Rep. Blumenauer urges removal of loophole he says contributes to fentanyl crisis
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Before he leaves Congress, Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer wants officials to remove a loophole that has existed since the 1930s.
Created in 1938, the de minimis exception allows foreign packages to be shipped into the U.S. uninspected and untaxed as long as they’re worth less than a certain amount. AP News reported that packages required inspection if they were worth more than $5 when the rule was first adopted.
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That $5 equals to about $106 today, and in 2016, the amount was raised to $800.
During a roundtable held on Wednesday, Rep. Blumenauer told attendees the de minimis exception had been “haunting” him for the last couple of years.
“We actually got the legislation past the house two years ago and somehow, [with] the machinations in the political process with the Senate, it got dropped from the CHIPS act, but we’re gaining momentum,” Blumenauer said.
The congressman added that over a billion de minimis packages are expected to ship into the U.S. this year — and the number continues to grow.
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According to the Democratic representative, 13 Republican attorneys general noted the loophole is a “portal” for fentanyl.
At the roundtable, Lost Voices of Fentanyl member Jackie Thomas spoke about her late son Jacob who died of fentanyl poisoning at the age of 22 after using the drug to self-medicate for depression and anxiety.
“When you go to the airport, my carry-on bag is inspected, my luggage is inspected, I have to have the proper ID and then I’m inspected to get on a plane and that’s the law,” Thomas said. “So why is cargo, packages, all this stuff coming in without what we go through?”
Portland Police Association President Aaron Schmautz echoed her point, noting that officers had seen people from all backgrounds suffer from fentanyl use.
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“Fentanyl is not just a drug of abuse,” Schmautz said. “It’s an adulterant, it’s a poison and it’s coming through all these different pathways.”
In addition to its contributions to Oregon’s drug crisis, Blumenauer said the de minimis loophole hinders domestic businesses and officials’ ability to block products made with forced labor from the U.S. economy.
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