It
would also leverage domestic and international partners to provide a
multifaceted approach to tackling the issue.
Most illicit opioids are produced in China and smuggled by mail,
where vulnerabilities in the postal system are exploited. U.S. Customs
and Border Protection is also seeing increased traffic from Mexico with
opioids hidden in vehicles and cargo entering through the U.S. ports.
The joint task force approach to the opioid epidemic is effective
because it fosters information sharing and exchange between all
relevant stakeholders to combat the opioid epidemic.
[[Page H8024]]
While there are no quick or easy solutions to this epidemic, H.R.
3722 is a step in the right direction. I support this bill, and I
encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3722, the Joint Task Force to
Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019.
Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a public health emergency that
has devastated communities across the country, including in my home
State of Rhode Island.
No matter your race, gender, age, or religion, Americans are
suffering from the opioid overdose epidemic. In 2017, approximately
47,600 fatalities were attributed to opioid overdose.
Fentanyl is exacerbating the problem. This powerful, synthetic
opioid, 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin and 50 to 100 times more
powerful than morphine, caused more than 15 times more deaths in 2017
than in 2009.
The majority of opioids interdicted by the United States law
enforcement agencies are seized at ports of entry. In fact, the
southern border accounts for at least 75 percent of all opioids
collected.
I am pleased to offer a solution with my colleagues, Mr. King from
New York, Mr. Rose, and Mr. McCaul, that will strengthen the Department
of Homeland Security's fight against the drug crisis.
This bill authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish
a task force to enhance the internal integration of the Department's
border security operations to detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent
narcotics, including fentanyl, from entering the United States in the
first place.
Secretary Johnson was the first to use the joint task force model to
achieve better unity of effort across the Department's components.
All of DHS' many agencies, from Customs and Border Protection to the
United States Coast Guard, have an important role to play when it comes
to combating opioid trafficking. So if the Homeland Security
investigations are looking into a fentanyl distribution ring, for
example, in Omaha, they need to coordinate efforts with Customs offices
in El Paso so that packages en route to Nebraska are properly
interdicted.
The JTF model is intended to ensure this coordination is baked into
the culture of DHS so that cases don't slip through the cracks.
Congress recognized the value of Secretary Johnson's pilot JTFs when we
formally authorized them in 2016.
As new challenges confront the Department, we must make use of this
organizational structure in innovative ways to maintain the synergies
that drove the creation of DHS in the first place.
Stopping proliferation of fentanyl is particularly well-suited to the
JTF approach. Unlike many more traditional narcotics, fentanyl is often
shipped directly to dealers from overseas. Fentanyl's extremely high
potency allows these shipments to be small enough to go undetected
unless carefully scrutinized. That is why it is essential that the
joint task force on opioids collaborate with private-sector
organizations and any other Federal, State, local, Tribal, territorial,
or international entity to increase operational effectiveness,
coordination, and information sharing.
We need to work with partners, especially the United States Postal
Service and private parcel delivery services like UPS and FedEx to
ensure suspicious packages are inspected. Having a single task force
coordinating the Department's efforts makes it much easier for other
organizations to know whom to call.
So this crisis gripping our Nation is, obviously, very complex. We
cannot succeed in stemming the opioid epidemic unless the Federal
Government recognizes the opportunity to integrate and collaborate--not
only across agencies, but also with our private-sector partners.
So like every bill that makes its way to the floor, this legislation
is a result, of course, of a collaborative effort. I have to begin by
thanking former Senator Claire McCaskill, who has been a true
championship in driving policy to address the opioid crisis and who
first proposed applying the JTF model to this epidemic.
I must also thank my good friend, longtime colleague on the
committee, and cosponsor, Congressman Peter King, who is helping ensure
that this effort is a bipartisan one; Mr. McCaul, who helped get this
bill to the last Congress; and, of course, Mr. Rose, who has been a
real champion in helping to combat the opioid crisis and who has had an
immediate impact fighting opioids since he came to Congress earlier
this year.
I am grateful also to Chairman Thompson for his continued leadership
on using all of the powers of DHS to combat this epidemic.
Like anything we do, nothing would have been possible, of course,
without tireless staff work, and particularly that of Rosaline Cohen
and Alex Carnes with the committee; my legislative director, Nick
Leiserson; and also Elyssa Malin, a former staffer in my office.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from Rhode Island.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
additional time.
As I said before, the opioid epidemic is increasingly complex, with a
number of factors driving the tragic increases in overdose. There is no
silver bullet; rather, we need a whole-of-society approach. This bill
will bring that unity of effort to the Department of Homeland Security
so that it can be a more effective partner in turning the tide against
opioid abuse.
I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting the creation
of a joint task force on opioids and support this bill.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers for
the bill. I renew my support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, our country faces a severe and ongoing crisis, with
newly developed synthetic opioids causing tremendous suffering to our
families, individuals, and entire communities throughout the country.
The collaboration between private companies and the government that
will be possible through this legislation will prove to be a crucial
component in the task of stopping the flow of fentanyl across our
borders.
H.R. 3722 is a bipartisan and targeted solution to address this most
urgent need. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3722.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________