ASAP Applauds Bipartisan Introduction of the STOP Act in the House and Senate
As America’s opioid epidemic grows, this critical legislation would close a dangerous loophole in the global postal system
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act was reintroduced in the 115th Congress by bipartisan members of the Senate and House of Representatives – Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA).
The bill seeks to close a dangerous loophole in our global postal system by requiring all packages shipped from foreign posts to include advance electronic security data, which law enforcement officials can use to screen and stop dangerous packages before they enter the country. The bill is specifically targeted to stem the flow of dangerous synthetic drugs sent to the U.S. through the mail, such as fentanyl and carfentanil – a public health crisis that is wreaking havoc on communities across the country.
Gov. Tom Ridge and Juliette Kayyem, senior advisors to Americans for Securing All Packages (ASAP), issued the following statements in support of the STOP Act:
“It is our shared responsibility to keep Americans safe, especially as terrorists, counterfeiters and drug traffickers continue to target our communities here at home,” said Gov. Tom Ridge, senior advisor to ASAP. “The global postal system loophole poses a major threat to our national security and to the health of our country. I am pleased that the STOP Act has strong bipartisan support.”
“We applaud the reintroduction of the STOP Act as a key way to help our law enforcement officials tackle the global war on drugs and terrorism,” said Juliette Kayyem, senior advisor to ASAP. “Our standards for effectively monitoring packages coming into the country need to keep up with our 21st century economy, which is exactly what the STOP Act aims to do. Ultimately, this legislation can help curb the public health crisis that has already claimed too many American lives.”
ASAP has supported the STOP Act since its introduction in the 114th Congress. Along with legislative action, ASAP also supports executive efforts that the Trump administration can take to close this loophole. On the campaign trail, President Trump acknowledged the importance of closing the postal loophole in a speech in New Hampshire and stated that his administration would “crack down on the abuse of the loopholes in the Postal Service to literally mail fentanyl and other drugs to users and dealers in the United States.”
About Americans for Securing All Packages
Americans for Securing All Packages (ASAP) is a bipartisan coalition composed of health care advocates, national security experts, businesses and nonprofits who believe it is time for the U.S. government to take action and ensure that all packages being shipped to the United States from any foreign postal service are adequately screened before arriving on the doorsteps of unsuspecting Americans.
Learn more about ASAP by visiting SecurePackages.org or following @SecurePackages on Twitter.
