Bipartisan senators look to add fentanyl provision to defense policy bill

Two senators are taking aim at fentanyl trafficking by trying to add a provision to the annual defense policy bill that would make it a national security threat. 

Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) look to propose the Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act as an amendment to the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) later this month, Kaine’s office confirmed to The Hill. 

“Our goal is — I suspect, when we mark that bill up, which is probably around the 17th or 18th in committee, Joni and I will offer it as an amendment,” Kaine said. “We think that we have a real good chance of getting it added.” 

Kaine first confirmed the intentions to Politico last week. 

The senators’ idea is to make fentanyl trafficking a priority for the Pentagon by classifying it as a national security threat to the United States.

The legislation would also encourage the Defense Department to use dollars on training and information sharing to support counter-fentanyl efforts. 

In addition, it would mandate the Pentagon work with other federal agencies and Mexican defense officials on a strategy to counter drug trafficking, a rule that means Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would work more closely with Mexico’s military.

Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) are leading a similar effort in the House. 

“To truly end the fentanyl epidemic, the response must be proportionate to the problem,” the senators wrote in an op-ed to push the bill last week. “That is going to take a coordinated, whole-of-government approach that begins with prioritizing the issue, followed by strong interagency coordination.” 

Kaine told Politico the U.S. military has the resources to stop only one-fifth of the fentanyl coming out of South and Central America, an amount of funding so small he called it “malpractice.” 

The Biden administration has made combatting the spread of fentanyl a point of emphasis, with President Biden including the goal in his “unity agenda” he laid out during February’s State of the Union address. 

The United States for years has tried to curtail fentanyl entering the country from Latin America and China. 

The synthetic opioid is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for some pain management, though other fentanyl-related substances are chemically altered to be similar to but not exactly like the drug. 

Washington on Tuesday slapped sanctions on 17 individuals and entities in China and Mexico it says are involved in illicit pill production, often laced with fentanyl. 

The White House has also signaled support for the HALT Fentanyl Act, legislation led by two House Republicans that would toughen penalties for fentanyl trafficking and provide greater resources to the government to combat the drug.