{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-hosts-fighting-fentanyl-roundtable-in-kenosha", "Steil Hosts Fighting Fentanyl Roundtable in Kenosha", "2022-09-07", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "KENOSHA, WI \u2013 Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) hosted a roundtable in Kenosha, WI focused on fighting fentanyl in Kenosha County and to discuss ways the federal government can help keep communities in Wisconsin safe. During the roundtable, leaders from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Kenosha County Sheriff\u2019s Office, local leaders, and local medical experts discussed the increase in illicit fentanyl being found in Kenosha County, and how law enforcement is working to keep these dangerous substances off Wisconsin\u2019s streets.\n\n\u201cIn Kenosha County, there were 48 overdose deaths from illicit fentanyl in 2021. In FY2021, CBP seized 11,201 pounds of fentanyl, more than twice the amount from a year before. These drugs are coming right into our communities. I will continue working with local, state, and federal partners to prevent this dangerous substance from devastating our communities. While we work to prevent this drug from entering the USA, we must continue to raise awareness of the dangers of illicit fentanyl particularly when far too many victims are unaware they are taking it, said Rep. Bryan Steil.\n\n\u201cWe appreciate the efforts of Congressman Steil in bringing this conversation to Kenosha County and in the work he\u2019s doing on the federal level to battle the fentanyl crisis. It was an informative discussion, bringing a cross section of the community together, and it underscored the importance of building partnerships on the federal, state and local levels,\u201d said Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman.\n\n\u201cWe can\u2019t seize our way out of this. We must get down to the root of this problem and identify who is profiting from this and behind these schemes. CBP is looking at a multi-layered strategy to get to the heart of this issue,\u201d said Director Kemisha Sherrell, US Customs and Border Protection \u2013 Area Port of Chicago.\n\nFor additional photos from the roundtable, click here.\n\nBackground:\n\nCongressman Steil has been a leader in Congress in the fight against illicit fentanyl. In 2022, Steil cosponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act, legislation that would make fentanyl related substances a permanent Schedule I drug, led a letter to President Biden with 116 Members of Congress urging the Administration take action to combat illicit fentanyl, and recently sponsored two amendments that passed the House to combat illicit fentanyl.\n\nSteil has written pieces in the Racine Journal Times and the Janesville Gazette after hosting similar roundtables in Rock and Racine County on the increase in illicit fentanyl in Wisconsin.\n\nAttendees at the roundtable included:\n\nCongressman Bryan Steil\n\nKenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman\n\nScott Albrecht, Deputy Director North Central - HIDTA\n\nDirector Kemisha Sherrell, US Customs and Border Protection \u2013 Area Port of Chicago\n\nDirector Holly Smith, US Customs and Border Protection \u2013 Port of Milwaukee\n\nSgt. David Zoerner, Kenosha County Sheriff Office\n\nDet. Josh Zeller, Kenosha Police Department Special Investigations Unit\n\nKari Foss, Behavioral Health Manager with Kenosha County Department of Human Services\n\nChief David Smetana, Pleasant Prairie Police Department\n\nTheresa Marie Newman, Sarah\u2019s Hope & Recovery Foundation\n\nSupervisor Gabe Nudo, Kenosha County 12th District\n\nSupervisor Erin Decker, Kenosha County 22nd District", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-hosts-fighting-fentanyl-roundtable-in-kenosha"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.5972011499106884, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}