Members urge wider availability of naloxone in House office buildings amid fentanyl concerns
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Summary
Representatives urged the House Administration committee and relevant agencies to make FDA‑approved opioid overdose reversal agents such as naloxone available in House office buildings and public areas to respond to rising fentanyl deaths.
Several members told the Committee on House Administration that FDA‑approved opioid overdose reversal agents such as naloxone should be readily available in House office buildings and public spaces to address the opioid and fentanyl overdose crisis.
Representative Mr. Carter said Customs and Border Protection confiscated over 21,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border last fiscal year and that “that’s enough fentanyl to kill every American several times over.” Carter urged the panel to work with the Architect of the Capitol and the Office of the Attending Physician to stock naloxone in House buildings and noted the drug is already kept near a defibrillator in a different office complex.
Carter said he carries naloxone personally and called for its availability in the Capitol for immediate response. He described naloxone as safe and life-saving and urged the committee to act so overdose reversal treatment is as accessible as defibrillators.
Why it matters: fentanyl-related overdoses are a leading cause of death in many jurisdictions, and witnesses urged immediate operational steps to ensure rapid response in House facilities.
The committee accepted the testimony as a prompt to check existing medical supplies and to coordinate with House medical and facilities officials; no formal action was taken during the hearing.