Tool behind crackdown on opioids could expire

The Biden administration has been slow-walking its work on the extension of a legislative order that would keep in place a sweeping tool that’s helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

In recent weeks, the people said, the White House and Justice Department leaders have, on several occasions, canceled meetings with officials at the Drug Enforcement Administration to discuss the plan around so-called fentanyl analogues, which are generally foreign-made drugs with a very close chemical makeup to the dangerous opioid. The people had direct knowledge of the discussions but were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

The legislation temporarily classifies the synthetic opioids as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act, making it easier for prosecutors to build cases against traffickers. The emergency authority, initially authorized in 2018, is set to expire next month and requires Congress to reauthorize it.

The administration will need to either quickly move forward to lobby Congress to pass an extension, propose a permanent solution that could pass or put a plan in place to prosecute cases involving the synthetic opioids if the temporary authorization expires.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to avoiding expiration of this legislation, and we have communicated that clearly to both parties in Congress,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said.

There is growing concern from lawmakers and law enforcement officials, who fear that failing to act could lead to a surge in opioid deaths.