New York Senator Chuck Schumer visited CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh to advocate for the FEND OFF Fentanyl Act. The congressional bill is aimed at curbing the influx of illegal fentanyl responsible for countless overdose deaths. Schumer urged the House to work with the Senate in designating fentanyl trafficking as a national emergency. He emphasized the importance of including a provision within the National Defense Authorization Act that would empower the president to enforce sanctions on major fentanyl suppliers like China and Mexico. With the Senate’s approval of the NDAA, lawmakers must craft a unified version that can pass both houses before the year ends. Schumer stressed the necessity of addressing the overdose crisis, particularly in New York, where 83% of recent fatal overdoses were linked to fentanyl.
Watch Senator Schumer’s full news conference in Plattsburgh on the FEND OFF Fentanyl Act.
Watch the Community Forum we hosted at the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh a few months ago with law enforcement leaders & treatment providers on the impact the flow of Fentanyl is having on communities in the North Country.