Sen. Blackburn, Rep. Cammack Push ‘Stop Taxpayer Funding of Traffickers Act’

Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Republican Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) have introduced a measure to stop drug and human traffickers from benefiting from U.S. tax dollars, even after they are charged with a crime.

Essentially, the Stop Taxpayer Funding of Traffickers Act prevents anyone charged with drug or human trafficking at or near the border of receiving government benefits. That is defined as the “issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States.”

That also includes “any retirement, welfare, Social Security, health, disability, veterans, public housing, or other similar benefit,” per the Senate legislation.

It defines a ‘‘drug trafficking offense’’ as “any Federal offense that includes as an element of the offense the distribution of a controlled substance,” and ‘‘covered trafficking offense’’ as a “human trafficking offense or a drug trafficking offense for which any portion of the course of conduct constituting the human trafficking offense or drug trafficking offense occurred at an international border of the United States or within the territorial waters of the United States.”

Simply put, the legislation states that “an individual who is indicted for or charged in an information with a covered trafficking offense shall be ineligible for any Federal benefit,” releasing taxpayers from the burden.

“Over the last two years, we’ve seen the horrific consequences of the Biden Border Crisis, including the devastating toll on our communities nationwide from drug and human trafficking,” Cammack said, explaining that this has hit close to home, as the sheriff’s department in Florida’s Marion County “recovered bricks of fentanyl with stamps from border cartels, alongside pill presses and sophisticated distribution plans.”

“Those responsible for trafficking drugs and people into our country at our borders and in our waters should not receive federal assistance after violating our laws—not only is it wrong, but it rewards those who have perpetuated this deadly crisis,” she said.

Blackburn said Biden’s open border policies have “emboldened the cartels and caused human trafficking to grow to a $13 billion industry, with criminal cartels earning up to $14 million each day.”

“Last year alone, law enforcement seized over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border, enough to kill over 3.3 billion people,” she said, calling on the U.S. to stop incentivizing it.

“This legislation ensures that hardworking American taxpayers – already crushed by inflation – are not forced to fund the lifestyles of offenders who are making our country more dangerous,” Blackburn added. 

President Biden during the State of the Union (SOTU) lamented the dire state of affairs, with fentanyl killing countless Americans.

“It’s your fault,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) shouted during the speech. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December found U.S. life expectancy tumbling to a 25-year low as drug overdose deaths rise.