VIDEO: Rep. Kustoff Leads Fight to End Opioid Epidemic

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative David Kustoff (TN-08) today delivered remarks on the House floor to urge support of his bill, the National Strategy for Combating the Financing of Transnational Criminal Organizations Act (H.R. 4768). This legislation will create a national strategy for eliminating the financial networks of cartels and transnational criminal organizations – groups that are responsible, in large part, for drug trafficking and the opioid epidemic in America. Shortly after the remarks, the Congressman's bill passed unanimously in the House.

Below is the full text of Congressman Kustoff's remarks:

I rise today in support of my bill, the National Strategy for Combating the Financing of Transnational Criminal Organizations Act.

On February 9, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order, directing the federal government to combat international drug trafficking.

Before I go any further, I want to note that this Executive Order was issued in the third week of the Trump Administration. This early action gives us an idea of how seriously we must take this issue.

The Executive Order recognizes that illegal drugs are pouring into our country and threatening American safety – primarily at the hands of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations.

These criminal organizations are responsible, in large part, for the rising opioid epidemic sweeping across the nation.

In my district in West Tennessee, we continue to see a rise in deaths caused by opioid overdose.

From heroin to fentanyl, and the more potent synthetic opioid known as carfentanyl, we must continue to use every available resource to prevent the further destruction on our communities.

Enough is enough.

The important legislation that we are discussing today will create a plan to track illicit money channels and cut them off at the source.

Specifically, it directs the U.S. Treasury Department to develop a national strategy aimed at disrupting these financial crimes.

The Treasury will work hand-in-hand with the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, State and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to produce a yearly report outlining a strategy and detailing ways that the U.S. government can continue to prevent these financial crimes.

For far too long, these criminal organizations have used illicit business ventures to further finance their activities – which range from money-laundering and cyber-crime to the trafficking of drugs, humans, weapons and endangered species.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that these cartels and transnational criminal organizations generate nearly $870 billion a year.

This money is used to directly threaten the security and prosperity of the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Our legislation is a critical step in disrupting this illicit finance and putting an end to the needless crimes committed by cartels.

As we have seen, these organizations have evolved in a continued effort to evade law enforcement.

Therefore, in order to stay one step ahead of these bad actors, we must also evolve.

These transnational organizations have developed interstate networks to and from the border, in which the drugs come up from Central America, and the cash returns back to the country of origin.

We simply cannot stand idly by as these activities continue.

We must keep money out of the hands of those who intend to cause harm to our nation, and this legislation does just that.

I greatly appreciate the hard work done by my colleagues from the Financial Services Committee on this important legislation.

I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.

Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time

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