Walkinshaw’s First Bill to Pass House Advances Bipartisan Crackdown on Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8535, the bipartisan Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act , marking Congressman James Walkinshaw's (VA-11) first bill to pass the House. The legislation strengthens the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to stop illicit fentanyl before it reaches American communities by improving coordination, data-sharing, and accountability across the agency. Introduced with Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10), the bill requires DHS to set clear performance metrics, improve data-sharing across DHS components, and better measure whether federal efforts to detect, deter, and seize illicit fentanyl are working. “Today, the House passed my bipartisan legislation to take an important step in the fight against illicit fentanyl, and I am proud that my first bill to pass the House will help save lives,” said Congressman Walkinshaw . “Families across America are losing loved ones to this deadly drug. We owe them action. This bill will help ensure DHS is working as one team, sharing information, measuring results, and stopping illicit fentanyl before it reaches our communities. I urge the Senate to pass it quickly.” "In the past five years, fentanyl has claimed the lives of at least 250,000 young Americans. Stopping this generational crisis must be our number one priority,” said Rep. McCaul . “I’m extremely proud the House has now passed this crucial legislation, and I urge the Senate to follow suit and ensure DHS has the tools and methods in place to decisively stop the flow of this deadly drug into our nation and save American lives." The bill follows a September 2025 Government Accountability Office report that found DHS’s ability to assess the effectiveness of its counter-illicit fentanyl efforts remains limited. GAO found that DHS components need clearer performance goals and stronger data-sharing procedures to evaluate what is working, improve coordination, and direct resources where they are needed most. The Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act would require DHS-wide data sharing, full implementation of the department’s illicit fentanyl assessment program, and clear goals to track how effectively DHS is combating illicit fentanyl trafficking. Illicit fentanyl remains the leading driver of overdose deaths in the United States. In the past five years, illicit fentanyl has claimed the lives of at least 250,000 young Americans. According to the CDC, illicit fentanyl was involved in more than 69 percent of all U.S. overdose deaths in 2025. Without consistent metrics and coordination across CBP, ICE, and other DHS components, Congress and the public cannot fully assess whether federal efforts are working or where additional resources should be directed. The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest (MS-03) and Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement and unanimously passed the Homeland Security Committee. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program also supports the effort because it improves information sharing to deter, detect, and seize illicit fentanyl. Read the full bill text here . ###