END FENTANYL Act Passes the House

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act (S. 206). Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03) authored the bill in the House of Representatives and was instrumental in getting this important legislation passed. As the bill heads to the President’s desk, Congressman Guest is proud to see Congress working together on an issue affecting all Americans.

“It’s time we take a hard stance against the smuggling of this deadly drug”, said Representative Guest. “With this legislation, we’re fighting to protect the American people from letting drug smugglers bring fentanyl into our communities. I am proud that the END FENTANYL Act is on its way to becoming law.”

Senator Rick Scott said, “For too long, the fentanyl crisis has plagued our communities and caused crushing heartbreak to those who lose loved ones to these dangerous drugs. As fentanyl continues to flow illegally into the U.S. over the southern border and kills tens of thousands of our citizens, we must do more to support our brave CBP agents, and all who are on the front lines of this battle to ensure they have every tool needed to keep these dangerous drugs out of our communities. Passage of the END FENTANYL Act is a big win in our fight against the lethal opioid epidemic, but it is not the end. I am thankful for my colleagues in the House and Senate voting for its passage, and I urge the President to quickly sign it into law.”

“The damage that has already been caused by fentanyl is irreparable. Overdoses caused by fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in Americans aged 18 to 45, but we can act to mitigate the continued devastation that the drug is causing in communities across our nation,” Congressman Michael Guest said. “This bill is a strong step forward in our mission to save as many lives as possible from this deadly drug, and we must continue to work with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities. I’m grateful for Congressman Trone and Senator Scott for their efforts towards this important goal.”

“Far too many Americans have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses, and millions more are currently suffering from substance use disorder. Working together, we must do everything we can to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into our communities,” said Congressman David Trone. “The END FENTANYL Act will allow us to keep inspection practices at the border up to date to better combat this ever-evolving epidemic and save lives. This is a common-sense, bipartisan effort that we can all get behind.”

“I applaud Rep. Guest’s leadership in securing House passage of the END FENTANYL Act”, saidChairman Green. “As the fentanyl epidemic continues to devastate families and communities across the country amid the Biden administration’s historic border crisis, I am pleased to see Congress take action to mitigate this threat by enhancing inspection and interdiction protocols at the border to ensure Border Patrol agents and CBP officers can accomplish their homeland security mission. I encourage the President to sign this legislation into law without delay.” 

Congressman Michael Guest (R-MS), joined by Congressman David Trone (D-MD), reintroduced the bipartisan Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of life (END FENTANYL) Act (H.R. 1401) in March 2023. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Senate version last year, which passed the Senate in June 2023 and the House of Representatives this week.

The END FENTANYL Act requires CBP to update its manuals at least every three years to identify ways to help prevent drug and human smuggling activity through ports of entry. It also requires the CBP Commissioner to report any changes that are made to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

As the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Congressman Guest has focused on combatting the fentanyl epidemic by cutting off its source in Mexico. In 2022, Congressman Guest cosponsored another piece of legislation to address this critical issue. The bill would increase the sentence of those found smuggling fentanyl into the U.S. to life in prison. 

Background:

The introduction of the END FENTANYL Act  follows a powerful testimony made in a Committee on Homeland Security hearing by Rebecca Kiessling, the mother of two young men who lost their lives after ingesting fentanyl that they believed was Percocet.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used clinically for the treatment of severe pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “it is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.” Under the supervision of a licensed medical professional, fentanyl has legitimate medical use.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), illicit fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico. It is then smuggled into the United States.

Fentanyl overdoses have become the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-45, according to a report by Families Against Fentanyl that analyzes data released by the CDC.

The amount of fentanyl seized by CBP agents increased by over 200% from FY20 to FY22.

Congressman Michael Guest represents Mississippi's Third Congressional District. Currently serving his third term, Congressman Guest serves as the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics. He is also a member of the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security.