One-third of American adults know someone who has died from an opioid overdose. In fact, opioid overdose is the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-45. And, without a doubt, fentanyl is the primary driver behind the drug epidemic that’s gripping the nation.
Fentanyl’s extreme lethality makes it a powerful agent of death. Just two milligrams, or the equivalent of a few grains of salt, can be enough to kill.
While fentanyl is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for legitimate medical use, making it a Schedule II controlled substance, cartels and traffickers use copycat recipes with slight chemical tweaks to concoct potent, illicit drugs. These fentanyl knockoffs, known as fentanyl-related substances, are intentionally designed to exploit loopholes in U.S. law and can be even deadlier than fentanyl itself.
President Donald Trump recognized the danger of fentanyl-related substances early on. During his first administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily classified fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, meaning they have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse and harm to users. Trump’s temporary classification also ensures those who manufacture and traffic these deadly drugs can be prosecuted.
Congress has extended President Trump’s temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances multiple times since 2018. But on March 31 – just over a month away – that temporary order will expire. Only Congress has the power to make it permanent.
The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act would amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I. Notably, the legislation would not affect the legitimate medical use or Schedule II status of FDA-approved fentanyl and includes provisions to ensure researchers can continue utilizing the drug to explore safe treatment options.
The bill is common sense and overwhelmingly bipartisan. Ninety-eight Democrats voted for it when it handily passed the House of Representatives earlier this month on a vote of 312-108.
Now, the HALT Fentanyl Act is headed to the Senate, where it continues to receive strong bipartisan support. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and I are its lead sponsors, joined by 22 co-sponsors from both parties.
As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have scheduled a committee vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act this Thursday. Congress has a dwindling shot clock to pass this bill before fentanyl-related substances’ Schedule I status runs out. This is a high-stakes, life-or-death situation that we can’t afford to lose.
Trump’s Office of Management and Budget has already confirmed that, should Congress pass the bill in its current form, the president will sign it. The Senate Judiciary Committee must rise to the occasion by swiftly moving the HALT Fentanyl Act forward.
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Once the bill is passed by Congress and delivered to the president’s desk, President Donald Trump can continue delivering on his campaign promises by signing the lifesaving HALT Fentanyl Act into law.
It’s no coincidence President Trump’s first campaign ad contrasting his leadership against the failed Biden-Harris administration highlighted the grave threat fentanyl poses to the American way of life. Cracking down on fentanyl-related substances is a key part of Trump’s pledge to make America safe again. The Senate Judiciary Committee owes it to voters and to the tens of thousands of Americans who’ve tragically lost loved ones to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act without delay.
Chuck Grassley is a U.S. Senator from Iowa and the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.