Congress will require the Department of Defense to carry out a major study on the threat that fentanyl poses to the defense interests of the United States under a provision added to the National Defense Authorization Act.
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers announced Thursday that the annual defense policy bill will include a plan that requires the military to analyze how big of a concern fentanyl is to the U.S. and take greater action to thwart the threat.
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“The Central Coast of California has been devastated by the scourge of fentanyl on our streets, with some areas seeing a 700% spike in overdose deaths in recent years. We need an international and all-hands approach to curbing these overdose deaths — and it starts with cutting off the supply before it reaches our communities,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), who backed the effort, in a statement Thursday afternoon.
The threat analysis proposal was introduced by Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), with a similar version pushed by Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) before the collective language was added to the NDAA.
The provision requires the defense secretary to submit a report to Congress within 180 days of bill passage. The report must include the department’s analysis on the fentanyl drug trade, new or emerging techniques or technologies that might affect the evolution of the trade, and the Pentagon’s response.
It also requires the defense secretary to increase security cooperation with the Mexican military and come up with a fentanyl-specific counter-drug strategy in cooperation with other countries.
A Senate Republican aide involved in the bill’s development told the Washington Examiner that the threat analysis will help the government understand “what role DoD can play aside other agencies.”
“Folks are starting to realize there is really a serious role for Defense to play,” the Senate Republican aide said.
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The House NDAA had contained the threat analysis provision, but it was not included in the Senate version. Lawmakers decided during final negotiations to include it.
The legislation is expected to get a vote next week.
