Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., believes the fentanyl crisis in America requires a "war on drugs-type" response, in terms of the U.S. government rallying citizens of all ages, ethnicities, incomes, and political backgrounds to combat this "huge problem."
"We had more than 78,000 [fentanyl-related] deaths last year, and it was the leading cause of death in America for people, ages 18-45," Hoeven told Newsmax on Thursday evening, while appearing on "The Record with Greta Van Susteren."
"It's an incredible [undertaking], and we've got to do more," Hoeven added.
The fentanyl problem has been top-of-mind in recent years; but things took a nasty turn earlier Thursday, amid reports of fentanyl pills disguised as candy being seized at a Los Angeles airport.
From the North Dakota senator's perspective, the Democrats — who currently control the House and Senate chambers, along with the White House — need to show more urgency with the fentanyl crisis, especially since these tragic deaths are affecting people of all political leanings.
"This is an issue for every state in the union," says Hoeven, while adding the cartels have essentially seized control of the United States-Mexico border.
They're making millions of dollars in human, drug, and sex trafficking operations every day, adds Hoeven.
"Are we doing everything we can [to stop the fentanyl crisis]? Of course we're not ... when we don't secure the border," says Hoeven, while pointing out that 2 million migrants have illegally crossed the southern border in the last fiscal year.
"The cartels are not only trafficking people, but drugs," says Hoeven. "And we absolutely can shut that down ... but the Biden administration won't do it."
To exacerbate his point, Hoeven reasoned that illegal immigration and drug smuggling at the border were kept in relative check during the Trump administration.
Hoeven says former President Donald Trump made it a keynote issue of his time in office.
"And it has to be all of us again [to solve the fentanyl problem]," says Hoeven. "It takes [all our resources] to work on this."
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