West Hudson Valley News

WASHINGTON, DC  – On May 18, 2023, Congressman Ryan continued his fight against fentanyl trafficking, escalating his calls for funding to the House Appropriations Committee. Joined by leaders from across the region, he explained the impact of the fentanyl crisis on Hudson Valley families and urged the committee to increase funding to crack down on the flow of fentanyl into our communities.

“Stopping the fentanyl epidemic isn’t about partisan politics– it’s about public safety. No mother in Chester, father in Kingston, or grandparent in Beacon should have to experience the pain of losing a loved one to an overdose,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “I’m joined by a bipartisan group of local elected leaders on this letter because we all know the time for action is now. We need to attack the crisis head-on and crack down on this drug that is devastating Hudson Valley families.” 

“The fentanyl crisis has taken a tragic toll on the lives of countless American families, and here in Ulster County we have seen too many lives senselessly lost because of this devastating drug,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “I want to thank Congressman Pat Ryan for working across the aisle to fight for our families and beef up resources to stop the shipments of fentanyl from making their way into the United States and ultimately to our communities. We must do everything we can to protect our citizens from this deadly drug, and I urge Congress to provide the funding Congressman Ryan is calling for to save American lives.”

“I wholeheartedly support this endeavor and increased funding for law enforcement so they have the tools necessary to protect the public from the fentanyl epidemic,” said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.  “This epidemic has cost us way too many lives, and this action will certainly provide much needed assistance.”

"The fentanyl overdose crisis continues to destroy lives in the Hudson Valley, and immediate action is needed at the southern border of the United States to mitigate its illicit trafficking in order to protect our residents,” said State Senator Rob Rolison. “I support Congressman Ryan's call for additional funding and resources at ports of entry as well as measures to keep our law enforcement personnel safe as they conduct interdiction activities. This is a bipartisan topic of utmost concern for the New Yorkers impacted daily by the effects of fentanyl flooding into our communities."

A copy of Ryan’s original letter to Congresswoman Kay Granger, the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations, appears below:

Dear Chair Granger and Ranking Member DeLauro:

I write to urge the House Committee on Appropriations to increase funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the purposes of combating fentanyl trafficking. The United States is in the throes of an overdose public health crisis exacerbated by the prevalence of illicit fentanyl and as a result,  our children, neighbors, and friends are dying. It is of the utmost importance that Congress act decisively  to provide additional support to DHS to put an end to the fentanyl crisis that takes well over a hundred American lives every day.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug that has Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat severe pain but is increasingly made and sold illegally. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is often mixed into other drugs and consumed by Americans unknowingly. Because it is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, illicit drugs laced with fentanyl are much more likely to lead to overdose, hospitalization, and death. We must do everything in our power to stop the flow of fentanyl through our ports of entry and prevent this crisis from escalating further, taking more lives, and devastating our communities.

Congress has demonstrated bipartisan interest in addressing the opioid crisis and cracking down on the flow of fentanyl into the U.S, and now it is time to act. At DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security and Investigations (HSI) play a large role in preventing fentanyl from coming across our borders. CBP identifies illicit drugs, like fentanyl, at ports of entry and HSI then works to disrupt any involved transnational criminal organization (TCO) and collects information to facilitate prosecution. Increased funding would allow these agencies to stop a greater percentage of trafficked drugs and crackdown on existing pathways that cartels and TCOs use to bring fentanyl into the U.S.

Specifically, funding is needed to increase the percentage of incoming passenger vehicles scanned at the border, target and incapacitate TCOs by expanding the reach of HSI (such as the Fentanyl Abatement and Response Team), and provide equipment to protect personnel at ports of entry such as medications that reverse the effects of accidental exposure to fentanyl. While much of the illicit fentanyl in the U.S. is trafficked at ports of entry along our southern border, fentanyl trafficking through international mail is a growing problem that requires increased funding and resources. As new source and transit countries emerge in the global supply chain of fentanyl, we must arm CBP and HSI with the necessary tools to meet the severity of the moment.

I saw this crisis affect our communities long before my time in Congress. As a former Ulster County Executive, I declared a public health emergency in response to the fentanyl epidemic in our state. It has harmed too many of my constituents and taken too many American lives. It’s unacceptable to let this threat to our national security go unchecked, and I will work with my colleagues across the aisle to secure the necessary funding and resources to put an end to this crisis.

I urge the Committee to increase appropriated funding for DHS for the purposes of combating fentanyl trafficking at all U.S. ports of entry. Thank you for your consideration of this request and please contact my office with any questions.

Original source can be found here.