Congressman David Trone Votes “No” on Expanded Mandatory Minimums in HALT Fentanyl Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2023
Contact: Sasha Galbreath, Sasha.Galbreath@mail.house.gov
Congressman David Trone Votes “No” on Expanded Mandatory Minimums in HALT Fentanyl Act
As co-founder and co-chair of both the Bipartisan Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Task Force and the Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force, Congressman David Trone (D-MD) voted “no” on expanded mandatory minimums in HR 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act. He released the following statement:
“In 2016, I lost my 24-year-old nephew Ian to a fentanyl overdose. This fight is personal for me, as it is for over a million other families who have lost a loved one to drug overdoses since 1999. I have always supported the Biden-Harris Administration’s permanent fentanyl scheduling proposal that would protect civil rights and reduce barriers to scientific research. But the bill before us on the floor today falls short of effecting real, positive change to combat this epidemic.
“I know because I lived it: my nephew Ian fought addiction and mental health for much of his life. The criminal record he had as a result of this disease only made his road to recovery more difficult. Already, America is grappling with over-incarceration of nonviolent drug offenses. Americans fighting substance use disorder don’t need handcuffs, they need a helping hand. They need treatment.
“We know mass incarceration and harsh mandatory minimum sentences just don’t work to solve the drug crisis. We already tried in the ‘90s and have nothing to show for it but generations of men and women – disproportionately people of color – lost to over-imprisonment.
“It’s time we learned from our mistakes and broke the cycle. This bill doesn’t come close. Plain and simple. It’s a “no” from me because we can and must do better.”
Congressman David Trone currently serves as co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Task Force and the Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force. Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations, Budget, and Joint Economic Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the mental health and addiction crises, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
