July 22, 2022

Fighting Fentanyl

Friend, 

Illicit fentanyl is entering our communities at alarming rates. I remain committed to providing the resources necessary to combat this illicit substance that is killing far too many individuals in Wisconsin and across the country. 

I introduced several amendments that the House passed to combat illicit fentanyl. These include: 

• $5 million to combat fentanyl from entering our country and to strengthen border security and international mail processing. This funding will be offset and requires no new spending. 
• $5 million to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA) to combat the increase in overdoses from fentanyl. This funding will be offset and requires no new spending. 

These amendments are an important step in combatting this dangerous substance. In order to stop the illict flow of fentanyl coming into our communities, we need to secure our border, fund law enforcement, and make fentanyl-related substances a permanent Schedule I drug. 

I have heard from countless families in Wisconsin who have been devastated by illicit fentanyl overdoses. In February, I hosted a roundtable in Racine County to address this growing issue. During the roundtable, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), leaders from Racine County, including the Sheriff's Department, District Attorney's Office, County Executive's Office, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Agency (HIDTA) shared what they are seeing regarding fentanyl related substances in Wisconsin, and across the United States. We discussed what must be done at the federal level to combat this illicit substance. 

I'm a proud cosponsor of the HALT Fentanyl Act, legislation that would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug, as the classification is currently only temporarily scheduled. This legislation would be an important step towards keeping this illicit substance off our streets. 

I will continue to work in Congress to help prevent this dangerous drug from entering our communities. 

Excessive Spending in Washington

We continue to see Washington spend beyond our means. The House passed FY2023 Appropriations this week with increased government spending at a time when inflation remains at record highs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this appropriations package would spend roughly $402 billion in new discretionary spending over FY2022 appropriations. 

I could not support final passage of this spending bill and urge the Senate to make needed reforms that will cut excessive spending. We cannot continue to increase government spending at a time when inflation remains at record highs. In June, prices rose to an annualized rate of 9.1%, the highest since December of 1981. Workers' wages are not keeping up with inflation. 

In the graph above, you can see that when adjusted for inflation wages have fallen 4.4%. An additional analysis notes families are spending roughly $500 more each month for goods. We need to change course. Workers and families cannot continue to see wages cut or their paychecks stretched thin. We need to unleash American energy and stop the reckless spending in Washington that is driving up costs. 

I am committed to bringing costs down. I want to hear from you. 

As always, if you would like to share an opinion with me, or need assistance working with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

Click here to subscribe to my e-newsletter