Biden prods Congress to act to curb fentanyl from Mexico as Trump paints Harris as weak on border
President Joe Biden is prodding Congress to do more to reduce the flow of fentanyl into the United States
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is prodding Congress to help him do more to combat the scourge of fentanyl before he leaves office.
The Democratic administration is making the new policy push as Republican former President Donald Trump steps up attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris, painting her as Biden's feckless lieutenant in the battle to slow the illegal drugs and immigrants without authorization coming into the United States from Mexico.
The White House on Wednesday announced a series of proposals from Biden aimed at curbing the ongoing drug epidemic. These include a push on Congress to pass legislation to establish a pill press and tableting machine registry and enhance penalties against convicted drug smugglers and traffickers of fentanyl.
Biden also wants to tighten rules on importers shipping small packages into the United States, requiring shippers to provide additional information to Customs and Border Protection officials. The move is aimed at improving the detection of fentanyl precursor chemicals that frequently find their way into the United States in relatively low-value shipments that aren't subject to customs and trade barriers.
