Says improving ACA, rather than replacing, is key for treatment efforts

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, outlined bipartisan legislation on Wednesday that he said is aimed at keeping fentanyl out of the U.S.

In a conference call with reporters, the senator said the INTERDICT Act, which he has sponsored, along with Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, and Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, would provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection with additional hi-tech screening equipment and lab resources to detect the deadly opioid before it enters the country.

“Fentanyl has taken far too many lives across Ohio, and this is one concrete step we can take right now to help stop it from entering our communities and destroying any more Ohio families,” Brown said. “It’s not enough to treat overdoses as they happen — we must do more to stem the tide of deadly synthetic opioids flooding the country. We know hi-tech screening works and we need to give CBP agents the tools they need to keep fentanyl from entering the U.S.”

Brown said, while fentanyl has some applicable uses in medicine, it has caused a record number of deaths from overdose.

He said in February alone, Franklin County saw 30 overdose deaths.

“That’s one each day,” Brown said.

He said fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and has led to higher overdose rates with the drug, when it is mixed in, requiring larger does of the anti-opioid Narcan to revive an addict.

Brown said border agents have had success with screening equipment and that his bill would authorize $15 million for hundreds of new devices, laboratory equipment, facilities, and personnel for lab support.

The money will be used to provide more portable chemical screening devices at ports of entry and mail and express consignment facilities, as well as additional fixed chemical screening devices available in CBP laboratories. It would also provide CBP with resources, personnel, and facilities, including scientists available during all operational hours, to interpret screening test results from the field, Brown said.

In addition to stopping fentanyl from entering the country, Brown stressed that treatment must be available for those addicted.

“Congress has taken steps to improve access to treatment, thanks to the Affordable Care Act,” he said.

Brown spoke out against Republican efforts, led by President Donald Trump, to repeal the ACA.

He said he agreed with U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D- New York, who said on Wednesday that Republicans should drop repeal efforts and work with Democrats to improve the existing legislation.

“It’s not perfect,” Brown said of the ACA. “But neither was Medicare or Social Security when they started. The problem is there are not enough healthy, young people in the insurance pool. The costs go up too much when there are only old, sick people in the insurance pool.”

Brown said he would be open to working with Republicans to amend the bill to lower costs and improve access.

“I’ve always said that, for seven years, when they were doing these bravado ‘repeal and replace’ votes and chanting that year after year,” he said of past Republican efforts to undo the ACA. “They would do those votes that were meaningless, now, they’re not so meaningless.”

Brown said there are 200,000 getting treatment for opioids in Ohio, thanks to the ACA, which he said came from Medicaid expansion, the health care exchanges and young people being able to stay on their parents insurance.

“If this were to pass, their treatment would be interrupted,” he said. “What I hear from hospitals in the state is that they’re terrified, especially small, rural hospitals, of what would happen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.”