By Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MASS.) and Vern Buchanan (R-FLA.) The opioid epidemic is ravaging American communities. Fentanyl and other opioids are killing 50,000 Americans every year, making this public health epidemic more lethal than car crashes and HIV at their peaks. The spike in overdose deaths is so severe that for the first time since the Second World War, Americans have seen their life expectancy decline for three consecutive years. In another grim sign of the times, the number of people in line for organ donations is shrinking because so many young, otherwise healthy Americans have died from overdoses. Sadly, these facts are probably unsurprising--everyone seems to know a family member, friend or neighbor who has been personally affected by opioid addiction. But what might be surprising is that much of America's opioid problem begins thousands of miles away. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin, and it is the leading cause of American overdose deaths. An estimated 80 percent of the fentanyl seized on our streets originates in China. In early April, we were pleased to see China's government finally announce that it would ban all forms of fentanyl and go after Chinese fentanyl producers. Although this is a step in the right direction, their promises need to be met with concrete action. Disturbingly, one of the Chinese leaders who made the promise has simultaneously downplayed his own culpability. At a recent summit on fentanyl, Liu Yuejin, China's Vice Commissioner of the National Narcotics Control Commission blamed the United States and questioned our values, saying, "If the United States truly wants to resolve its fentanyl abuse problem, it needs to strengthen its domestic work." That's a cop-out: China is fanning the flames of this crisis by flooding American streets with cheap fentanyl. It is notable that in a country where little goes unnoticed by the state security apparatus, China has an especially poor record of taking on fentanyl producers. Between 2015 and 2016, American authorities intercepted 1,072 shipments of Chinese fentanyl before they could reach our streets. In the same time period, China stopped just four. So, while we welcome China's recent announcement, we believe it is also time for Congress to hold Beijing to account by attacking the sources of fentanyl and sanctioning its producers. That's why we introduced The Fentanyl Sanctions Act. Our bipartisan bill would impose sanctions on international drug manufacturers who knowingly send synthetic opioids to drug traffickers and other criminal operations. It would also equip American law enforcement officials with the funds they need to intercept fentanyl and authorize $600 million to counter the trafficking of opioids across the globe. Finally, this legislation would rally government around this mission by creating a new federal commission to combat synthetic opioid trafficking including the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency, secretary of Homeland Security, secretary of Defense, secretary of the Treasury and the secretary of State. This legislation is also necessary because China may have an incentive not to act: so long as Chinese fentanyl remains a problem in America, China can use fentanyl production as a bargaining chip in any trade deal it negotiates with the United States. Diplomatic rhetoric out of Beijing frequently invokes phrases like "mutual respect' and "promoting peace and stability.' We ask China's leaders to truly commit to these principles by helping us eliminate the production and flow of this poisonous plague. Beijing should know that this issue is a top priority across both parties. That is why Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. While we are under no illusion that this bill will put an end to all opioid overdose deaths in America, it is a start. Congress and the president should also target the supply of prescription opioids and hold bad actors in America like Perdue Pharma and Rochester Drug Cooperative accountable for flooding communities with opioid prescriptions, too. Congress must fund more addiction treatment programs; more Americans should carry naloxone which can reverse the effects of an overdose; and the federal government should help states and local governments equip law enforcement with the resources they need to stop other illegal drugs like heroin from reaching our communities. We hope by working together on this bill, we can set an example for other members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to come together and pass this and a series of policies to crack down on the deadly flow of opioids entering our country. American lives are at stake. Congressman Seth Moulton, a Democrat, represents the 6th District of Massachusetts. Congressman Vern Buchanan, a Republican, represents the 16th District of Florida.

By Vern Buchanan Too many Floridians continue to be harassed by the nationwide onslaught of robocalls. In fact, the Sunshine State was hit with more than 3.8 billion robocalls in 2018 alone. But these are more than just a minor inconvenience -- phone scams can defraud innocent Americans out of their life savings. A staggering 30 to 40 percent of these calls are scams intended to prey on unsuspecting victims -- especially vulnerable seniors. Nearly one in five Americans over 65 have been victimized by fraud. This is especially concerning for me as I represent over 220,000 seniors in the nation's eighth-oldest congressional district. In our own backyard, area code 813 received over 104 million scam robocalls in 2018 alone. Meanwhile, area code 941 received over 44 million scam robocalls. To understand what a burgeoning problem this is quickly becoming, consider the fact that the majority of consumer complaints received by the Federal Communications Commission relate to unwanted calls, many of which maliciously hide or disguise the caller's identity and location. These illegal calls often originate from phone numbers that appear similar to those they're targeting, a tactic known as "spoofing." But robocalls are also targeting a well-respected institution in our community: the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. Testifying on Capitol Hill last week, a Moffitt official stated that in a recent 90-day period, it received 6,600 external calls spoofed to appear as internal phone numbers. According to Moffitt Chief Information Security Officer Dave Summitt, robocallers have impersonated the Department of Justice and other government agencies to target doctors on the job. In one case, a scammer posed as a federal employee to trick a doctor into giving sensitive information, including his medical license number. They haven't stopped there. Robocallers are also using spoofed Moffitt numbers to target the center's patients and their family members for personal information. These heartless criminals are directly hurting Moffitt's mission to save lives and help cancer patients. For this medical facility dedicated to saving lives, and for all Floridians, the status quo is unacceptable. That's why I've cosponsored the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act), bipartisan legislation to crack down on these unwanted and illegal calls. Specifically, the TRACED Act enables regulators to swiftly track down scammers and penalize them with a fine of up to $10,000 per call. It also mandates that phone companies, like Verizon and AT&T, upgrade their caller ID systems to notify customers if a call is coming from a legitimate number. Of course, Florida is not alone in suffering from the plague of robocalls. Nationwide, robocalls increased 46 percent as nearly 48 billion were placed in the U.S. in 2018. The frustration and anger from Americans across the country is why 54 state and territory attorneys general have endorsed the TRACED Act, which was introduced in the House by Congressman David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) and in the Senate by Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.). Congress has a real opportunity to deliver relief and silence these scammers by passing the TRACED Act and other anti-scam robocall proposals. Time to block them. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, represents Florida's 16th Congressional District, which includes north Sarasota County, Manatee County and part of south Hillsborough County.

By Earl Blumenauer While there are many issues that divide Democrats and Republicans, one that strongly unites us is protecting helpless animals from severe cruelty and torture. Animal protection is a cause that enjoys broad support from Americans of all political affiliations. From Sarasota, Florida to Portland, Oregon, animal lovers have something to be excited about as the 2019-20 session of Congress is shaping up to be a productive time for animal welfare and wildlife conservation efforts. We will build upon the success of the last Congress, which passed legislation to end dog fighting in U.S. territories, banned the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption and helped survivors of domestic violence keep their pets. This session, the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus has an even more ambitious agenda. With more than 130 members of Congress, our caucus is committed to passing legislation that combats animal cruelty, ends painful experimentation on animals and permanently bans the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. We ask our colleagues in Congress to join us -- and millions of Americans -- in supporting the following bipartisan reforms: Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 724/S.479) While federal penalties exist for creating videos of animals being tortured, there are currently no penalties for the acts of abuse themselves. The PACT Act would strengthen federal law and prohibit extreme acts of animal cruelty in interstate or foreign commerce, video recording or not. This sweeping legislation would create the first nationwide animal cruelty bill, empowering federal prosecutors to go after people who abuse animals. The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (H.R. 737) The global demand for shark fins has decimated shark populations, with certain species on the brink of extinction. While the U.S. has a ban on shark finning itself, Congress can strengthen it with the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, which outlaws the possession, sale and trade of shark fins. They are harvested by slicing off the fins of live sharks and throwing the mutilated animals back into the ocean to die.