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Rep. Schrier: “As your member of Congress, I will continue to work diligently across party lines to protect our children”
Kim Schrier has spent her time in Congress constantly fighting for solutions to combat the spread of fentanyl in Washington state — from passing border funding and bills to better crack down on dealers, to hosting community roundtables about the drug’s danger. In the Congresswoman’s newest column, she highlights the work she’s already done on this issue and commits to “continue to work diligently across party lines.”
“As a mother, I share the deep concern that many parents have about the devastating impact that fentanyl is having on our communities,” Shrier writes, “and want to do everything in my power to protect our children from accidental poisoning and death.”
DCCC Spokesperson Dan Gottlieb:
“Kim Schrier is doing what she does best — listening to her constituents’ concerns and taking action. With the risk of fentanyl overdoses rising across the state, Schrier is standing up for local communities to address the problem head-on in the halls of Congress.”
Check out Rep. Schrier’s op-ed below:
The Wenatchee World: U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier: Tackling the Fentanyl epidemic at home and in Congress
Rep. Kim Schrier | February 22, 2024
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In Washington state, much like the rest of our nation, we are experiencing an alarming fentanyl epidemic.
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As a mother, I share the deep concern that many parents have about the devastating impact that fentanyl is having on our communities and want to do everything in my power to protect our children from accidental poisoning and death.
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In my capacity as a community pediatrician, I’ve talked with countless parents on how to address this issue and keep their children safe. As your Congresswoman, I have been working diligently on legislation to protect our border. And I continue to work with both parties to pass common sense legislation to keep fentanyl out of our country, crack down hard on drug traffickers, and educate our communities about the dangers of fentanyl poisoning.
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In my efforts to address this crisis, I have championed additional funding for border security. Just last year, federal agents seized over 19,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl at the border. This is more than enough to kill every person in this country.
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That is why this week I am headed down to Long Beach, California to see firsthand how border agents at the ports are scanning shipments for fentanyl and how I can best support their work to keep fentanyl out of our country.
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I also voted to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, which designates fentanyl and fentanyl related substances as Schedule 1 drugs, imposing harsher federal penalties on those who seek to profit from its distribution. This is an important part of our efforts to stem the flow of this deadly drug into our communities.
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I have been working tirelessly to educate our district on the dangers of fentanyl. To that end, I have hosted many fentanyl roundtable discussions with community members and local experts to help find and fill gaps in our strategy to address this scourge. I continue to host town halls dedicated to warning parents and teens about the dangers of fentanyl poisoning.
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As your member of Congress, I will continue to work diligently across party lines to protect our children and work collaboratively to overcome this overwhelming health crisis that has inflicted pain and suffering in every corner of our nation.
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