[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5481-H5482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN DEADLINES FOR COMMISSION ON COMBATING SYNTHETIC 
                           OPIOID TRAFFICKING

  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4981) to amend the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, to modify certain 
deadlines relating to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid 
Trafficking.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4981

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN DEADLINES FOR COMMISSION 
                   ON COMBATING SYNTHETIC OPIOID TRAFFICKING.

       Section 7221(f)(2) of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act (133 Stat. 
     2273) is amended by striking ``270 days'' and inserting ``390 
     days''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 4981.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4981, a bill to modify 
certain deadlines relating to the Commission on Combating Synthetic 
Opioid Trafficking.
  I want to thank my colleague and friend, Mr. Trone from Maryland, for 
authoring this bipartisan bill. Mr. Trone has been an invaluable voice 
in Congress for combating our country's opioid crisis. Far too many 
families in my community, Pennsylvania's greater Lehigh Valley, have 
endured indescribable heartbreak and loss as a result of this crisis.
  When I first started serving in Congress back in 2018, I made a 
solemn commitment that I would do everything within my power to end the 
devastation of the opioid crisis once and for all. I am dedicated to 
keeping that promise.
  Earlier this year, I was proud to see Mr. Trone elected as Democratic 
co-chairman of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid 
Trafficking. Mr. Trone, working alongside his co-chair, Senator Tom 
Cotton, in a bipartisan manner is developing a strategic approach to 
combat the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States.
  Last year, the Centers for Disease Control released data indicating 
that the surge in overdose deaths from 2018 to 2019 was the greatest 
year-over-year increase. Tragically, far too many Americans have 
witnessed the horrific effects of this opioid crisis.
  Just as we must also take on the greed of the pharmaceutical 
industry--which has done a great deal to lead us to this point 
domestically when it comes to the opioid crisis writ large--most of the 
fentanyl consumed in the United States is manufactured outside of the 
country, so it is crucial that we engage closely with our international 
partners to address this scourge. The Commission on Combating Synthetic 
Opioid Trafficking aims to do just that.
  Synthetic drugs, unlike plant-based drugs such as cocaine or heroin, 
are not limited by climate-growing restrictions. Any country can 
produce synthetic drugs, and according to a January 2020 Drug 
Enforcement Administration report, this may lead to a rapidly 
diversifying list of synthetic drug-producing countries and suppliers.
  With such an imposing task ahead of us, strong, bipartisan 
cooperation is critical. We must work together to do what is right and 
find a solution that can help save countless American lives.
  This bill will amend the Fentanyl Sanctions Act to extend the amount 
of time granted to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid 
Trafficking. The commission was originally slated to start in 2020 but 
could not get underway until March of this year. It is incumbent upon 
us to do everything we can to get this right.
  I thank Mr. Trone again for being a strong champion for bipartisan 
collaboration in the fight against opioid abuse.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1330

  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise in support of the bill to amend the Fentanyl Sanctions Act. 
Across our Nation, Americans are increasingly becoming exposed to the 
impact of the illicit distribution of fentanyl. Our local news is 
reporting on another overdose caused by a lethal dose of illicit 
fentanyl with increased frequency. This synthetic opioid is making its 
toxic presence known in our communities.
  Fentanyl is similar to morphine but almost 100 times more potent. It 
is manufactured at a low cost in labs overseas, primarily in China. It 
is then smuggled into the United States through Mexico.
  In cases of overdose, the individual is not aware that it contains a 
lethal dose until it is too late.
  This body recognizes that the People's Republic of China is failing 
to effectively regulate and implement illicit trafficking of fentanyl.
  In December 2019, we called for the establishment of the Commission 
on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. Specifically, this 
Commission was designed to work with the executive branch in developing 
a consensus on a strategic approach to combating the flow of synthetic 
opioids into the United States.
  The underlying bill recognizes the importance of this Commission and 
the work that is still needed.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Trone), the author of this bill and a champion in 
combating the opioid crisis.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Wild very much for her 
kind words.
  I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass my bill to extend the work 
of the National Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking 
so, together, we can complete the Commission's important work in a 
timely manner.
  As many of you know, my mission in Congress is to end the opioid 
epidemic in this country. This bipartisan Commission will help us do 
just that.
  Thanks to the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 
our former congressional colleague, Max Rose, this bipartisan 
Commission was established by the National Defense Authorization Act of 
2020. I was honored that Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed me to the 
Commission, and that my colleagues on the Commission voted to elect me 
co-chair, along with Senator Tom Cotton.
  The goal of the Commission is to develop a strategic approach to 
combating the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States, but my 
goal for the Commission is much more simple. It is simply to save 
lives--save lives, period.
  Last year, we saw more than 93,000 people die of a drug overdose in 
this country. We set a new record, a record we never wanted to set. In 
Maryland alone, we lost nearly 2,500 to opioids.
  After we made progress in the fight against overdoses in 2019, the 
numbers are continuing to rise due to the pandemic. As overdoses 
continue to rise in communities across the country, we have our work 
cut out for us in this

[[Page H5482]]

fight against synthetic drug trafficking.
  Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are among the deadliest illicit 
substances in the drug industry today. In my home State of Maryland, 
fentanyl was involved in 93 percent of all opioid deaths in 2020, and 
opioid-related deaths were up 46 percent in western Maryland in 2020, 
compared to the same time last year.
  We need to act now if we are going to put an end to these senseless 
deaths, and we cannot do it alone. That is why I am so grateful for the 
work of the bipartisan Commission.
  The Commission's membership includes the best of the best. From the 
administration, we have representatives from the Office of National 
Drug Control Policy, DEA, DHS, DOD, Treasury, State, and the Director 
of National Intelligence.
  In Congress, Republican Congressman Fred Upton and Democrat Senator 
Ed Markey, two champions in the fight against addiction, are working 
alongside Senator Cotton and me.
  We have a number of experts from outside government, including Karen 
Tandy, Sandy Winnefeld, and other distinguished individuals. We are 
grateful that Kemp Chester, from the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy, guides our work as executive director. We are lucky to have the 
expertise of the experts at RAND working to find solutions for this 
incredibly difficult challenge.
  Due to the pandemic, we were not able to begin our work as soon as we 
would have liked. For that reason, we must pass this simple but crucial 
bill to extend the work of the Commission until February of next year.
  This extension will allow us to continue our important work and 
produce a report with actionable steps that will combat the flow of 
synthetic opioids into our country and, most importantly, save lives.
  I urge a ``yes'' vote.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Trone) for the work that he is doing.
  Having served on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and now serving on 
Judiciary as the chair of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security 
Subcommittee, I can affirmatively say that fentanyl kills. It kills 
people. It kills our children, our mothers, our fathers. It kills the 
family's infrastructure and system.
  So let me just simply indicate that the idea of having an extension 
of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking to join in 
the thoughtful discussion of what we are attempting to do on drugs that 
kill.
  We in the Judiciary Committee have been working and secured an 
extension of fentanyl sanctions, and it was in acknowledgment that the 
community is suffering by the harmful effects of fentanyl abuse and 
usage. It was acknowledging that it is imperative that we find a 
thoughtful resolution to address the grave tragedies that plague 
communities like mine and those throughout the country.

  Earlier, I mentioned names of individuals who were on the other side 
in terms of incarceration because of the imbalance in drug enforcement. 
But, again, we say that fentanyl kills.
  Given the importance of getting this right, I am in support of 
extending the measure in Judiciary, but I am in support of having the 
opportunity for thoughtful discussion to deal with what our next steps 
are.
  Any way that we can come together to address the loss of life and, of 
course, the acceptance that fentanyl kills, and other opioid substances 
as well, used and abused, then I can assure you that we are doing the 
right thing as Members of Congress.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, as noted, the battle we wage against the illicit 
distribution of fentanyl is ongoing. Extending the time allows the 
Commission to provide us a better understanding of the challenges we 
face and includes a strategy to address it. The valuable work of this 
Commission is critical to addressing this poison in our Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for 
the purpose of closing.
  According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2018, 128 people 
died each day from opioid overdoses. We must not lose sight of the 
devastating toll these drugs are taking on our country. We need to 
tackle the opioid crisis from every angle. I am hopeful that passing 
this bill will take us one step closer to ending this epidemic.
  I again thank Mr. Trone for authoring this important legislation. I 
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4981, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4981.
  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. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________