EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is set to introduce a slate of bills pressing the federal government to implement a comprehensive response to the fentanyl crisis at the southern border, the Washington Examiner has learned.
Gallego filed three bills during a pro forma session in the House on Friday that would require different government agencies to work together to crack down on the flow of fentanyl coming into the country, according to copies of the legislation obtained by the Washington Examiner. The legislation comes just over a week before Congress is set to return in September, and the border becomes a major matter ahead of the November election.
“Every day, dangerous, illicit fentanyl continues to flow across our border and endanger Arizonans,” Gallego said in a statement. “My number one priority is Arizonans’ safety, which is why I am proud to introduce these bills that will ensure we have an all-hands-on-deck response to this crisis. I look forward to working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to get these bills signed into law.”
The first bill introduced by Gallego would seek to maximize government coordination by creating a Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group within the National Security Council that would oversee the implementation of policies and directives taken by federal agencies to combat fentanyl trafficking. The group would be required to identify and set specific goals to disrupt the flow of the powerful drug, according to the legislation.
The steering group would be made up of senior officials in the intelligence community as well as the departments of State, Defense, Justice, Commerce, and Homeland Security. Those officials would be required to submit annual reports to the steering group detailing the agencies’ initiatives and accomplishments.
Gallego also filed a bill titled the Anti-Fentanyl Partnerships Act that would require relevant agencies to report to Congress on all public-private partnerships being used to combat the illegal fentanyl trade. That bill would apply to the same federal agencies as the first bill, as well as the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Energy.
The final bill would specifically apply to the Department of Defense by requiring defense officials to analyze the possible threats the illicit fentanyl drug trade poses to U.S. defense interests. That analysis would be required to include information on the manufacture, distribution, sale, and trade of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances as well as the techniques or technologies that are likely to “affect the evolution of the illicit fentanyl drug trade,” according to the legislation.
The bills come just one week after Gallego sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Biden administration official to prioritize “the full deployment of fentanyl detection technology” as well as full staffing at all ports of entry along the southern border.
“Fentanyl poses one of the greatest threats to our national security, killing thousands of Arizonans each year, and much of it is smuggled into the United States through Ports of Entry,” Gallego wrote. “It is my understanding that deploying more staff to these Ports would allow for greater use of cutting-edge fentanyl detection technology without disruption to other operations. Each additional officer in Arizona’s border sectors would improve technological deployment and protect communities in Arizona and across the country.”
Border security has become a major topic for the 2024 election, especially for Gallego as he runs for the open Senate seat in Arizona. Gallego’s campaign has repeatedly pointed to his voting record to crack down on fentanyl trafficking coming across the border as well as securing funds to go toward border cities in the state.
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Gallego faces a challenge from GOP candidate Kari Lake, who has sought to target the House Democrat over the border, hoping to tie him to the surge of illegal immigration under the Biden administration. The Gallego campaign has accused Lake of misconstruing his voting record on the border, citing other ads that have been deemed “misleading” and “deceitful” by some fact-checking organizations.
It’s not yet clear whether the House will take up Gallego’s bills when lawmakers return for a three-week period in September. Instead, congressional leaders are likely to focus on securing some sort of government spending deal before the looming shutdown deadline on Oct. 1. The Washington Examiner reached out to Lake’s campaign and House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) office for comment.
