Ted Budd: “the fentanyl epidemic has touched nearly every American. Whether it is a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a…”

“the fentanyl epidemic has touched nearly every American. Whether it is a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker--we all know someone whose life has been affected by the tragic reality of this crisis. It is widespread, it is devastating, and it can't be ignored. For too long, this crisis has been fueled by the chaos at our southern border, and now it is happening at our northern border. Today, I rise to honor the American lives lost to our country's horrific fentanyl epidemic, and I call on our Canadian allies to shut down these operations before more devastation occurs. For many Americans, it started with a prescription. For others, it was a single accidental exposure. But for too many, it ended the same way: with a loss of life and the eternal grief that comes from losing a loved one. And the harsh reality is fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45--not cancer, not car accidents, fentanyl. Last year alone, as my colleagues have shared with you, more than 70,000 Americans died from a fentanyl overdose, and, unsurprisingly, the Biden administration failed to act. Instead, President Biden willingly chose to let the situation get worse. For years, our southern border has been a major entry point for illegal drugs to pour into our country. But under President Trump's leadership, illegal crossings at the southern border have now dropped 94 percent. That is real progress. Now, however, we are seeing a dangerous shift.…”