Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is renewing a request that Congress classify fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction” as part of his battle for tougher legislation against the opioid epidemic.
Morrisey made the announcement during a Monday conference calling for more federal action.
“This is a story worth paying attention to. Focus on the families of the victims, because that’s the way we’re going to turn this around,” Morrisey said.
He invited families of those who have died from fentanyl poisoning to speak about their experiences to drive his point home.
Morrisey is not the first to make this call. A group of 18 Attorneys General joined together with the request, led by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. In June, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, introduced a bill into the U.S. House of Representatives.
Morrisey also called for more oversight on the U.S. Department of State by the now-Republican majority House of Representatives and re-introducing Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” immigration policy requiring asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while waiting for their U.S. immigration court date. He also made public previous correspondence from social media companies like Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, Snapchat and TikTok about their policies to combat fentanyl and drug dealing on their platforms.
Morrisey has previously hinted that he would make a bid for higher office, eyeing a spot for the 2024 election cycle, though it is as of yet unclear what seat he will be running for. He previously ran for Joe Manchin’s Senate seat in 2018.