{"id":2334414,"date":"2024-08-30T15:39:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T19:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gallego-unveils-fentanyl-response-plan-ahead-of-arizona-senate-race-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-30T15:49:31","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T19:49:31","slug":"gallego-unveils-fentanyl-response-plan-ahead-of-arizona-senate-race-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gallego-unveils-fentanyl-response-plan-ahead-of-arizona-senate-race-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Gallego unveils fentanyl response plan ahead of Arizona Senate race &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgallego-unveils-fentanyl-response-plan-ahead-of-arizona-senate-race-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2334414&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is\u2064 introducing a series \u200cof bills aimed at creating \u200ba comprehensive federal response to the fentanyl crisis, particularly concerning issues at the southern\u2064 border, as\u200c he \u2063gears up for \u200dthe Arizona Senate election. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tiktok-ban-on-government-devices-included-in-1-7-trillion-spending-bill\/\" title=\"TikTok Ban On Government Devices Included In .7 Trillion Spending Bill\">proposed legislation includes<\/a>\u200d three key measures \u2064intended to enhance\u2064 collaboration among various government \u2064agencies to tackle the \u2064influx of fentanyl into the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c first bill seeks to establish a Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group within the National Security Council. This group would coordinate federal efforts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-biden-admin-praised-youtubes-censorship-used-it-to-pressure-facebook-to-intensify-suppression-of-vaccine-stories\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Applauds YouTube&#039;s Censorship, Urges Facebook to Increase Vaccine Story Suppression\">set specific goals<\/a> to disrupt fentanyl trafficking, and require \u2063annual reports from senior officials across multiple government departments.<\/p>\n<p>The second bill, known as the Anti-Fentanyl Partnerships Act, mandates agencies to report on \u200bpublic-private\u200c partnerships aimed at\u200b combating\u2063 the \u2064illegal \u2064fentanyl trade.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 final bill requires the Department of Defense to assess how the illicit \u2062fentanyl trade\u2063 threatens U.S. national security, focusing on its manufacturing, distribution, and sale.<\/p>\n<p>Gallego has emphasized the urgency of addressing the fentanyl crisis, which\u200c he describes as a significant threat to national\u2062 security, highlighting the need for improved detection technology and staffing at border\u200d entry\u2063 points to\u2063 combat the crisis effectively.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Gallego unveils fentanyl response plan ahead of Arizona Senate election<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1741997\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE &mdash;<\/strong> Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ruben-gallego\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Ruben Gallego<\/a> (D-AZ) is set to introduce a slate of bills pressing the federal government to implement a comprehensive response to the fentanyl crisis at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3028254\/kari-lake-ad-gallego-border-policies-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>southern border,<\/a> the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>has learned.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Gallego filed three bills during a pro forma session in the House on Friday that would require different government agencies to work together to crack down on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fentanyl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"flow of fentanyl\">flow of fentanyl<\/a> coming into the country, according to copies of the legislation obtained by the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>The legislation comes just over a week before Congress is set to return in September, and the border becomes a major matter ahead of the November election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Every day, dangerous, illicit fentanyl continues to flow across our border and endanger Arizonans,&rdquo; Gallego said in a statement. &ldquo;My number one priority is Arizonans&rsquo; safety, which is why I am proud to introduce these bills that will ensure we have an all-hands-on-deck response to this crisis. I look forward to working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to get these bills signed into law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rubengallego.house.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/Anti-Fentnayl%20Steering%20Group%20Bill.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>The first bill<\/a> introduced by Gallego would seek to maximize government coordination by creating a Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group within the National Security Council that would oversee the implementation of policies and directives taken by federal agencies to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-democrats-trade-barbs-over-border-field-hearing\/\" title=\"Republicans, Democrats Trade Barbs Over Border Field Hearing\">combat fentanyl trafficking<\/a>. The group would be required to identify and set specific goals to disrupt the flow of the powerful drug, according to the legislation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The steering group would be made up of senior officials in the intelligence community as well as the departments of State, Defense, Justice, Commerce, and Homeland Security. Those officials would be required to submit annual reports to the steering group detailing the agencies&rsquo; initiatives and accomplishments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Gallego also filed a bill titled the <a href=\"https:\/\/rubengallego.house.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/Fentanyl%20Partnership%20Act.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Anti-Fentanyl Partnerships Act<\/a> that would require relevant agencies to report to Congress on all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-i-learned-at-the-aspen-ideas-reet-festival-sponsored-by-mastercard-paypal-and-prudential-in-partnership-with-bloomberg\/\" title=\"What I Learned at the Aspen Ideas RE$ET Festival Sponsored by Mastercard, PayPal, and Prudential in Partnership with Bloomberg\">public-private partnerships<\/a> being used to combat the illegal fentanyl trade. That bill would apply to the same federal agencies as the first bill, as well as the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Energy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rubengallego.house.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/Fentnayl%20Threat%20Analysis%20Bill.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>The final bill<\/a> would specifically apply to the Department of Defense by requiring defense officials to analyze the possible threats the illicit fentanyl drug trade poses to U.S. defense interests. That analysis would be required to include information on the manufacture, distribution, sale, and trade of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances as well as the techniques or technologies that are likely to &ldquo;affect the evolution of the illicit fentanyl drug trade,&rdquo; according to the legislation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The bills come just one week after Gallego sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Biden administration official to prioritize &ldquo;the full deployment of fentanyl detection technology&rdquo; as well as full staffing at all ports of entry along the southern border.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Fentanyl poses one of the greatest threats to our national security, killing thousands of Arizonans each year, and much of it is smuggled into the United States through Ports of Entry,&rdquo; Gallego wrote. &ldquo;It is my understanding that deploying more staff to these Ports would allow for greater use of cutting-edge fentanyl detection technology without disruption to other operations. Each additional officer in Arizona&rsquo;s border sectors would improve technological deployment and protect communities in Arizona and across the country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Border security has become a major topic for the 2024 election, especially for Gallego as he runs for the open Senate seat in Arizona. Gallego&rsquo;s campaign has repeatedly pointed to his voting record to crack down on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kari-lake-drops-new-ad-hitting-gallego-over-radical-border-policies\/\" title=\"Kari Lake releases new ad criticizing Gallego for &#039;radical&#039; border policies\">fentanyl trafficking coming<\/a> across the border as well as securing funds to go toward border cities in the state.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Gallego faces a challenge from GOP candidate Kari Lake, who has sought to target the House Democrat over the border, hoping to tie him to the surge of illegal immigration under the Biden administration. The Gallego campaign has accused Lake of misconstruing his voting record on the border, citing other ads that have been deemed &ldquo;misleading&rdquo; and &ldquo;deceitful&rdquo; by some fact-checking organizations.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s not yet clear whether the House will take up Gallego&rsquo;s bills when lawmakers return for a three-week period in September. Instead, congressional leaders are likely to focus on securing some sort of government spending deal before the looming shutdown deadline on Oct. 1. The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Lake&rsquo;s campaign and House Speaker Mike Johnson&rsquo;s (R-LA) office for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1741997\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1741997\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is preparing to present a series of bills aimed at urging the federal government to adopt a thorough strategy for addressing the fentanyl crisis at the southern border, according to information obtained by the Washington Examiner. On Friday, Gallego introduced three pieces of legislation during a pro forma session in the House that would mandate collaboration among various government agencies to tackle the influx of fentanyl into the United States. This legislative effort comes just over a week before Congress reconvenes in September, as border security becomes a significant issue leading up to the November elections.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Every day, dangerous and illegal fentanyl continues to cross our border and threaten Arizonans,&#8221; Gallego stated. &#8220;My top priority is ensuring Arizonans&#8217; safety, which is why I am proud to introduce these bills that will mobilize an all-encompassing response to this crisis. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues from both parties to get these measures enacted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The first bill aims to enhance governmental coordination by establishing a Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group within the National Security Council tasked with overseeing federal policies and directives aimed at combating fentanyl trafficking. This group would be responsible for identifying specific goals designed to disrupt drug trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>The steering committee would include senior officials from intelligence agencies as well as departments such as State, Defense, Justice, Commerce, and Homeland Security. These officials would need to provide annual reports detailing their initiatives and achievements.<\/p>\n<p>Gallego&#8217;s second bill, known as the Anti-Fentanyl Partnerships Act, mandates relevant agencies report back to Congress on public-private partnerships being utilized in efforts against illegal fentanyl trade. This legislation applies not only to those involved in his first bill but also includes Treasury, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Energy departments.<\/p>\n<p>The final piece of legislation specifically targets defense interests by requiring Department of Defense officials assess potential threats posed by illicit fentanyl trade on U.S. security interests\u2014this analysis must cover aspects like manufacturing and distribution methods related specifically or indirectly linked with fentanyl.<\/p>\n<p>These proposals follow closely after Gallego urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas via letter for prioritization of &#8220;full deployment&#8221; of detection technology for fentanyl along with adequate staffing at all southern border entry points.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Fentanyl represents one of our most significant national security threats; it claims thousands of lives annually among Arizonans,&#8221; he wrote in his letter. &#8220;I believe increasing personnel at Ports could enhance technological capabilities without disrupting other operations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As he campaigns for an open Senate seat in Arizona amid rising concerns about border security ahead of 2024 elections\u2014especially against GOP candidate Kari Lake who has criticized him regarding immigration issues\u2014Gallego&#8217;s campaign has highlighted his voting record focused on combating drug trafficking while securing funding for state border cities.<\/p>\n<p>It remains uncertain if Congress will address Gallego\u2019s proposed bills when they return for their three-week session starting September; congressional leaders are expected instead prioritize reaching an agreement on government spending before an impending shutdown deadline set for October 1st<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2334415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Ruben-Gallego_Arizona_76_1.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[39776,10250,16103,39777,32076],"class_list":["post-2334414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-arizona-senate-race","tag-fentanyl","tag-gallego","tag-response-plan","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Ruben-Gallego_Arizona_76_1.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2334414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334414\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2334415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2334414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2334414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2334414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}