As lawmakers return to Washington, the White House has taken a hard line, accusing Republicans of exacerbating the fentanyl epidemic to placate impeachment supporters like Marjorie Taylor Green.
The shot was fired as Republicans in Congress and the White House braced for a clash over government funding before a September 30 deadline or risk a shutdown.
The White House is concerned that a government shutdown would exacerbate the fentanyl issue. Biden has been criticized for not doing more to address the opioid problem, which voters have identified as a significant issue.
On Tuesday, Senators and Representatives alike will return to work on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans want to begin impeachment procedures against President Joe Biden, while others are concerned about the deadline to enact a federal budget.
A war room has been set up at the White House to cope with the impeachment issue. Now, the administration is on the offensive in preparation for a potential government shutdown by reminding Americans that popular programs would be shut down if the budget wasn’t enacted.
The anti-fentanyl spending that President Biden requests is crucial for the work of the DEA, the Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security. He further stressed that “lives are at risk.”
The White House has made Greene a frequent scapegoat. She is a prominent Republican figure and a vocal opponent of President Joe Biden.
The president has referred to this faction of the Republican Party as “extreme-MAGA,” many in the White House and the Biden campaign regard Greene as MAGA’s poster child.
If the House does not initiate an impeachment investigation, she has threatened to vote against federal financing.
Republicans, meanwhile, have claimed that Biden’s border policies have facilitated a flood of illegal narcotics into the country. Mexicali is a significant producer of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
An Ipsos study conducted earlier this summer indicated that opioids and fentanyl are seen as the most significant public health danger by Americans. About 100,000 people die annually in the United States from drug overdoses.
Legislators will come under intense pressure in the coming days. Time is running out. There will be just 11 days of House sessions left before the conclusion of the fiscal year on September 30.
