WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), voted to advance two bipartisan bills to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) resources to better detect illicit drugs like fentanyl and other contraband smuggled across the U.S. southern border. The bipartisan Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act would create new CBP positions to closely inspect x-ray scan images to detect illicit contraband in any cargo coming into the United States. The bipartisan Contraband Awareness Technology Catches Harmful (CATCH) Fentanyl Act would establish a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of technologies that can speed up and enhance cargo inspection at U.S. ports of entry. Both bills advanced out of HSGAC today and are now one step closer to being considered on the Senate floor.
“Most illicit fentanyl comes to our communities after being smuggled into the U.S. through the southern border,” said Senator Rosen. “When we stop illegal drugs like fentanyl from coming in through the border, we are saving lives in Nevada. That’s why I helped pass two commonsense, bipartisan bills through committee to improve CBP resources and technology to better detect illicit items like fentanyl from being smuggled into our communities.”
Senator Rosen has consistently worked across the aisle to secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl. Last month, Rosen’s bipartisan END FENTANYL Act was signed into law, which will help crack down on drug smuggling by requiring the CBP Commissioner to update its drug interdiction guidance to ensure it is up to date. She also voted to pass the bipartisan border security deal which would invest more than $20 billion to secure the border, get law enforcement the resources they need, and combat the fentanyl crisis. Senator Rosen has also called on the Biden administration to prioritize additional resources to stop the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl through ports of entry along the border, pushed for increased resources to support border personnel, and voted to advance legislation to provide nearly $14 billion in funding to strengthen border security and humanely process migrants.
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