Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my Judiciary Committee colleagues, Chairman Graham and Senator Durbin, as the lead cosponsor of the ``Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act.''

This bill will ensure that fentanyl-related substances remain in Schedule I and will help deter the manufacture of fentanyl-related substances responsible for overdose deaths.

In 2018, the number of fentanyl-related deaths in the United States increased from 28,000 to 32,000.

This is more than double the number of heroin-related overdose deaths. It is a staggering number of lives lost that we simply cannot accept.

To address the increasing deaths, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary order to control fentanyl-related substances, or fentanyl analogues, as a class.

That order is set to expire on February 6th.

Based on the information my office has received from the DEA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is clear that this order has been effective.

The number of law enforcement encounters of new fentanyl analogues has decreased from 8 to 2. That is significant and means that the order has reduced the supply of new fentanyl analogues by 75 percent.

This decrease in supply has reduced the need for widespread prosecutions of fentanyl-related offenses. In fact, since the DEA's order went into effect, it is my understanding that there has only been two related prosecutions.

Additionally, although the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths has continued to increase, the rate at which these deaths has increased has declined significantly.

For example, between the 12 month periods ending January 2017 and January 2018, fentanyl deaths increased by nearly 36 percent.

Comparatively, between the 12 month periods ending May 2018 and May 2019, which is the latest data available, the rate of fentanyl deaths only increased by just over 9 percent.

I would have preferred a long-term solution to addressing this problem that can gamer strong bipartisan support, and I am eager to continue working with my colleagues on such a solution.

However, given the limited amount of time that we have before the DEA's temporary order expires, we cannot sit idly by and do nothing.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. Given the staggering number of overdose deaths associated with fentanyl-related substances, inaction is not an option. ______

By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Ms. Murkowski):

S. 3203. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the requirements for appointment, qualifications, and pay for therapeutic medical physicists of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

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