Last week, Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee barred an amendment to H.R. 1693 that would have guaranteed that anyone condemned of fentanyl-related crimes would not receive a lessened sentence.
Among the Democrats who voted against the amendment were Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Rep. Lucy McBath, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
"Today at a @JudiciaryGOP Markup I intro’d an amendment that would maintain penalties for any form of cocaine containing fentanyl/fentanyl analogues," Republican Congressman Scott Fitzgerald tweeted in response to the amendment failing. "Democrats wanted to kick the can down the road. Why are they doing nothing to stop the flow of this deadly drug into the U.S.?"
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Fentanyl use in the United States has been quickly linked to illegal immigration-related to cartel power from Mexico. Fox News reported last week that fentanyl captures at the border have been increasing— more than 1,000 pounds of fentanyl were taken at the border in June alone and seizures have risen 78% compared to last year.
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In another recent vote, Democrats blocked an amendment to H.R. 4435 that would have conceded judges to improve sentencing to individuals involved in fraudulent immigration services if they are also involved in cartel activity. That amendment was opposed by every Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
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Earlier this month, House Democrats also barred an amendment that would ban funds from being used to achieve a Biden executive order that would end contracts with privately-owned detention facilities and redirect funds to the DEA to address the flood of Chinese fentanyl coming across the southern border.
In 2019, at least 50,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, and that number increased to almost 70,000 in 2020.
Metro Public Health officials are examining a white powder they believe was to indict for a deadly 24-hour spike in fatal overdoses, the latest model of the uphill battle Metro is facing when it comes to drug overdoses.
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So far this year, 360 people have lost their lives to drug overdoses in Metro Nashville, according to Metro Public Health’s most recent surveillance update. That’s an 11% increase compared to this time last year.
“It really symbolizes the deadlier phase of the drug overdose epidemic that we’re currently observing,” said Josh Love with Metro Public Health’s Overdose Response and Reduction Program.