Letter to Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House - Burchett to Pelosi, Biden: Act on fentanyl crisis

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

From 2019 to 2020, drug overdose deaths jumped from 70,630 to 91,794, driven by 20,000 more
deaths attributed to synthetic opioid fentanyl and its deadlier analogs.

In fiscal year 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents seized over 11,000 pounds of fentanyl coming across the southern border, a 42 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. Our country cannot tolerate another year of surging overdose deaths. It is past time to fight back.

That is why, on Jan. 20, 2022, I introduced H.R. 6439, the Fentanyl Trafficker Elimination
Act. This critical legislation increases criminal penalties to deter smugglers and slow the spread of
illegal fentanyl before it ever crosses our borders. Specifically, H.R. 6439 amends the Controlled
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)) and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21
U.S.C. 960(b)) to require life imprisonment for anyone convicted of intentionally trafficking
fentanyl or fentanyl analogs.

On Feb. 3, 2022, I asked President Joe Biden to strengthen criminal penalties against
fentanyl traffickers. I now respectfully request your support for my legislation and implore you to
do everything in your power to prevent this deadly substance from entering our country. This is a
crisis that affects everyone.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,[...]

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