Biden's fentanyl position sparks criticism from 2 sides
When President Joe Biden called on the U.S. to address the nation's deadly overdose crisis, it touched off criticism from two sides
By GEOFF MULVIHILL
Published - Feb 08, 2023, 08:31 PM ET
Last Updated - Jun 22, 2023, 10:30 PM EDT
President Joe Biden’s calls in his State of the Union speech for strong criminal penalties in response to soaring deaths linked to the potent opioid fentanyl are being rebuked by harm reduction advocates who say that approach could make the problem worse, even as some in Congress jeered the comments and blamed the Democrat’s border policies for deepening the crisis.
After introducing a New Hampshire father whose 20-year-old daughter died eight years ago from a fentanyl overdose, Biden laid out a grim statistic: “Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year.”
A few lawmakers called out “It’s the border." The voice of one, Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, rang out clearly: “It’s your fault!”
