10.03.23

Cantwell Calls for Hearing on How Fentanyl Crisis is Impacting Indian Country

Recent increase in overdose deaths have devastated many Tribal communities in Washington state

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs requesting that the committee hold an oversight hearing on how to address the fentanyl crisis that has affected every part of our country, but has been particularly devastating for Indian Country. Sen. Cantwell is the former Chair of the Indian Affairs Committee and a long-time member.

American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians are on the front lines of the fentanyl epidemic. In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that American Indians and Alaska Natives had the highest drug overdose rates in both 2020 and 2021, while Native Hawaiians experienced the largest percentage increases in drug overdose death rates (47%) from 2020 through 2021.

In the letter, Sen. Cantwell states: “In 2022, it was found that fentanyl played a role in 65% of overdose deaths nationwide. Last month, the Lummi Nation – which took a leadership role in organizing a statewide summit in Washington – lost five Tribal members in a week to suspected fentanyl overdose deaths and sadly the Lummi Nation is not alone. Native communities throughout the country continue to experience disproportionate increases in overdose deaths despite significant efforts to prevent and treat drug addiction and overdoses in their communities,” Sen. Cantwell wrote. “As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I believe we have a duty to Indian Country to examine this crisis and work with Tribes to save lives in their communities.”

Sen. Cantwell has been conducting a listening tour across Washington state to hear from people on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis. She has made nine stops on the tour so far. In May, Sen. Cantwell hosted a fentanyl crisis roundtable discussion in Pierce County, followed by a second roundtable discussion in Snohomish County in June; in July, she convened a roundtable in the Tri-Cities, a roundtable in downtown Seattle, and a roundtable in Spokane. In August, Sen. Cantwell hosted roundtables in Vancouver, WA, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, and Yakima.

In addition, in August, Sen. Cantwell attended and spoke at the National Tribal Opioid Summit, a gathering of approximately 900 tribal leaders, health care workers, and first responders from across the country.  The summit was organized by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the National Indian Health Board and hosted by the Tulalip Tribes and followed a first-ever statewide summit hosted by the Lummi Nation. At the national summit, Sen. Cantwell heard powerful stories from Tribal community members with lived experience and discussed the scope and impact of the fentanyl crisis, as well as the pressing need for greater federal assistance for Tribes.

In July, the Senate passed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill, which Sen. Cantwell cosponsored, would enhance current law so U.S. government agencies can more effectively disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and penalize those facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl. It also declares international trafficking of fentanyl, and the precursors used to make it a national emergency.

In May, Sen. Cantwell led a Commerce Committee markup of S. 1280, the TRANQ Research Act, to help combat the rise in illicit use of xylazine, also known as tranq, which is a new dimension to the fentanyl crisis. It directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to take steps to enhance understanding of xylazine or tranq and other novel synthetic drugs, develop new tests for detection, and establish partnerships with front-line entities that are often the first points of contact with new street drugs. Sen. Cantwell is a cosponsor of that bipartisan bill, and also cosponsored similar bipartisan language to amend a bill that subsequently passed the Senate by unanimous consent in June.

Last month, Sen. Cantwell announced $625,000 in funding to prevent youth substance abuse and over $2 million for addiction treatment and emergency overdose response programs. In August, the Senator announced nearly 10.5 million in funding for Washington communities and Tribes, including the Yakama Nation and the Seattle Indian Health Board, to combat the fentanyl crisis and improve mental health care services.

The full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Chairman Schatz and Vice Chair Murkowski,

I write to respectfully request that the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hold an oversight hearing to examine how the fentanyl crisis, a national emergency that has affected every part of our country, has been particularly devastating for Indian Country.

In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control reported that American Indians and Alaska Natives had the highest drug overdose rates in both 2020 and 2021. Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders experienced the largest percentage increases in drug overdose death rates from 2020 through 2021, with rates increasing by 47%. An increased presence of fentanyl in the illicit drug supply is a primary contributor to this deadly problem. In 2022, it was found that fentanyl played a role in 65% of overdose deaths nationwide. Last month, the Lummi Nation – which took a leadership role in organizing a statewide summit in Washington – lost five Tribal members in a week to suspected fentanyl overdose deaths and sadly the Lummi Nation is not alone. Native communities throughout the country continue to experience disproportionate increases in overdose deaths despite significant efforts to prevent and treat drug addiction and overdoses in their communities.

American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians are on the front lines of a deadly fentanyl epidemic and are suffering. As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I believe we have a duty to Indian Country to examine this crisis and work with Tribes to save lives in their communities. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

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