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▶ 0:07:21to order without objection the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time today the rules committee is convening to consider h r 27 the halt all lethal trafficking of fentanyl act or halt fentanyl act Elissa Fentanyl and its analoges are responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans every single year fentanyl destroys families upends communities and poses a serious threat to the health and safety of millions of
▶ 0:07:51Americans for context in 2022 the DEA seized over 379 million doses of fentanyl that's enough to kill every single American and with the open border policies of the previous administrations that are now thankfully being reversed by President Trump the stream of fentanyl into the United States over the last four decades went unimpeded something must be done to change the trajectory
▶ 0:08:21and HR 27 offers a solution this legislation would permanently Place Fentanyl and analoges into schedule one of the control Substances Act simplify registration processes for certain research with schedule one substances provide for exemption of individual analogues from schedule one when evidence demonstrates it is appropriate last Congress the halt fentanyl
▶ 0:08:52act received sizable bipartisan support with 74 Democrats voting yes alongside Republicans I hope this time around that more of our colleagues across the aisle will join us everyone in this room has certainly read stories or seen news coverage of how elicit fentanyl has wed Havoc Upon Our Country One Life long lost to fentanyl is too many one life ens snared by an addiction
▶ 0:09:22to fentanyl is too many all of us agree to that again this bipartisan legis ation offers us the opportunity to make significant Headway in addressing a serious issue that continues to affect our nation I look forward to the discussion on this legislation and I now yield to the ranking member Mr mcover for any comments he wishes to make thank you madam chair um so we are here to consider uh HR
▶ 0:09:5227 the the halt fentanyl act um you know as we all know the opiate epid iic especially the fentanyl crisis is a devastating tragedy it continues to take lives destroy families and wreak havoc on communities all across this country we have to figure out a way to work together to keep drugs off our streets to prevent addiction and support those who are struggling with recovery uh but for us to have a constructive conversation tonight uh I think we need to set the record straight about a few things
▶ 0:10:23just last week while uh some of my friends were um at the Trump Direct Resort in Miami um the Trump Administration tried to suspend vital funding that provides Americans benefits that keep them safe healthy fed and afloat we're talking about freezing things like Medicaid uh Wick Meals on Wheels and even veterans benefits let's be clear this freeze would have also blocked
▶ 0:10:53hundreds of billions of dollars in bipartisan funding for law enforcement substance ofuse stre treatment Homeland Security activities and funds to specifically combat the fentanyl crisis and all of this chaos was spun with the help of many Republicans including some on this committee state and local law enforcement assistance the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration the high-intensity drug trafficking areas program you know all on the chopping block
▶ 0:11:23and so I don't want to have be lectured about the fentanyl crisis after Republicans tried to blow up the programs to keep it off our streets Donald Trump made it a priority his first week in office to Pardon Ross alri this is the guy who was sentenced to life in federal prison for making fentol widely available to online consumers that's right one of his first acts was to Pardon a notorious convicted
▶ 0:11:54supplier I don't know I I think there's kind of a disconnect here uh you back the Blue by pardoning people who believe who beat police officers you're fighting fentol by pardoning an online drug K kingpen whose website contributed to fentanyl pouring into our country your big idea to lower the deficit is to cut an agency that represents 1% of the federal budget and then give 10 times that amount in tax breaks for those who are well off and well connected
▶ 0:12:25so the people I talk to U those on the front lines of this crisis uh you know expect more of us uh they're SI sick sick of empty rhetoric we need comprehensive evidence-based ideas to tackle this crisis to prevent addiction and to keep fentanyl off our streets uh instead the current leader of the Republican party is pardoning a guy who let the fentanyl flood in with that I back thank
▶ 0:12:55you Mr McGovern without objection any prepared statement that our Witnesses may have will be included in the record I welcome our first panel representative Griffith and representative toet from the committee on Energy and Commerce I remind witnesses that your full statement may be submitted for the record and we ask you summarize your statement in five minutes or less representative Griffith I welcome your testimony thank you madam chair unfortunately most
▶ 0:13:25members in this chamber know someone who's been affected by the drug overdose epidemic plaguing our country according to the CDC Centers for Disease Control and prevention in 2023 there were more than 17,000 overdose deaths that occurred in the United States these staggering numbers are due in large part to increasing presence of Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs which are approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin the lethal dose of fentanyl is just 2 milligrams or about four grains of sand
▶ 0:13:56a loophole that the Mexican cartels used used to traffic illicit or have tried to use to traffic illicit fentanyl into our country is to change one of the components of the molecular structure of fentanyl to create a fentanyl analog the cartels did this in attempt to evade our criminal laws right now fental analoges are considered schedule one substances but only because of a series of temporary temporary scheduling orders
▶ 0:14:26which are now set to expire on March 31st of this year along with my colleague Mr L from Ohio that's why we have introduced HR 27 the halt fentanyl act this bill aims to curb overdose death deaths by permanently scheduling fentanyl analoges as schedule one substances this will strengthen law enforcement's ability to prosecute Fentanyl traffickers and act as a deterrent the H fentel act also promotes research by improving the registration
▶ 0:14:56process to eligible individuals so that they can conduct studies on those substances with appropriate safeguards in the Energy and Commerce Committee we've heard testimony there may be as many as 4,800 different fenel analoges our experts at NIH FDA and other research institutions have studied roughly 30 to 40 of those 4800 analoges by encouraging research of schedule one substances like fentanyl analoges we can better understand how
▶ 0:15:26these sub substances work and how we can prevent potential harmful impacts in the future and we may even find a better analog than the form of fenel that is currently in use so far we haven't but it is possible because fenel has proven medicinal use it is cons it is considered a schedule to narcotic but elicit derivatives of fentanyl also called fentel analoges currently have not demonstrated medical value let me be clear this bill will have
▶ 0:15:56no impact whatsoever on a physician's ability to administer fentel in medical s in medical senting settings halt that deals specifically with the analogs not medicinal fentanyl the Biden Administration even released a statement when this bill passed through the house last Congress stating that they supported permanent scheduling and streamlined research for fentel related substances we must address this bipartisan issue immediately and not allow the temporary extension to expire once
▶ 0:16:26fentel analoges are permanently placed in schedule one Congress will continue to build off this work to continue to address the illicit fentanyl crisis this is not a bill to fix everything it fixes one problem according to a 2021 GAO report there was a 90% decrease in these fentel analogs coming into our country the year they were placed into the schedule one temporary uh listing of as schedule one this bill is a critical step in combating the opioid crisis in our country
▶ 0:16:57because China and Mexico are heavily involved in the business China is sending the precursors to uh and of fental and fental analoges to the cartels in Mexico who then cook it up formulate it and bring it into our country across the border by making these analoges permanently scheduled one it removes the incentive to traffic these uh analog forms of fenel into our country China even realized the risk of fenal analogs and permanently schedule these analoges on their strictest
▶ 0:17:27schedule other countries have followed suit and done the same last Congress this bill cleared through Energy and Commerce on a bipartisan basis and then passed on the floor with 74 Democrats voting in favor of it the bill has the support of many law enforcement agencies and other entities calling for the need to pass this bill as it is we must act quickly to make the scheduling order permanent before it expires in just a few weeks I you back thank you very much representative
▶ 0:17:57Griffith uh representative to get you are now recognized thank you so much Mr chairman chairman the Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee and I all want to work with our Republican colleagues to address the opioid crisis that has touched all of our communities the best way to approach this crisis is through a multi-prong strategy that includes Public Safety Public Health and Science HR 27 the H the halt fentanyl act attempts
▶ 0:18:27to solve the issue of emerging drug threats through incarceration only as this bill doubles down on mandatory minimums for fentanyl related substances last Congress my Democratic colleagues and I shared our concerns about the partisan approach of the halt act we called for a bipartisan solution to save Americans from fentel safety act or SAFE Act which encompasses both a public safety and a public health approach despite the bipartisan solution presented by
▶ 0:18:57representative once again we're retreading the same path that went nowhere in the Senate last Congress rescheduling fentanyl as a schedule one substance will in and of itself not prevent one death the Hal fentanyl Act is nothing to provide law enforcement or public health agencies with additional resources to detect and to intercept illicit drugs at legal ports of Entry nor does it provide resources for prevention treatment or recovery efforts that for
▶ 0:19:28those already experiencing substance use disorder the majority pushing through the halt fentel act shows that they believe that the best way out of this crisis is through incarceration which simply is not a viable or effective strategy Additionally the halt fenel acts provision of a classwide permanent scheduling action for f FRS based only on chemical structure sets a dangerous precedent all other classwide scheduling orders require an evaluation of a substances
▶ 0:19:58pharmacological effect moving forward with the halt fentel act curves this long lasting precedent and puts us on an unsure path to the Future all of us do agree that F FRS do pose a threat to Public Health but the DEA has only encountered 37 existing F frs's and we are still unsure about their pharmacological effects by implementing this permanent scheduling without off-ramps for f FRS once we have established their effects we will
▶ 0:20:28exacerbate the incarceration rates that we have with a punitive mandatory minimum provision and exacerbate existing inequities in the criminal system but as Mr McGovern said that's not the only thing that the administration is exacerbating with their recent actions um frankly the Trump Administration has withheld important funding to these critical programs that we need to stop stop
▶ 0:20:59fentel the Trump administration's attempt to freeze Federal funding last week for critical programs at HHS puts all of our communities at risk of losing the progress that we have made in addressing the opioid epidemic the iron irresponsible and illegal attempt to withhold Federal grant Awards impacts all of our communities including over $12 million in substance use grants through the CDC NIH and samsa and the district of the
▶ 0:21:29chair of this committee um in North Carolina our communities depend on these funds to support proven Public Health prevention and treatment for vulnerable populations it's bewildering to me that there are people on this committee who are silently standing by while mental health programs wonder how they're going to pay their providers hospitals are cutting services and researchers funding applications are stuck in limbo in the OM memo
▶ 0:21:59issued last Monday evening which ordered the unconstitutional funding freeze this Administration targeted programs including certified community behavioral health clinics demonstration grants grants like these are critical as they support clinicians in their efforts to assist with prevention treatment and recovery of substance abuse disorder is this also the majority's plan to save America from the grips of the opioid epidemic starve our communities from opioid treatment help leave
▶ 0:22:29the most vulnerable without services and those who are valiantly attempting to care for them in their lifetimes Mr chairman that is why I cannot support this underlying bill in its current form and I will not sit by and abide our president unilaterally handicapping this body's constitutional rights I ask the members of this committee to learn from the mistakes last Congress and to not push this partisan legislation through the floor ignoring calls to work together on bipartisan legislation to address this
▶ 0:22:59crisis return the legislation to the Energy and Commerce Committee where we can roll up our sleeves and we can work on a bipartisan comprehensive solution that will work for all of those suffering and I thank you Mr chairman y back thank you for your thoughtful comments to both of our Witnesses I now recognize myself for questions uh representative Griffith how does this legislation address the issue raised by our Democratic colleagues uh who believe that the bill would prohibit access to fentanyl for medical purposes or prohibit research
▶ 0:23:29yeah that's that's a red herring that is not accurate the bill specifically excludes out the fentanyl that's currently used for medicinal purposes uh from being impacted by this bill so that would not apply this is only applied to the analogs or the fenel related substances that M to get U mentioned so that that would not be a problem okay and and looking to the temporary scheduling that's already on the books for these substances did the pharmaceutical industry researchers
▶ 0:23:59or any other relevant entities Express concern that the scheduling prevented the development of new medicines no particularly because we have the research component built in there so that people can research if there is a a new medicine capable then that then there's expedited uh ability to get that information uh to the attorney general as the law currently reads to uh reschedule but that's why we wanted to have the research component in there I felt very strongly about that when we first put this bill in a couple years ago that we
▶ 0:24:30not have an end because we may find something that works so far they have not uh but they might and so I don't want to I did not want to preclude that and U so we we put it in there that the research would be able to be continued and and go forward well thank you and finally within hours of President Trump being sworn in he signed a series of executive orders uh to secure our border and Deport criminal illegal aliens as of today he has brought Mexico to the table and secured a g guarantee that they'll send 10,000 troops
▶ 0:25:00to the US Mexico border to stop the flow of people in these deadly substances had President Biden responded with the same forcefulness and resolve at our Southern border at any point in his four years in the white house uh would have made a difference in terms of Liv saved in communities protected from fentanyl related substances I don't think there's any question and as I said earlier this is this is one piece of the formula uh I think too often people want to have big Broad bills that cover everything and those are even
▶ 0:25:30more difficult to pass than something like this um but this bill deals with one specific problem that we we saw and both parties have voted to extend uh the temporary scheduling of schedule one uh the the problem is that that that bill or that temporary scheduling of schedule one doesn't have the research component but it had the effect as as I said in my testimony had the effect of shutting down the attempts to play legal games
▶ 0:26:00with bringing in illegal fenel by claiming oh it's it's a right-handed molecule instead of a left-handed molecule therefore you can't charge us those games ended with the temporary this will make it permanent and open up the doors for research excellent thank you representative Griffith I appreciate your leadership in this legislative area once again this Congress uh the American people suffered for four long years under Administration that time and again refused to take Serious ly the flood of illicit Fentanyl and Fentanyl
▶ 0:26:31related uh deaths were brought into all of our communities all 50 states you know rural urban Suburban no every socioeconomic Corner thousands of Americans have died from overdoses millions of families have been torn apart our towns and our cities have suffered from the blight of crime and homelessness that have grown from this epidemic uh enough is enough and I'm I'm excited that we're moving ahead with this bill this week and I'm we thankfully have a president who's willing to use every tool at his disposal to put the health and the safety
▶ 0:27:01of Americans first I'm very proud to co-sponsor this bill with Mr uh Griffith um and now I will um yield the floor to Mr McGovern for his questions yeah president who just par in the drug kingpin um uh before I get to my questions uh uh Mr get did you want to respond to anything yes thank thank you very much Mr McGovern two things uh first of all it's correct that the Democrats are arguing that the bill would prevent
▶ 0:27:31medical research we're not arguing that in fact quite quite the opposite we're arguing that enshrining this in in schedule one would prevent us from looking at all of the potential uh effects of this molecular structure and um so so we we actually think research should continue but what it would do by putting it in schedule one is it would automatically increase the M mandatory minimum sentence without any of the other things I talked about in my opening statement that we need to
▶ 0:28:01have to prevent Fentanyl and then to have treatment the second thing that I just want to respond to um the the chairman um mentioned the um short-lived tariffs on Mexico that President Trump tried to impose the other day and he talked and he asked the question of my my friend and colleague um my friend and colleague Mr Mr Griffith about sending 10,000 troops to the border
▶ 0:28:32to the Border I would just point out for the record that those 10,000 troops were already at the border because they were requested by President Biden to go to the border so U I know president Trum Trump could took credit like he always does but in fact those troops were already there under the Biden Administration yeah it sounds like he's trying to say face but in any event um Mr Griffith I want to start by reiterating what I said in my opening um our Fen andol crisis is a tragedy
▶ 0:29:02and it deserves a serious response from Congress um but I want to ask you about an amendment uh sponsored by your Republican colleague representative green it's the same Amendment she submitted last year when we considered the same bill her Amendment would impose a mandatory minimum death penalty on people who traffic F all across the southern border I think the amendment is likely unconstitutional uh and it's certainly not a serious response to our fenal crisis but that aside I have a few questions for you uh we know that the vast majority of
▶ 0:29:32fentanyl that is seized 90% according to Customs and Border Protection actually comes through legal ports of Entry uh the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration recently testified before Congress confirming that the vast majority of fentol is coming through legal ports of Entry according to their investigations and as we know much of the fentanyl crisis is actually being fueled by drug cartels you yourself actually said that on I think X last week uh we know that these cartels are being
▶ 0:30:02propped up by us Firearms Democrats actually tried last year to disrupt the smuggling of us Firearms across the southern border and the Republicans blocked that Amendment so here's my questions I mean one would you support an amendment to disrupt the smuggling of us Firearms across the border U so the question would be that that us the cartels are smuggling us Firearms out of the US and into Mexico we're we're smuggling
▶ 0:30:32Firearms I'd have to see the amendment uh but I'm I'm against smuggling across our Southern border whether it's stuff going from the US into Mexico or from Mexico uh into the US which is why we need to have our border patrol uh strengthened and have them actually focused on protecting our border and if you protect it from stuff coming in from the south you would naturally catch things going could find you can work with us on to I'd be happy to I'd be happy to look at anything to stop illegal activity on the border
▶ 0:31:03yeah to restrict the smuggling of us Firearms uh to these drug cartels with which they use to obviously kill people and to intimidate people U I would say to the gentleman it would probably be better if we just focused on smuggling and not particular items but anything that's illegal to smuggle across the border do you support Miss Green's amendment to impose the death penalty on people who smuggle fental across the southern border and do you support making it an order uh I haven't thought through that one yet but my my gut reaction is
▶ 0:31:33is that uh I always try to take death penalty issues very seriously I have voted for some uh increases in the death penalty in my years in legislative bodies uh and I take that very seriously and I think it probably needs to be a standalone bill but I will take a look at it and I I don't know that I can give you an answer at this moment I'm sure within the next hour I will have be be uh determined to do it but I'm not sure that it applies to this bill I personally think it's an expansion beyond the the scope of what this bill is attempting to
▶ 0:32:03do so I would not think that it would be an order on this bill but a standalone bill I would have to evaluate and make a decision on that at a later time so does that mean you would not favor making it in order I I do not favor making it in order because it's it is not the direction that this bill is going in what we're trying to do is to make it so that the drug cartels cannot play games with the chemical formula uh of Fenty and fentel analoges or Fenty related substances and I just have one other question for you
▶ 0:32:33I mean while we're on the topic of mandatory minimums um a concept that I find some is often counterproductive unjust and systemically applied with racial disparities but do you support increasing mandatory minimum minimums for people who beat cops um again you're asking me something that I don't have in front of me and and I read everything before I make a final decision on it so let me say this about mandatory minimums I'm always hesitant on mandatory
▶ 0:33:04minimums uh because I as a uh recovering attorney who practiced as criminal defense attorney for many many years I recognize that that the judges often times can make decisions based on facts and every fact pattern is a little bit different and uh so I'm hesitant to do any mandatory minimums uh when they're not necessary I see this one is a little bit different than what some people might see and that is that what we're really doing is just keeping the cartels from playing games with the chemical composition of Fentanyl and Fentanyl related
▶ 0:33:34substances or analoges and and so we're not actually creating a new mandatory minimum we're just making sure that if you're trying to play games you're not going to get away with claiming it's not fentel when you and I both know it is so if I'm understanding the answer to the question um you do not support um uh increasing mandatory minimums for people who beat cops I did not say that so you are for I would have to maturely
▶ 0:34:04consider the bill and its full uh ramifications when I saw that bill I do not have that bill in front of me today the reason why I ask is because the president released from prison and pardoned violent criminals who assaulted police officers um and I actually uh you know um appreciate you saying that the people who assaulted police officer on January 6th deserve um prison in time some of your colleagues have refused to condemn the violence against law enforcement that day so I have one last question for you
▶ 0:34:34do you support the president's decision to pardon the violent people who beat cops on January 6th I did not have every case in front of me but it I I would be um I think it it is a difficult decision and I would have had a hard time pardoning people who uh assaulted police officers on any occasion thank you I I have no further questions I yield back my time the gentleman from Texas Mr Roy is now recognized for his questions I thank you chairman I thinkk uh the witnesses
▶ 0:35:05for appearing before the committee thank the gentleman for bringing this legislation before us um I too share your desire to uh eliminate the ability not just cartels but all those that are um moving fentel and using the ability to kind of uh Opus skate and then have the um precursors and the things that create fentel um make it much more complex for our law enforce and frankly uh result in fentanyl that is far more deadly uh and is I think a key reason for why we've
▶ 0:35:35had so many deaths across the country so I think um I think what you're trying to do here is the right uh is the right thing to do and and I like I understand some of the questions that are raised I just think the Bill's pretty simple and straightforward um but I I wanted to give the the gentleman the ability to uh uh expand on that point about you were just alluding to uh in your question the the Simplicity of the legislation and just for the record repeat why precisely you think it's important that we have on schedule
▶ 0:36:05one these core components of fentanyl that are currently able to be used to game the system by cartels and illegal actors in the United States yeah what what brought the original temporary uh scheduling into place was the fact that the cartels were trying to argue in court that because the molecule didn't line up exactly with the definition of feny that's used medically even though it would have the same impacts and is a Fenty related substance or fentanyl analog
▶ 0:36:35that they they therefore were not guilty of as charged um this eliminates that argument and as we saw from the data 90% of the uh of the people trying to do that was eliminated once we scheduled it temporarily we need to make that permanent so they saw a drop in the people who were trying to play games with the formula as soon as we scheduled it as a schedule won temporarily so we already saw the benefit but if we let it expire in March we lose that benefit and they'll go back to playing that game looking then for
▶ 0:37:05a judge who will say that's not that's not real fentel case dismissed and then we have somebody who should have gone uh through the justice system uh escaping uh punishment for having done illegal activity and this just makes it simple that you don't have to you don't have to have the exact same molecule but it has to be a fenal related substance or fenal now fentanyl itself is a scheduled two drug because of its legal medicinal uses correct and so the point here is it we're not
▶ 0:37:35moving fentanyl itself to schedule one we're just saying how these precursors or these components uh can be used um illicitly that's the goal here of why putting it into schedule one um I think with respect to research it is my understanding that schedule one drugs are allowed to have ferally approved research right so that so that research is able to proceed uh and it's up to administrations to expedite that and move it along as necessary is that correct that is correct but this this bill does make
▶ 0:38:06that process a little bit easier for people who are trying to do medical research on the fenel analogs or fenel related substances well and and so I I use those terms interchangeably it's actually defined I think as Fen related sub appreci I appreciate that I mean and I would just note that this matters a great deal I I was listening to Dereck mulz the new DEA administrator that um about why important this is he's a good friend and we've had I've I've recounted numerous times in this committee and the Judiciary Committee the number of people who have died from fentanyl of course all of us are touched by it in every District across the country I know you are in Southwest
▶ 0:38:36Virginia I certainly am I in Hayes County Texas Southwest of Austin we had six kids die from fental poisonings in the last school year uh in the school district in which I live where my where my family and I live in Hayes County uh we had many many others who had to be resuscitated with with Naran and other uh you know uh situations and we've had I think we had something like almost 3,000 new died across the state of Texas um fairly significant numbers so obviously it's really critically important that we move on this and obviously we're in uh rapid engagement
▶ 0:39:06in trying to push back on the cartels and they're responding we're seeing that and we saw some U activity yesterday that some border patrol agents sent me video of cartels literally using drones and bombing you bombing themselves with explosives uh there was reports today of cartels engagement with the border patrol agents and firing on them uh obviously we've had the president's engagement with the with the state of Mexico in terms of what's happening with with putting more forces on on the northern border whatever conversations occurred or didn't occur with the previous administration we're seeing action now
▶ 0:39:37that is dramatically resulting reducing the number of people flowing across the border that's just factually obvious and true and so now we're down to something like I think I saw 400 and something uh apprehensions a day was reported by mil Bill maluan uh just yesterday uh which are historic lows and trending in the right direction I hope we can get that close to zero so that you said we can get border patrol focusing on you know ports of entry and you know making sure that's operating and then between the ports of Entry stopping the the flow of elicit traffic um I
▶ 0:40:07I would just uh I would ask the gentleman on on the thing about the mandatory minimums uh and whether we agree or disagree on mandatory minimums generally um I I hear your sens sensitivity and me too about having any kind of like blanket uh you know minimums that that pull judgment out of it although my experience as a prosecutor on the other side of the table uh was that you still had flexibility even within the mandatory minimum framework but you in terms of how we applied but but at the end of the day with the mandatory minimums wasn't that a response to judges who are
▶ 0:40:37effectively walking away from their duty to ensure the criminals weren't put in jail that is correct I mean isn't that why they existed that that is correct and and often times I did find in my criminal defense work that judges would try to figure out ways to uh ameliorate uh the mandatory minimum not to get rid of it but to ameliorate it maybe there was additional charge that they could uh put no time on that kind of thing if they thought the circumstances uh made it necessary but you're absolutely right the reason mandatory minimums came into
▶ 0:41:08existence were judges who were not following the basic uh tenants of what the legislative body in in the various States or in the US had set out and your bill doesn't uh address manat work minimums your bill just creates a framework with respect to the correct the uh components of fentel correct and then uh that would then relate to mandatory minimums under existing law correct that is correct so we're not addressing that right that is correct so um the last point that I would just make um
▶ 0:41:38you know and there's some commentary on some colleagues other side about the you know uh supposedly uh controversial memorandum issued by the Office of Management budget uh which was guidance um that uh you know has been rescinded uh but in light of what was uh put forward let's just be very clear it was a temporary pause um and it was um you know to the extent that it was permitted by law was Grant um you know federal financial assistance programs that are implicated by the president's executive orders regarding Dei climate change and
▶ 0:42:08a lot of the woke agenda a lot of the things the president put forward it was designed to ensure that a lot of those programs weren't proceeding and those programs for example were talking about even including dollars that were flowing to uh through Nos and through organizations that have find those dollars that get to Mexico that get to the cartels get to the uh flow of human beings and narcotics fenel through our Southern border that there was dollars flowing from taxpayers through NOS that was facilitating the very trafficking that we're trying to address in this bill
▶ 0:42:39so I think I I think om should be commended for trying to clarify that the White House should be commended for trying to restrict the flow of of American taxpayer dollars through through NOS to those who wish to do us harm because that is factually occurring and factually accurate and so uh I think the president is correct to be doing that and correct to be aggressive in doing that and similarly correct in in being aggressive at going after us Aid funding uh which was uh just blatantly filled with absurd
▶ 0:43:09spending $1.5 million to advance diversity Equity inclusion in Serbia's Serbia's workplace in business communities $70,000 production of a Dei musical in Ireland $25 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam $47,000 for a transgender Opera in colombia3 $2,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru $2 million for sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala $6 million for tourism in Egypt Millions to Eco Health Alliance 20 million for Sesame Street
▶ 0:43:39in Iraq to promote inclusion 45 million for Dei Scholarships in Burma I could go on and on and on it is absurd use of taxpayer dollars I applaud the president the White House for going after them and I appreciate you being this legislation for the rules committee I'll support the rule and I yield pack thank you now recognize the gentoman from Pennsylvania Miss scalan thank you and I would first yield to Mr McGovern for a minute yeah I um I would just say to the I would just say to the gentleman who just I don't know what you're talking
▶ 0:44:09about um uh first of all with regard to that freeze um I don't know about the gentleman but I got calls from hospitals and medical centers in my district that the Medicaid portal was frozen I got a call from a veterans organization that serves homeless veterans uh that their payment portal was frozen uh so I I don't I don't know what thought went into this so-called freeze thankfully a judge put a stay on it um and basically called it up for what it was an overreach
▶ 0:44:40it was unlawful um and in terms of usaid um I'm happy to sit down with the gentleman and uh and educate him about the importance usaid um in terms of its e its efforts to Fight Hunger its efforts to promote human rights uh its efforts to help combat disease essentially to keep us um safer in this country um and you know um and by the way if you don't like usaid the president doesn't like usaid um I
▶ 0:45:10have a suggestion for him and that is come to Congress uh because we're the ones who actually help uh establish the program come to Congress uh and um and if you want to eliminate vote vote to eliminate it vote to cut the funding uh but us Aid is an agency that saves lives fights hunger and strengthens democracy it's also an investment in the American people let's talk about what USA a Aid does and why it makes America safer and stronger
▶ 0:45:41us Aid fights child mortality since 2008 it saved 4.6 million children and 200,000 mothers you didn't hear that President's press secretary say anything about that because she was just determined to try to uh diminish the program and I should say when kids Thrive families and communities grow stronger healthier societies mean more global stability which enhances our own security uh usaid helps fight diseases like malaria and AIDS since 2007
▶ 0:46:11it has saved 6 million lives from malaria and help 9.5 million people get HIV AIDS treatment I mean fighting disease abroad protects Americans at home from pandemics us aad fights hunger feed the future increases self-sufficiency food for peace reduces hunger dramatically uh each package of usaid food is labeled from the American people both programs are a display of our values and build Global Goodwill around the world
▶ 0:46:41it helps educate kids since 2011 it has helped 52 million kids go to school why does that matter because education fights extremism and every kid in school is less at risk of recruitment by terrorist organizations by gangs and cartel um you know I could go on and on and on but I mean this kind of selective picking some minor things that my friends can exploit and a way to try to undermine USA ID I think is really um offensive
▶ 0:47:12this is a program that does a lot of incredible good stuff for people at risk around the world people who are victims um whose rights are are constantly tra trampled on by dictators in their countries we should be proud of this program we should be proud of the people who work there uh and what the president did what Elon Musk did what his what his spokesperson did I think is offensive um and by the way I'm going to send the president a copy of the Constitution again if he wants to change usaid
▶ 0:47:42wants to eliminated he's got to come here he's got to come here and do it that's the way this system works you know he's not a king he's not a dictator at least yet um he's got to follow the Constitution I thank the general lady okay thank you certainly um associate myself with the remarks and the concern that the president is doing by executive order what he is unable to do through our constitutional channels which is if he does not like a program he does not like congressionally authorized spending he can try
▶ 0:48:12to work with Congress but simply issuing these edicts many of which are illegal and unconstitutional um is is not the way to go but to HR 27 um you know just like every District across this country my constituents have been Gravely uh touched by this opio crisis um I appreciate the gentleman's acknowledgement that it's a bipartisan problem but I do think the gentle ladyes observation is well taken that it deserves a bipartisan solution a crisis of this scale
▶ 0:48:42should be something that Republicans and Democrats can come together on but that's not what this bill does it's the same partisan bill that we saw failed to become law almost two years ago it has not um appreciably changed um what Republicans seem to want and what this bill is is a piece of paper they can wave around to pretend they're doing something about fentel much like the performative Tariff War we got to endure a couple days ago
▶ 0:49:12where we saw the Tariff war end after the president um got assurances that our closest allies are going to do what they already were doing with the Biden administration at any rate Fentanyl and opioids are a National Public Health crisis and we can't solve anything just by using strong language and increasing jail sentences as representative to get noted uh we need to address both the public safety and the public health aspects of this and there are bipartisan bills that would
▶ 0:49:43do that only the speaker won't bring them up so we're stuck with this bill this bill doesn't do anything about ports of Entry or distribution networks it doesn't do anything to support the DEA or local law enforcement it doesn't improve improve our ability to inter inite Dr drugs coming into the us and it doesn't do anything to support the evidence-based treatments that have proven successful in reducing opioid deaths in the past two years because as the president of Mexico correctly pointed out
▶ 0:50:13yesterday until the US addresses the demand for fentanyl here all the Border theatrics in the world are not going to solve that crisis all this bill is going to do is increase jail time for people struggling with addiction because traffickers already face stiff penalties and of course while there's posturing about this bill the president has tried to freeze federal funds that support local police Substance Abuse Prevention State opioid programs inter agency programs that would combat drug trafficking
▶ 0:50:44and while that freeze might have been temporarily stayed there are still executive orders which have halted research and work at the CDC and ni that would actually treat and prevent opioid so it's hard to believe that this bill is a serious attempt to find Solutions it seems to be yet again a bill about messaging a messaging bill that has not been improved or added to since we saw it last and that's just exploiting a crisis that's killing
▶ 0:51:14Americans so we look forward to a time when we can have a serious conversation about what to do about fentel Democrats have offered a number of amendments that would greatly improve this bill but until our colleagues are willing to work on Solutions we're just frustrated by sound bites and we shouldn't be playing political games with people's lives so I back Mr Scott of Georgia is now recognized for his questions Mr chairman I yield back
▶ 0:51:45Mr nus thank you uh Mr chairman and thank you uh to the uh chairman and ranking member and appreciate your thoughtful uh testimony from both of you with respect to the bill that's in front of us Mr Griffith this is an issue you've worked on for some time yes fair to say and I can tell you're passionate about opioid Abuse Prevention fair to say yes it is
▶ 0:52:16in my understanding was doing some research you had worked on a provision uh about seven or eight years ago that actually we've adopted in color colado around a program that enables pharmacists doctors professionals licensed professionals to be able to take back unexpired or rather unexpired and and U and and similar products Pharmaceuticals opioids to try to alleviate and ameliorate
▶ 0:52:46the crisis is that a fair that is fair and my understanding is that that program actually got adopted into federal law back in 2016 in a bill that M and you V both voted for the comprehensive addiction and Recovery Act my is that I I don't recall the bill but surprisingly Miss and I often agree on issues like this well you agreed on this one because it was a common sense program to try to address what is clearly a challenge in our country
▶ 0:53:16you championed it you got it into this law that was ultimately signed into law by then President Obama it's an important that you helped author I assume you're aware that that program was frozen last week by President Trump uh I understand there was a a memo that was sent out by the OM that that temporarily froze a lot of programs and that was including this one I did not I was not aware that this one was included
▶ 0:53:47and obviously I'm not sure what wasn't included I if you have a better sense of what wasn't included than me I'm all ears because hearing from my constituents virtually every constituent that contacted our office last week in a panic over this unlawful directive that om had issued that thankfully a federal judge has now partially stayed and I guess this isn't a gotcha I mean part of the reason I asked this representative Griffith this you worked on these issues for a long time yes and I'm trying to understand
▶ 0:54:17the logic behind authoring legislation and pursuing it when you have no guarantees that this Administration will ultimately spend the dollars that are allocated by this Congress uh for the stated purposes that Congress intents uh I I don't think there's any question that the administration will uh in due time uh and of course this is already been resolved but in due time we'll follow the law as it it is is written what is due time how
▶ 0:54:47long do we have to wait before them to follow the law well I think long enough so that they can figure out uh if all the money that was being sent out I mean a lot of us have concern concs that in the last three or four months prior to president Trump being sworn in a lot of money by a lot of different agencies was uh shoveled out the door and was shoveled out the door perhaps inappropriately or improperly and an incoming president uh wants to take a look at that I don't have a problem with that okay so how long it was it was in Artful in the way that it was perhaps done
▶ 0:55:17how long oh I I would say that that since they pulled it back they're taking other ways to look at it but I would say that we would have to take a look at a number number of items that the administration is going to take a look at a number of items you don't have a time in mind I don't and I don't think that they would have I don't think they will do a blanket who makes that rule you're making that rule no no no no who's deciding that now the Constitution is held in abeyance and the president of the United States either president what of any political party can come in and basically decree I'm pausing all federal
▶ 0:55:48funding until I decide I'm comfortable I think that's part of the executive Branch's duty to execute the laws that we've passed and what they have to do is determine if the monies that have come into the United States are being spent in a manner in accordance with the law and I think that to execute the laws properly and to do their job as an executive branch they have to take stock of every dollar that's being spent by the United States to make sure that it is properly authorized and once they determine that it is properly authorized then they'll release well any concerns or any holds I certainly hope that
▶ 0:56:18you are that you serving Congress for a long time uh Mr Griffith so that you are here when a Democratic president follows your admonition and decides that they're going to unilaterally shut down and freeze Federal funding for any pro hold on Mr I let you finish so I'm going to finish my remarks to let them freeze Federal funding for any program that they so choose for as long as they choose because essentially your rule this rule that that apparently Republicans have adopted in the last two weeks
▶ 0:56:49has no logical limitation I don't I've yet to hear a cogent explanation for how you can justify the president of the United States again of either political party deciding unilaterally that they will freeze that they will impound funds not and I understand that there are Republicans who disagree with uh the constitutionality of the empowerment uh Control Act of 1974 and the rest I think those arguments are nonsensical but I understand that some have those
▶ 0:57:20but I don't really understand how you can make these arguments you're making at as you are here testifying in support of a bill to create new laws and new programs that I suppose you're just on a hope and a prayer believing that this President and the people who he surrounded himself with will decide that maybe they'll enforce this maybe they won't is that a question well go ahead yeah I would just say that it's like so many things that's why we have three branches uh and we
▶ 0:57:50have the judicial branch and just like the court decided with pornography if a court if a if a executive branch leader a president decided to uh negate the spending in in aberration or against the will of Congress the courts would then make that determination but to give them a chance to figure out whether or not the money's been spent properly I think is appropriate and I think a court would find just like they did with pornography you got to you got to judge each case on its own merits and that's why I can't give you a time I can't tell in
▶ 0:58:20some cases it might be a week in some cases it might be 6 months but I think that's why we have a judicial branch to sort out that difference between Congress and the executive branch but I do understand the executive branch having the desire to if it believes and I think that they do in this case believe that monies were sent out the door improperly or without lawful Authority and they have time to check into that I think the courts would give them some time how much time would be depend on each individual case and the complexities they in well I you and I uh will disagree
▶ 0:58:50strenuously on that point the Congress passed the empowerment Control Act of 19 74 for a reason and the notion that we're now going to allow the president of the United States to unilaterally impound funds unilaterally dismantle agencies and let the courts figure it out I think is a deeply dangerous approach and I think it undermines the Constitutional fabric that our framers that James Madison and others write about in The Federalist Papers
▶ 0:59:20I I and I don't I for life of me cannot understand or I best May perhaps understand is the wrong word um I'm disappointed that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle won't stand up for the Constitutional prerogatives of this article one branch of government uh happy to yield to the riking member thank you thank you very much Mr nusen I thought that was really profound I I just want to Echo what you're saying is is here we have this bill that we're purporting to say will stop the fentel
▶ 0:59:51crisis but it's a tiny little thing that just amends the controlled substance act and and maybe some of it could be used for not but in the meantime last week the Trump Administration Froze all of these substance substance abuse acts it it froze the certified community behavioral health clinics act we just heard that the rural Health grantees have told us their money is still frozen and my my and you know
▶ 1:00:21in in Congress we say my dear friend but it's really true in this situation and and um but my my colleague and friend says in due time the administration will figure it out so in the meantime we're Congress is here this is one of my pet peeves with being in Congress is people do this tiny little thing over here and they say they solved a problem but at the same time there's this massive problem that the Trump Administration has caused with and Ju Just
▶ 1:00:51relating today with programs designed to prevent and stop fenel abuse and no resolution in line so so let's let's just call it what it is it is a abuse of the Congressional system to say that the that the administration is just going to do whatever they think and it's going to impact people who are affected by the fental crisis thank you for the question I couldn't agree with you more
▶ 1:01:22uh Mr get and and think you articulated well the situation before us Mr Griffith I mean humor me a bit who what agency is responsible just so I'm clear uh with respect to enforcing this bill the provisions of bill uh this would end up being doj doj and DEA right as my that is correct yeah of course DEA being obviously a sub agency of doj can the president just get rid of doj can he get rid of DEA unilaterally
▶ 1:01:53what if he decides that you know he sees this bill and says well I don't I don't know I'm worried about what's happening in the DEA so I've decided I'm going to eliminate the agency is does he have the authority to do that I think if it's created by Congress it would require a congressional act okay I we're in agreement there how about the Department Education uh likewise likewise all right I look forward to visiting with you on that topic in particular the latter topic I suspect sooner than later so thank you back now recognize
▶ 1:02:23the gentleman from Georgia Mr Jack well I just want to uh start by saying since president Trump's been invoked over and over in this hearing I think he and for the record we should note that his negotiating posture over the weekend uh led to a few new developments from Canada um prime minister Trudeau for the first time ever is appointing a fentanyl Zar he's going to list cartels as terrorist organizations he's going to launch a joint strike force between the US and Canada to combat fentanyl so I'd like that noted for the record but I just have one question
▶ 1:02:54to Mr Griffith uh you introduced this legislation last Congress 74 Democrats supported it are there any substantive changes from the administration last Congress or rather from the bill last Congress to the bill today there are not well then I'll just conclude and and yield back by noting that 74 Democrats cross the party across the aisle to join uh Republicans and and passing this legislation out of the house last Congress I hope more join this Congress and I yield back thank you thank you Mr Jack we now recognize Mrs fishbach
▶ 1:03:24from Minnesota thank you very much and and I appreciate the discussion I I always appreciate the fact that the that the the opposition is able to bring a whole lot of other issues in when we're talking about stopping Fentanyl and um and and it takes a lot of creativity to make sure that they are able to talk about uh use their talking points to to uh point out some of those things but I'll just say on this bill we I'm a
▶ 1:03:54co-sponsor we voted on it last year I think that is helpful we obviously need to um to get fentanyl under control and stop it it is killing our our citizens and so I appreciate you bringing the bill forward thank you and I yield back thank you now recognize uh the gentleman from South Carolina Mr Norman I'll be brief you know I've sat here and listened to really some amazing comments um abuse of the system uh we don't have bipartisanship
▶ 1:04:25I've heard safety of children I've heard uh points of um Mr Griffith you know when when President Biden opened up the Border uh did you see the numbers that came out from that were publicized finally about the unoccupied the uh children across the board didn't have parents with them to the tune of 600,000 uh I have
▶ 1:04:56seen those numbers uh how is that uh I guess my Democrat friends thinks that's safety coming across the border and what what the they're CH facing now without without um I have in in my County been to a drug bus where fentanyl was on the table and finally they they made the arrest to to um get those who produce it
▶ 1:05:26out of the state but if it were left like it was it kill the whole kill the 5 million people in South Carolina and don't you think it's pretty bold action what This president's doing to stop the fentol Flow by shutting the Border down that the Biden Administration just would not do they opened it up it was unconstitutional uh and it just seemed like the those children coming across the border had no had they didn't care about it lak and Riley just didn't care the hundreds
▶ 1:05:56of thousands of poisonings of of our young people just didn't care about and now raise the fine points why they didn't don't don't like your bill that's kind of hypocritical isn't it it's hard for me to say somebody's hypocritical without looking into their heart so I don't know that I can go that far but I can tell you it's illogical to have the two positions well you've heard just what I've heard I I have and and was very concerned when the Biden Administration uh stopped uh already let tracks left left equipment
▶ 1:06:26there to rust uh and building the wall just stopped that outright um I been very concerned about the office of refugee resettlement um they actually are under the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee it's the only part of the immigration issue that is and the fact that the background checks that they do are simply a a search on the computer to determine if the person they're placing a child with uh has a has a criminal background they're just checking an internet uh search engine kind of like people finder or something
▶ 1:06:57like that uh and then not doing home studies not making sure that these people are actually legitimate and proper uh caretakers of children if we did that with with a child in the United States uh there would be criminal action brought I I I will tell you that you brought up the children and it's a passion issue for me because no matter how they got here we need to take care of these kids once they're put into our custody and we basic basically are shipping them all over the country
▶ 1:07:27or were shipping them all over the country without doing a proper uh background check and without doing uh check to see if they were actual residences there and to see if those were appropriate homes they started after some push from the Energy and Commerce Committee uh the last Administration did start to do some virtual inspections of of quarters where kids were supposed to be living but uh the the level of of checking on uh the children
▶ 1:07:57who came here without accompanied without being accompanied by a parent uh and the amount of of things we uh didn't do that led to some of these kids being used in uh labor situations where they weren't properly supposed to be in the first place has been documented by the New York Times so yeah I find it uh illogical that's not what this bill is about either but since we started talking about all these things and all the world problems we're trying to solve one little problem with
▶ 1:08:28bill uh and I I grant you it's not going to solve everything but it makes it easier for law enforcement to to go in make that arrest and then have those people face Justice without having to argue about whether it was a right-hand molecule left-hand molecule or that it was it was slightly different than what is currently in the law and with 4,800 potential fenal related substances are analoges and with only about 30 to
▶ 1:08:5840 of them having been studied this bill is needed not just on a temporary basis but on a permanent basis but with that potential uh analoges out there that might have some benefit down the road that's why from the very beginning I insisted we have a research component that made it clear and easy to do research to see if there's something valuable out there that can help people who are in pain or having trouble well it was it was multiplied by I don't know what number uh in 2020 when the Border was
▶ 1:09:28opened up and the 15 to 20 million people are in here and the desk and the fent andol the what's your bill addresses is a drug that is largely has been increased because of the bid Administration letting anybody and everybody across the border and so I I appreciate you putting this up and fully support it I you back this uh concludes the questions of our Witnesses I want to thank uh the witnesses for appearing here at the rules committee today the Witnesses are excused we'll now move
▶ 1:09:58on to Amendment testimony and we'd like to welcome uh Mr uh Mr hernandes Puerto Rico thank you
▶ 1:10:35important thank you I'm not a fan of Statistics but sometimes we need them to make a point over the past two years more than a thousand American citizens in Puerto Rico Puerto Ricos have died from fantinel overdoses just last year in San Juan over 20 people overdosed in a single incident linked to fenel resulting in eight deaths some of these tragedies happen because of fentanyl combined with siline a powerful cative approved by the FDA for animals you might be wondering
▶ 1:11:05why this is an issue of national concern the answer is quite simple Puerto Rico is America's Caribbean border and it serves as a Transit point for drugs smuggle to the Mainland stopping the flow of fenil and siling to Puerto Rico is necessary to stop the flow of these drugs to the US Mainland that that is why I have introduced two bipartisan amendments supported by representative James moan of Guam and representative Stacy plasket of the US Virgin Islands to address the increasing
▶ 1:11:36presence of fenel and siline in Puerto Rico and across the United States Amendment 29 would require the office of National Drug control policy Caribbean border counternarcotics strategy to develop a comprehensive policy strategy to combat drug trafficking in the region Amendment 30 would Direct direct the Attorney General to submit a report to Congress assessing the use and trafficking patterns of fenel mixed with siline in the Caribbean I respectfully urge the distinguished shair ranking
▶ 1:12:06members and members of this committee to advance my amendments and ensure they are made in order thank you I yield back thank you very to the gentleman for coming here to testify are there any questions I have no questions at this time uh y govern just want to thank the gentleman for coming and um hope we'll make your amendments in order thank you and now we recognize um we would start with Mr Scott I don't have any questions Mr chairman thank you Mr Griffith no questions
▶ 1:12:37Mr Jack no questions thank you sir M fishbach no questions thank you for coming Mr Norman okay thank you very much you're excused without objection I will insert into the record the statement of Administration policy for HR 27
▶ 1:13:07okay thank you for uh appearing for all of our Witnesses for appearing for us today um seeing no other members wishing to testify on amendments uh this uh on HR 27 this closes the hearing portion of our meeting
▶ 1:13:45thank you very much we've now heard the motion is there any discussion oh sorry sorry the chair will be receed of a motion from the gentleman from Virginia Mr Griffith Madam chair I move the committee Grant HR 27 the Hal fenal act a structured rule the rule waves All Points of order against consideration of the bill the rule provides that the amendment printed in part A of the rules committee report shall be considered as adopted and the bill as amended shall be considered as read the rule waves All Points of order against Provisions in the bill is amended the rule provides one hour of General debate
▶ 1:14:15equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designes the rule makes an order only the further Amendment printed in Part B of the rules committee report each Amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report may be offered only by a member designated in the report shall be considered as read shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent shall not be subject to Amendment and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question all
▶ 1:14:45points of order against the amendment printed in Part B of the report are waved finally the rule provides one motion to recommit thank you very much Mr you've now heard you've now heard the motion is there any discussion or Amendment to the rule yeah Madam chair Mr McGovern I'm going to have two uh amendments uh first one I have an amendment to the rule I move the committee make an order amendment number 32 offered by representative magaziner of Rhode Island which ensures that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall cooperate
▶ 1:15:16with state and local law enforcement agencies to interdict and seize Firearms being trafficked to cartels that undermine Public Safety and National security and further fuels fentanyl trafficking into the United States Madam chair as I said earlier we know cartels are being propped up by us firearms and when Democrats offered an amendment to hr2 last Congress to actually disrupt the smuggling of us Firearms across the southern border Republicans killed that Amendment so let's forget about the fake concessions that Trump is pretending he was able to get
▶ 1:15:46uh enough of the rhetoric and enough of the games we have an amendment right here to make sure that the administration is making this a priority and I urge the adoption of the amendment I back thank you Mr McGovern is there any further discussion on the amendment from Mr McGovern hearing none questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I all those opposed no no in the opinion chair the no have it the amendment is not agreed to I ask for a roll call Mr
▶ 1:16:16McGovern ask for a roll call the clerk will call the RO Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs hin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr Scott no Mr Scott no Mr Griffith no Mr Griffith no Mr Jack no Mr Jack no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss gandin Mr nuse Miss lger Fernandez Madam chair no Madam chair no
▶ 1:16:47the clerk will report the total one yay nine Nays the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to are there other amendments or discussion I have one final Amendment uh Madam chair I uh have an amendment to the rule I move the committee makeing order amendments number 10 11 13 15 18 and 35 to HR 27 which would collectively prevent the underlying bill from taking effect until certification that no covered executive action freezes reduces impairs
▶ 1:17:17delays or otherwise interferes with timely funding for State opiate response grants substance use prent ition block Rants and the drug-free communities program and other critical programs Madam chair host Republicans applauded when President Trump moved to freeze money for cops grants to help protect our communities they stood up in support when Trump was going to stop funding to support high-intensity drug trafficking areas as states were suing the administration to ensure that they had the resources to
▶ 1:17:47combat fentanyl trafficking and organized crime and they posted Praise on Twitter when Trump was rolling back funding for the NCP drug-free Community programs to keep drugs out of our schools and I don't want to hear that that that that everything's okay because Trump stopped the freeze because he didn't a judge issued a temporary restraining order because they were concerned the administration was disingenuous if we actually want to end fentol the fentol epidemic these amendments will get us closer
▶ 1:18:17it'll hold Trump to his word that money for Behavioral Health Centers treatment and Recovery block grants and high-intensity Drug traffing areas programs and more continue flowing to the law enforcement officers Health Care Providers and communities who need it the most I urge adoption of this amendment I heal back thank you Mr McGovern is there any further discussion on the amendment hearing none the questions on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I
▶ 1:18:47those opposed no no in opinion chair the no have it the Amendments not agreed to it sounded closer I want to ask for recorded vote you want what that's a recorded Please Mr mcgan ask for a recorded vote the clerk will call the RO Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Norman no Mr Norman no Mr Roy Mr Roy no Mrs howchin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr Scott Mr Scott no Mr Griffith Mr
▶ 1:19:18Griffith no Mr Jack no Mr Jack no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss ganin Mr nus Miss pleasure Fernandez Madame chair no Madam chair no the clerk will report the total one yay nine nay the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to any any other further Amendment or discussion hearing no further discussion the question is on the motion from the gentleman from Virginia all those in favor signify
▶ 1:19:48by saying I I those opposed say no no in the opinion and share the eyes have it the motion is agreed to ask for a roll call Madam chair Mr mcover ask for a roll call the clerk will call the rooll Mrs fishbach Mrs fishbach I Mr Norman Mr Norman I Mr Roy I Mr Roy I Mrs hin Mrs hin I Mr Langworthy I Mr Langworthy I Mr Scott Mr Scott I Mr Griffith Mr Griffith I Mr Jack I Mr Jack I Mr McGovern
▶ 1:20:18no Mr McGovern no Miss gin Mr nus Miss lger Fernandez Madam chair I Madam chair I the clerk will report the total nine Ys one nay eyes have at the motion to report is agreed to accordingly Mr Griffith will be managing the rule for the majority and um and I will I I will do it for the um Mr M Mr McGovern will handle it for the minority without objection
▶ 1:20:49the committee's adjourned e