Washington (USA), March 14 (LaPresse/AP) – The U.S. Senate has given final approval to a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing penalties for fentanyl trafficking. The bill passed with 84 votes in favor and 16 against, all from Democrats. It had already been approved in the House with significant Democratic support.
House Republicans had passed a similar bill in 2013 with backing from dozens of Democrats, but it stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Critics argue that the measure repeats the mistakes of the so-called "War on Drugs," which led to the incarceration of millions of drug users, particularly African Americans.
Now, with Republicans in control of the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune has prioritized the bill, making it one of the first pieces of legislation to be sent to Trump for his signature. The president has already indicated he will sign it.
Thune stated this week that the law "provides law enforcement with a crucial tool to prosecute criminals who bring this poison into our country and sell it on our streets."
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