Rebecca Kiessling testified before Congress to talk about the risk of fentanyl poisoning and why it is of the upmost importance to her. Fentanyl killed her two young sons, Caleb and Kyler. And she is just one of millions of parents experiencing this tragedy.
When confronted about it, the president did what he does best—mumble, lie, and redirect.
After a chuckle, President Biden stated, “that fentanyl they took came during the last administration.” I was unaware that when someone dies due to narcotics, that you can then detect exactly when that drug came into the U.S. But if the president is correct and we can detect this, he should certainly point all of his fingers in his direction.
More fentanyl has crossed into the United States from Mexico than ever before, and it is coming from at and in between ports of entry. This week, DEA in Los Angeles busted three Mexican nationals with one million fentanyl pills. Michigan State Police intercepted about three million fentanyl-laced pills, the largest fentanyl seizure yet in the state, with a street value estimated at $9 million.
Fentanyl has rapidly become the number one cause of overdose deaths in the U.S., and the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45.
There are many factors at play when it comes to fentanyl. China is the largest manufacturer of the drug, and Mexican cartels have become the leading producer of fentanyl-laced opioids. So why is President Biden largely to blame?
As the chief executive of our nation, he has failed to take any real action to secure America’s borders from criminal transnational organizations. In fact, he instead has taken action to make it the least secure border we’ve ever had. While doing so, his administration has been sure to redirect any blame for their border crisis onto previous administrations and their opposing party.
The fiscal year 2024 budget released by the Biden administration tells you all you need to know about the president’s priorities. While climate change is mentioned 42 times, fentanyl is mentioned only two. One of those two mentions is in the summary. Biden is investing more than $23 billion for “climate change resilience,” but he is only allocating $40 million to combat fentanyl trafficking.
President Biden’s budget signals his satisfaction with the current state of our border and its impact on every household in America. According to President Biden, record numbers of illegal crossings and over 70,000 Americans dying of fentanyl poisoning in 2021 are not priorities. Instead he will focus on raising taxes to pay for green new deal projects and imposing radical gender policies across America.
Without measures in place to secure the border, large numbers of got-aways will continue to spill into our country, and with them more drugs, more criminals, and more American deaths. Congressional Republicans and Democrats need to come together to act on border security so that we can then focus on a safe, humane and effective immigration system that will embrace legal pathways to citizenship for those who enter the U.S. legally and at the same time aggressively counter human smuggling and drug trafficking.
At this moment, the brutality of what is happening daily in border communities is on full display and fentanyl deaths show the impact of an unsecure border on the entire country. Our national leaders must act. Secure the border, stop the drugs, and keep Americans safe.