Press Releases

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 27, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act.

This bill, of which U.S. Congressmen Morgan Griffith and Bob Latta are chief sponsors, would permanently classify lethal fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I substances, closing a dangerous loophole traffickers are exploiting. The temporary Schedule I designation is set to expire in March. 

The bill also enables a streamlined registration process for medical research into fentanyl-related substances.

House Republican leaders offered their thoughts on passage of this critical measure.

“Today, the House took a critical step forward to combat the fentanyl crisis by passing the HALT Fentanyl Act. For far too long, the Biden administration’s failure to secure our border allowed this deadly drug to pour into our country and kill more than 200 Americans a day. This bill permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, giving law enforcement the tools needed to halt this epidemic. With this legislation and President Trump’s recent actions to secure our northern and southern borders, Republicans are taking decisive, strong, and immediate action to keep these dangerous drugs out of our communities.”  - Speaker Mike Johnson

“Thanks to four years of President Biden’s disastrous open border policies, fentanyl continues to pour across our southern border, destroying lives, families, and communities. Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are now the leading cause of death for adults under 50 years old. This isn’t a ‘drug problem’ – it’s a mass poisoning of Americans. It is long past time we treat this crisis with the seriousness it deserves and take action to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States: American lives are at stake. That’s why today, House Republicans passed H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act. This incredibly important legislation permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances (FRS) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, guaranteeing law enforcement has the resources to keep deadly drugs off our streets and allowing for further research of FRS. I’m grateful to Rep. Griffith and Rep. Latta for their leadership on this issue. House Republicans will continue passing legislation to save lives and make our communities safe again.” - Majority Leader Steve Scalise 

“One life lost to fentanyl is one too many. Unfortunately, the Biden administration exacerbated the fentanyl crisis that has devastated our communities by failing to change course on their open-borders agenda. House Republicans are once again governing where the Democrats have failed, and I thank Representatives Griffith and Latta for their leadership on this very important issue.” – Majority Whip Tom Emmer

"Every single life lost to the fentanyl crisis is more than just a statistic. Our country needs solutions, and House Republicans have taken action to make our communities safer and help save lives. Although this bill should’ve become law sooner, I am glad 98 Democrats joined us today on passage. I commend my colleagues, Congressman Griffith and Congressman Latta, for their tremendous efforts to help stop the deadly fentanyl crisis affecting American families." – Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain

"I'm encouraged the House has overwhelmingly advanced our HALT Fentanyl Act, which will help curb the devastating fentanyl poisoning crisis. While making the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances permanent to get this crisis under control, this bill does not impede research into fentanyl-related substances, nor does it restrict access to fentanyl for those who rely on it for medicinal purposes. I'm proud to have worked on this extremely important bill with my friend, Congressman Griffith, and I'm even more pleased that the House recognized the urgency in which this bill is needed and passed it today. I call upon the Senate to take up our bill immediately and send it to President Trump's desk to be signed into law." - Congressman Bob Latta

“The HALT Fentanyl Act highlights House Republicans’ commitment to tackling deadly fentanyl-related substances and saving lives. I appreciate Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer and Chairwoman McClain for supporting this critical legislation. I commend my dedicated colleague, Congressman Latta, for his contributions to advance this critical legislation. The American people, including those in Appalachia, deserve nothing less than safe neighborhoods and safe streets.” - Congressman Morgan Griffith.

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