Gallego Addresses Fentanyl Epidemic at Press Conference with AG Mayes
PHOENIX, AZ – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) held a press conference to discuss his work at the federal level to address the fentanyl crisis and keep Arizonans safe.
“The opioid epidemic has touched every Arizona community and demands that we come together to find common sense solutions,” said Rep. Gallego. “I’m working to combat this crisis from every angle – stopping traffickers, supporting law enforcement, and working to provide lifesaving medications. I was honored to stand with Attorney General Mayes, first responders, and health officials who are on the ground doing this work every day. I won’t back down when it comes to Arizonans’ lives.”
“With half of all the fentanyl seizures happening in Arizona, our state is ground zero for fighting this deadly epidemic. I want to thank Representative Gallego for his commitment to addressing this crisis head-on and for supporting our state's first responders and families who deal with the horrors of this drug on a daily basis. Together, the state of Arizona and our local and federal partners are making this an all-hands-on-deck fight, and we will keep fighting to protect our communities,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
During the event, Rep. Gallego announced that he will soon introduce new legislation to expand access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication, Naloxone. This is part of his ongoing legislative effort to address the fentanyl crisis with a multipronged approach.
In May, Rep. Gallego introduced The Buck Stops Here Act to combat money laundering efforts connected to illicit fentanyl trafficking by authorizing the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to designate financial institutions, transaction classes, or accounts as primary money laundering concerns in connection to illicit fentanyl trafficking. The language from his bill was included in the Senate-passed version of the fiscal year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
As a House Armed Services Committee leader, Rep. Gallego secured two House NDAA provisions to examine the Defense Department’s role in helping end the epidemic.
In August, Rep. Gallego joined Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) to introduce the Fentanyl Crisis Research and Evaluation Act. This legislation requires the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress on how the fentanyl crisis is affecting various sectors of our society to understand its implications on American taxpayers.
Rep. Gallego also backs the Test Strip Access Act to boost the amount of federal funding available to states and Tribes to purchase fentanyl testing strips.