{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/video-senator-moody-kicks-off-inaugural-fentanyl-free-america-summit-in-florida-with-dea-administrator-cole-and-acting-ag-blanche-attracting-thousands-from-across-the-nation/", "VIDEO: Senator Moody Kicks Off Inaugural Fentanyl Free America Summit in Florida with DEA Administrator Cole and Acting AG Blanche, Attracting Thousands from Across the Nation", "2026-07-13", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "FL", "Ashley Moody", "M001244", "www.moody.senate.gov", "moody", "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "ORLANDO, Fla.\u2014Senator Ashley Moody today helped the Drug Enforcement Administration kick off the first-ever DEA Fentanyl Free America Summit in Orlando. Senator Moody joined DEA Administrator Terrence Cole, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter, and Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma to launch the national event. The leaders in the fight to end the opioid crisis held an in-depth panel discussion to discuss local, state and federal strategies to combat the illicit drug trade and reduce fentanyl overdose deaths.\n\n\u201cAs Florida\u2019s Attorney General, I united local, state, and federal partners to confront the opioid crisis\u2014and we delivered results. Florida led the nation in fentanyl interdiction efforts, while our overdose death rate declined faster than the national average. Now, as Florida\u2019s newest United States Senator, I am working to bring that proven model to the country. Today\u2019s inaugural summit reflects our shared commitment to strengthening coordination, sharing critical knowledge and resources, ending the fentanyl crisis nationwide, and saving lives,\u201d said Senator Ashley Moody.\n\nMoody led efforts to stop the flow of illicit fentanyl into the state during her tenure as Attorney General and during that time, Florida led the nation in fentanyl seizures. By coordinating local, state, and federal partners, Florida reduced fentanyl-related deaths by 42% from the first half of 2024 to the first half of 2025\u2014greater than the estimated nationwide decrease of 22% from 2024 to 2025. Now in the U.S. Senate, Moody continues this fight through the Senate Judiciary Committee and legislation to expand Florida\u2019s successful model nationwide.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nTo view Senator Moody\u2019s remarks, click here.\n\nAs Florida\u2019s newest United States Senator, Senator Moody continues to combat the nation\u2019s fentanyl crisis by cosponsoring the HALT Fentanyl Act, Tyler\u2019s Law, and most recently the PRESS Act.\n\nHALT Fentanyl Act would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.\n\nTyler\u2019s Law would require HHS to issue guidance on whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose.\n\nPRESS Act would criminalize the intentional importation of pill press machines and unlisted precursor chemicals with the intent to manufacture illicit drugs.\n\nAs Florida Attorney General, Senator Moody chaired the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Drug Abuse and secured a massive multibillion-dollar settlement from opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies.\n\nWhile serving as Attorney General, Senator Moody also demanded Biden classify illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction and declare Mexican drug cartels smuggling fentanyl into the country as terrorist organizations. President Trump declared drug cartels terrorist organizations on Day One.\n\nAs Attorney General, Senator Moody created Dose of Reality Florida and Fast Facts on Fentanyl to help Floridians learn about the dangers of illicit fentanyl and opioid use.\n\nThe Helping Heroes program was also created to provide free naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal-medication, to law enforcement and first responds across the state.\n\nUnder Senator Moody\u2019s leadership during her time as Attorney General, Florida\u2019s fentanyl deaths began decreasing in 2022 and have continued to decrease each year since. When nationwide fentanyl deaths dropped by 2% in 2023, Florida fentanyl deaths decreased by 11% during that same time period. And according to the newest data available from the FDLE Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners report, Florida fentanyl deaths in the first six months of 2025 are down 42% compared to the first six months of 2024\u2014outpacing the 2025 nationwide decrease of 22%.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-07-14T07:08:55Z", "2026-07-14T07:10:52Z"]], "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://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/video-senator-moody-kicks-off-inaugural-fentanyl-free-america-summit-in-florida-with-dea-administrator-cole-and-acting-ag-blanche-attracting-thousands-from-across-the-nation/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.824041897431016, "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"}