TranslatePolitics.com

Recent debates

8 latest topics

09-03 Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026 13 statements 09-03 Moment of Silence in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of September 11 2 statements 09-03 Honoring Former U.S. Representative Charles Hatcher of Georgia 2 statements 09-03 Recognizing Firefighters from California's Third Congressional District 17 statements 09-02 Saluting White Plains Beautification Foundation 2 statements 09-02 Celebrating Rural Lawyer Julie Bear 4 statements 09-02 Operation Midway Blitz Anniversary 2 statements 09-02 Catherine Watts Celebrates 100th Birthday 4 statements

House of Representatives

Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act

2026-07-13 Issue 113 Showing 1–1 of 1

A bill to require Homeland Security to track how well it detects and seizes illegal fentanyl. Both parties praised the bill and each other during the short discussion.

Official Congressional Record ↗

James R. Walkinshaw

Democrat

“I want this bill to pass. It is based on recommendations. The recommendations say our government should make a program. The program will collect data and measure how effective we are against fentanyl. It will make our government talk to itself about fentanyl. It will set goals for our government. Fentanyl is very bad. Many people die from it. Our government must fight it. We must work together to fight fentanyl. I want to thank the people who worked on this legislation.”

Official Congressional Record

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 8535, the bipartisan Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act, is based on the nonpartisan research and recommendations of the Government Accountability Office, which last year examined the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to detect, deter, and seize illicit fentanyl. GAO identified critical gaps in DHS efforts against fentanyl trafficking: a lack of coordination, information sharing, and measures to assess DHS' effectiveness. As a result, GAO made three straightforward recommendations: first, establish a program to collect data and measure effectiveness; second, ensure access to information across DHS components; and, third, develop performance goals and measures aligned with DHS' strategic objectives. Our bill simply would put into law those commonsense recommendations. Fentanyl remains one of the most devastating public safety and public health challenges facing our Nation. The scourge of fentanyl trafficking is sobering. CDC data showed that fentanyl accounted for over 69 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2025. Last year alone, in the D.C. metropolitan region, there were nearly 1,000 deaths due to fentanyl overdose. With lives, resources, and time on the line, it is important for DHS personnel to not only work hard in the fight against illicit fentanyl but to also work smart against this enormous challenge. That requires collaboration and the ability to assess how their operations are having an impact. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. McCaul, who was my co-lead on this legislation. I thank the chairman, Ranking Member Thompson, and Mr. Correa, as well, who worked hard on it. As I said, this bipartisan legislation would put three GAO recommendations for combating illicit fentanyl into law. It would require the establishment of a program to collect data and measure the effectiveness of current efforts to counter illicit fentanyl, ensure information sharing across DHS components, and require the development of performance goals and measures. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting H.R. 8535, and I yield back the balance of my time.

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

What they said. What they meant.

Recent debates