[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 17, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





              HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 11, 2025

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 331, the HALT 
Fentanyl Act.
  This bill is not a solution to the proliferation of Fentanyl Related 
Substances (FRS) in America. We need legislation and investments in 
health interventions that will save lives while taking meaningful 
action to stop illicit drug sales.
  S. 331 would permanently criminalize all FRS based solely on their 
molecular structure. This would seriously hamper the medical community 
from working on the development of treatments to fentanyl overdose or 
other medically beneficial FRSs. The HALT Fentanyl Act also imposes 
harmful mandatory minimum sentences. Decades of research shows that 
mandatory minimum laws that focus solely on supply reduction and 
incarceration are not effective in slowing the flow of illicit drugs 
into our country or the rates of overdoses in our communities. In fact, 
the current fentanyl epidemic has been found to have its roots in 
crackdowns on prescription opioids and heroin that were not paired with 
evidence-based overdose prevention and treatment services. We should be 
pursuing policy solutions that incorporate evidence-based strategies to 
addiction and overdose prevention that are rooted in health and 
science, not just increasing criminalization.
  Congress should bring forward a comprehensive bill that reflects the 
input of medical professionals, addiction specialists, researchers, and 
law enforcement. Republicans are trying to present a ``quick and easy'' 
solution to a complex problem.

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