Dear Friends,

Illicit drugs have unfortunately impacted many families across the United States, including Kentuckians. The United States sadly reached a new record of 93,000 overdose deaths last year with overdose deaths in Kentucky increasing by more than 50%. One life taken too soon from illicit drugs is one too many. We must turn the tide on this crisis. As your representative, I have authored and supported legislation to improve prevention and provide potentially lifesaving recovery resources. I believe we must stop drugs from coming across the border, further strengthen federal and community partnerships, and continue to provide federal resources. These three components are key in addressing this crisis. I have been frustrated with the Biden Administration’s handling of the Southern Border, which serves as an access point for cartels to bring dangerous drugs, such as fentanyl, to our country.

Control of the Border

I urge the Biden Administration to put more focus on the border crisis. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, more than 1.7 million migrants have been detained at the Southern Border in fiscal year 2021. The chart below from CBP shows the spike of land border encounters at the Southern Border after President Joe Biden took office.

Chaos at the border is not only a humanitarian crisis, but it also presents opportunities for drug trafficking. CBP data shows that more than 10,500 pounds of fentanyl were seized in fiscal year 2021 at the Southwest Border, which is more than double the amount seized in fiscal year 2020 and four times more compared to fiscal year 2019. This is especially concerning considering that only 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be a potentially lethal dose, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Additionally, illicit fentanyl is a main driver of overdose deaths, according to DEA’s 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment. I recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with my colleagues to express my concerns about the Biden Administration's decision to terminate the “Remain in Mexico Policy.” The United States is not using available resources and tools to address the border crisis. Unfortunately, the cartels take advantage of the ongoing border crisis to traffic drugs into the United States. Reinstating the “Remain in Mexico Policy” can help curb the spread of illicit drugs across the country and help reduce opioid deaths in Kentucky.

Federal and Community Partnerships

I have been spending time with law enforcement and community leaders in Kentucky’s Second District to discuss solutions to further combat illicit drugs. In September, I hosted a law enforcement roundtable on drug trafficking in Owensboro. This year Daviess County received a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) designation. This designation gives the community access to additional federal resources to fight back against illicit drugs.

Rep. Guthrie and law enforcement at roundtable in Owensboro

Additionally, in August I hosted a roundtable in Danville with Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Too often drugs can be at the center of other crimes. At this roundtable with Kentuckians from Boyle, Garrard, Jessamine, and Washington counties, we focused on the overlap of the opioid crisis and human trafficking. Addressing these issues requires a collaborative approach at multiple angles.

Rep. Guthrie hosting roundtable with AG Cameron in Danville

I appreciated the input and insight of law enforcement officers, city officials, educators, representatives of recovery centers, and other members of the community who participated in the roundtable. It takes local and federal partnerships along with community driven leadership to reverse the direction of this crisis. I want to thank community leaders in Kentucky for their dedication to solving these issues.

Rep. Guthrie at roundtable with AG Cameron in Danville

I will continue to stay in contact with our local leaders to address the overdose crisis we are facing.

Federal Resources

October 24th marked the three-year anniversary of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act becoming law. To date, this law is the most significant effort by Congress to address a drug crisis. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act directly supports efforts to get drugs out the community and help people in recovery. This enacted law included my bill, the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act, which establishes comprehensive opioid recovery centers to provide a full spectrum of treatment and support services. I was pleased that President Donald Trump signed this bill into law and authorized funding for these centers. This law is now supporting operations of recovery centers.

This Congress I serve as Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee. In this role I have been working on ways to better stop the drug epidemic. In April my subcommittee held a hearing titled, “An Epidemic within a Pandemic: Understanding Substance Use and Misuse in America.” The Health Subcommittee heard from many experts on ways to best address these issues. One expert shared that banning fentanyl analogues reduces new fentanyl analogues coming into the U.S. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1910, Federal Initiative To Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act. This bill would put fentanyl analogues permanently on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule I, controlled substance list. Without the fentanyl analogue ban, criminals can evade the DEA’s strictest ban by making minor adjustments to fentanyl’s chemical formula.

In Case You Missed It:

Messenger-Inquirer: Guthrie praises HIDTA designation, discusses COVID booster shots

The Owensboro Times: Rep. Guthrie to provide federal support for HIDTA program

The Advocate-Messenger: Guthrie and Cameron visit Danville for discussion about drug and human trafficking

How can I help?

My office and I are happy to help you and provide assistance with navigating federal agencies. Please click HERE or call 270-842-9896 to contact my office.