Gluesenkamp Perez Joins Bipartisan Effort to Fight Fentanyl Trafficking, Hold Bad Actors Accountable

Last week, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) joined a group of her bipartisan colleagues to introduce the Fight Fentanyl Act to ensure local, state, and federal law enforcement officials across the country have the tools and equipment needed to get fentanyl and illicit substances off the streets, including Reps. Dave Taylor (OH-02) and Mike Levin (CA-49).

The Fight Fentanyl Act would reform and reauthorize the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program to ensure local, state, and federal law enforcement officials across the country have the tools and equipment needed to help keep fentanyl and other illegal drugs off the streets they serve. This bill would also ensure fentanyl traffickers face prosecution for smuggling and distributing these illicit drugs into the United States.

The legislation will:

• Create a report illustrating how funding under HIDTA is used to investigate drug traffickers and their prosecution, the amount of fentanyl seized, data collected from regional HIDTA programs on trends and patterns in substance use, trafficking, the transportation of fentanyl, and any limitations that HIDTA programs may be facing in carrying out their mission.
• Reauthorize the HIDTA Program at $333 million annually through Fiscal Year 2030, a $53 million annual increase from the previous year.
• Provide $14 million to federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to enhance fentanyl seizure and interdiction activities.
• Direct the U.S. Attorney General to assign assistant United States attorneys to individual HIDTA programs to bolster the investigation and prosecution of organizations and individuals trafficking fentanyl and ensure that these criminals are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

"Fentanyl is crossing our borders, tearing apart families, and hollowing out communities across Southwest Washington," said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. "This bipartisan legislation will get our dedicated law enforcement officers the tools they need to get fentanyl off our streets and prosecute traffickers to the fullest extent of the law."

"For too long, cartels and other bad actors have crossed our borders, bringing fentanyl and other illicit substances into the U.S.," said Rep. Taylor. "Instead of being available to attend to other needs in our communities, local law enforcement officials continue to struggle to keep up with the constant flow of fentanyl in our communities. My bipartisan Fight Fentanyl Act will equip law enforcement officials with the tools they need to get illicit drugs out of American neighborhoods and hold fentanyl traffickers accountable for their actions."

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is working to fight the flow of fentanyl across our Southern Border that makes the work of first responders more difficult, scoring 100 percent on the National Association of Police Organizations' Legislative Scorecard for those efforts.

Earlier this month, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez led a Blue Dog Coalition effort urging Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the HALT Fentanyl Act to the House floor for a vote. The Congresswoman cosponsored the FEND Off Fentanyl and END FENTANYL Acts in the House, which are now law, to target fentanyl traffickers and fight fentanyl smuggling at ports of entry.

Resources for those struggling with substance use in Southwest Washington can be found here.

Reps. Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Carol Miller (WV-01), Mike Ezell (MS-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Don Bacon (NE-02), Neal Dunn (FL-02), Don Davis (NC-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), David Rouzer (NC-12), Jeff Hurd (CO-3), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Josh Riley (NY-19), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Josh Harder (CA-09) are also original cosponsors of this legislation.