Posted on Tuesday, February 11, 2025
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by Kamden Mulder
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5 Comments
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In a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation in a bitterly divided 119th Congress, the House of Representatives passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl (HALT) Act late last week, a promising sign that lawmakers are determined to address the opioid crisis that spiraled out of control under the Biden administration.
The HALT Act passed the House 312-108, with 98 Democrats voting in favor of the bill following a flood of support from outside groups, including AMAC Action. In a January 13 letter to Congress, AMAC Action Chairwoman Rebecca Weber wrote that by passing the bill, “we are sending a strong message that the United States will not tolerate the continued destruction caused by this drug.”
The bill specifically takes steps toward permanently classifying fentanyl as a Schedule I controlled substance along with cracking down on the drug crisis at the border by imposing mandatory minimum sentencing on smugglers. Fentanyl was previously given a temporary label as a Schedule I substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during President Donald Trump’s first term; however, that designation is set to expire in March.
Schedule I controlled substances are considered the most dangerous — the list includes heroin, LSD, and peyote, among other opioids and psychoactive substances. Drugs under this classification, according to the National Institutes of Health, pose the “highest risk of abuse, with no recognized medical use in the U.S.”
Passage of the HALT Act comes at a particularly dire moment in the fight against opioids, with almost 200 Americans dying every day from fentanyl overdoses. U.S. law enforcement seized more than 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl in 2023 alone, enough to kill every American citizen.
After seeing steady declines throughout the first three years of Trump’s first term, overdose deaths skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The border crisis only accelerated this trend as fentanyl and other drugs swamped American communities.
As a result, the number of overdose deaths soared during the Biden administration. In April 2021, the rolling 12-month average of opioid deaths topped 100,000 for the first time ever. 2022 saw 73,838 deaths from fentanyl specifically, almost double the figure recorded in 2019. These numbers coincide with record-high illegal border crossings under Biden.
Permanently reclassifying fentanyl as a Schedule I substance now gives law enforcement more tools to crack down on the distribution of this deadly drug and punish dealers. Under the provisions of the HALT Act, anyone convicted of an offense involving 100 grams of fentanyl or more will face a minimum 10-year mandatory prison term.
“The lethal dose of fentanyl is just two milligrams or about four grains of sand,” Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), the bill’s sponsor, said. The Mexican cartels, according to Griffith, change the molecular makeup of fentanyl to try to cheat American criminal codes.
“Nearly 75,000 Americans are dying every year from fentanyl overdoses,” Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) added in a speech backing the bill on the floor of the House. “Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for adults 18-45. This is a crisis — and it must end NOW.”
In 2023, the House passed the same legislation by a 289-133 vote. However, the bill never received a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate due to concerns over a potential uptick in incarcerations.
But with the Senate now controlled by Republicans, the bill is expected to receive a vote. Moreover, the legislation received substantially more support from Democrats in the House this time around, indicating that Senate Democrats could feel similar pressure to work with Republicans to pass the bill.
During his first term, President Trump underscored the importance of a Schedule I classification for fentanyl. The DEA’s temporary Schedule 1 classification was instituted under Trump in 2018, and Congress has since extended the classification through legislation multiple times.
Passage of the HALT Act through the House also comes amid other executive actions by Trump in the early weeks of his second term to address the fentanyl crisis.
Earlier this month, for instance, Trump threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canada and Mexico unless they did more to stop fentanyl trafficking into the United States across their borders. Both countries quickly complied and gave Trump the resources he requested.
Canada will now spend 1.3 billion dollars on strengthening the U.S.-Canadian border to stop fentanyl trafficking.
“In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on X. “I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum made similar promises, announcing that Mexico would send 10,000 members of its national guard to the border.
The HALT Act promises to augment these early victories from Trump and give law enforcement more tools to get fentanyl and fentanyl dealers off the streets. Now it’s up to the Senate to take the next step to build on this progress.
Kamden Mulder is a senior at Hillsdale College pursuing a degree in American Studies and Journalism. You can follow her on X @kamdenmulder_.
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