Exclusive: Republican Study Committee Unveils Agenda to Combat Fentanyl ‘Public Health Catastrophe’

House Republicans are elevating the issue of fentanyl by mapping out their agenda to combat a growing epidemic they say is worsening because of Biden administration policies.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a massive 160-member caucus led by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), released a memorandum Monday obtained by Breitbart News that ripped into Democrats’ border and crime policies and revealed numerous legislative plans to tackle the fentanyl crisis.

“Thanks to President Biden’s refusal to enforce immigration law, drug smugglers now have free reign at our southern border,” Banks wrote in the memo, circulated among the caucus.

He added that in 2021, “fentanyl trafficking across our border increased by 132%. And within the United States, far-left politicians in many major cities have decriminalized drug possession or refused to prosecute drug offenders.”

Read the memo below:

The memo highlighted grim statistics about fentanyl, including one from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that showed more than 70,000 individuals had died from synthetic opioids — fentanyl being the “primary” one — in 2021, about 13,000 more than in 2020.

Fentanyl is highly addictive and becomes deadly at just two milligrams, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The illicit version of the drug is often mixed in with or disguised as other drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine, and many fentanyl victims “have no idea they are ingesting” it, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram states on the agency website.

“Each characteristic that made fentanyl commercially successful is equally responsible for its starring role in America’s deadly drug epidemic,” Banks stated.

The chairman warned that fentanyl’s potency allows it to be manufactured in small facilities and trafficked in small quantities, which makes detection more difficult for law enforcement.

“Because fentanyl is relatively inexpensive to produce, it is now becoming an increasingly popular choice for transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels who want to further pad their profit margins,” Banks added.

The memo listed out several legislative priorities Republicans should pursue, including a bill introduced by Banks and RSC members Thursday called the Protecting Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act, which would increase penalties against dealers and manufacturers of illegal drugs designed to mimic candy or beverages.

That bill coincided with an emotional roundtable the RSC hosted Thursday during which several parents of children who died after unknowingly ingesting fentanyl spoke about their stories and urged more action from Congress.

Other legislative solutions in the memo included bills to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, tighten border restrictions, strengthen sentencing for fentanyl-related crimes, create the ability to hold foreign countries where fentanyl originated accountable, and more.

“Biden’s border policies have caused tens of thousands of deaths in America and devastated communities and families across the country,” Banks concluded. “House Republicans should highlight the cruel reality of Democrats’ open-border agenda and help voters understand that secure borders are the only humanitarian option.”