TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is pushing for new legislation that would help combat the flow of fentanyl across the nation's southern border.
On Tuesday, Sen. Kelly and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act.
This new legislation would allow for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire more officers and border patrol agents. The bill would also provide funding for non-intrusive inspection systems, which scan cars and cargo that travel through ports of entry.
“Border Patrol and Port Officers have been stretched far too thin as they do the difficult job of keeping our country safe every single day,” Sen. Kelly said in a statement.
The proposed bill would also make way for a new inspection program, to help those at the border seize more firearms traveling between the U.S. and Mexico.
“This bill will help stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and provide the hardworking law enforcement officers at the border with the resources, technology, and support they need to do their jobs and secure our border. This bill is a part of a multipronged approach to end the fentanyl crisis by cracking down on the criminals producing and smuggling fentanyl, securing our border, and providing the Americans impacted by fentanyl with the help they need.” Sen. Kelly said.