Steil Amendments to Combat Illicit Fentanyl Included in FY 2023 Appropriations

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) released a statement announcing two amendments offered to combat illicit fentanyl overdoses will be included in the House FY 2023 Appropriations Minibus.

“In Kenosha County, a fourteen year old boy died from a fentanyl related substance. We must keep these incredibly dangerous drugs off our streets. In order to stop the flow of illicit fentanyl coming into our communities, we need to secure the border, support law enforcement, and make fentanyl-related substances a permanent Schedule I drug. My amendments included in the FY2023 Appropriations package coming before Congress this week are an important step in combatting this dangerous substance.”

The amendments include:

• Transferring $5 million to combat the illicit importation of opioids, including fentanyl, through international mail facilities and land ports-of entry. This funding will be offset by transferring funds from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
• Transferring $5 million to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA) to combat the increase in overdoses from fentanyl. Offset from the Department of the Treasury, Departmental Offices Salaries and Expenses account.

Background:

Congressman Steil has heard from countless families in Wisconsin who have been impacted by illicit fentanyl overdoses and has taken action in Congress to bring forward solutions.

Steil hosted a Fighting Fentanyl Roundtable in Racine County in February of 2022. During the roundtable, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), leaders from Racine County, including the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney’s Office, County Executive’s Office, and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) discussed what they are seeing regarding fentanyl related substances in Wisconsin, and across the United States, and what must be done at the federal level to combat this substance.

Steil is a cosponsor of the HALT Fentanyl Act, legislation that would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug, and led a letter with 116 Members of Congress urging the Administration to take action to stop the flow of fentanyl coming from China and across our southern border. To read the full text of the letter, click here.

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