Senate passes HALT Fentanyl Act to permanently classify all fentanyl-related drugs as Schedule I substances

The HALT Fentanyl Act passed with overwhelming support, earning 84 Senate votes while 16 opposed it. The bill aims to close loopholes exploited by drug traffickers who smuggle substances with chemical compositions similar to fentanyl but are different enough to evade legal penalties.

"'Oh, it's not fentanyl. You can't bust me because it's not actually fentanyl.' No, it still addicts like fentanyl. It still kills like fentanyl, and it is substantially fentanyl. So, therefore, it shall be treated by law enforcement as if it is fentanyl."

Democrats sought to filibuster the bill's passage, arguing it did not do enough to combat the fentanyl crisis as a whole, would increase mass incarceration and limit the study of these fentanyl analogs by placing them in a more restrictive regulatory category. 

The HALT Fentanyl Act does not create any new mandatory minimum sentencing, but it puts fentanyl-related substances under the same sentencing guidelines used for fentanyl itself.

"This is a major accomplishment, quite frankly, to be able to move this through in the fight against fentanyl," Lankford added.