In spite of having previously blocked funding that could have provided Customs and Border Protection agents the necessary chemical screening they needed to detect fentanyl coming in from drug cartels, Tester now blames Biden for failing to remedy the opioid epidemic or put an end to the war on drugs.
Townhall reports, a Montana Democrat who once blocked funding to stop fentanyl from crossing into his state is now accusing President Joe Biden of failing to secure the southern border sooner.
With Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) facing reelection next year, he is suddenly concerned about protecting his state’s residents from fentanyl’s deadly side effects.
He previously blocked a proposal to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on chemical screening for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the border’s Ports of Entry to more efficiently detect fentanyl smugglers. Among 50 Senate Democrats, he blocked $300 million for technology to stem the flow of fentanyl, which would have been included in Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
The tables have turned now. Tester’s plea comes after White House officials said they need more money to improve screening technology.
Amid rising concerns about fentanyl and its impact on American citizens, the Mexican President had some choice words for Americans on this topic.
Associated Press reports, despite enormous evidence to the contrary, Mexico’s president said Thursday that the country does not produce or consume fentanyl.
The president of Mexico portrayed the synthetic opioid epidemic as largely a U.S. problem and said the United States should fight drug addiction with family values.
He made the statement during a visit to Mexico by Liz Sherwood-Randall, White House homeland security adviser. It also comes amid calls by some U.S. Republicans to use the U.S. military to attack drug labs in Mexico.
In the past, the Mexican government has acknowledged that fentanyl is manufactured in Mexico from precursor chemicals imported from China. In the United States, about 70,000 opioid deaths are caused by fentanyl each year.
Biden’s failure to secure and enforce border security has led to the current opioid epidemic that has plagued many American cities. It is clear now why Senator Tester blocked funding for chemical screening of Customs and Border Protection agents at the border back in 2019, it was because he was not up for election that year. Despite attempts by Republicans to build a border wall that could have prevented this epidemic, the drug cartels have proven themselves adaptable, using other forms of smuggling and ploys to get fentanyl into the US. Now we are left with an immense burden due to Biden’s lack of enforcement on the border, not just in terms of drugs but illegal border crossings a
