Fitzgerald Advances Legislation to Fight Opioid Epidemic

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after he introduced the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act and the House passed H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act:

“I was proud to support the HALT Fentanyl Act. This critical legislation accomplishes a top legislative priority I passed in the Wisconsin State Senate and have been advocating for since coming to Congress; to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs,” said Congressman Fitzgerald. “Drug overdose has become an all-too-common occurrence, and fentanyl-related overdose is the leading cause of death in this country. We must put an end to this epidemic, and that starts with a permanent designation of this deadly substance.”

Congressman Fitzgerald offered remarks in support of H.R. 27, where he shared two stories of constituents who have overcome the tragedy of drug overdose. Lauri Badura, of Oconomowoc, lost her eldest son, Archie, in 2014 due to an accidental overdose. Since then, she has dedicated herself to advocating on behalf of those struggling with mental health and substance abuse, and started a grassroots organization called, “Saving Others For Archie” to help fight the opioid epidemic on the local, state and national level. Erin and Rick Rachwal, of Pewaukee, lost their son Logan to an overdose in 2021. The results of the toxicology report indicated three different forms of fentanyl were present. In response, Erin and Rick started the “Love, Logan Foundation” to end the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse disorders and raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit substances.

Congressman Fitzgerald also re-introduced the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act. This bill, which Congressman Fitzgerald also introduced the previous two Congresses alongside Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, permanently designates fentanyl-related substances to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, and codifies the ruling in United States V. McCray (2d Cir. 2021), which adds fentanyl-related substance to the definition of “controlled substance analogue” in the Controlled Substance Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act for the purposes of establishing mandatory minimums for trafficking and distributing fentanyl. SOFA is the same acronym as an organization started by Lauri Badura, Saving Others for Archie.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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