[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H12]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE DRUG CRISIS IS DECIMATING COMMUNITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the drug 
crisis that is decimating communities and destroying families.
  Earlier this month, the CDC released data showing that fentanyl 
overdoses are now the number one killer of Americans ages 18 to 45: 
number one killer. This data is tragic. No family should have to deal 
with the sudden loss of a loved one.
  Fentanyl is often ingested unknowingly, and a dose smaller than the 
size of a penny can be lethal.
  In 2021, President Biden swung open the doors to our southern border, 
and the impact of that continues to be negative. That decision invited 
drug traffickers into our country. Last year, Border Patrol agents 
seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman and child in my home 
State of Pennsylvania.
  We cannot solve this crisis while our borders remain open. We cannot 
solve this crisis while the Biden administration fails to act.
  This deadly drug will continue to pour into our country if we fail to 
build the wall. It will continue to pour into our country if we do not 
get the border agents the support and the tools that they need.
  This issue is far too important to continue to ignore. Our 
communities continue to suffer. Congress should act now to make 
fentanyl analogs a schedule one narcotic.
  The Biden administration must secure our southern border. Our 
communities, they are counting on us to act. We can no longer continue 
to let them down.

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