Swearingen attends bill signing at White House

SANDUSKY — State Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, attended a White House signing ceremony on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., for a new law that cracks down on fentanyl. Swearingen said that he and another state lawmaker, state Rep. Cindy Abrams, R-Harrison, attended President Donald Trump's signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House because they have similar legislation in the Ohio General Assembly. "I'm thankful for President Trump's swift and decisive actions in securing our border, sanctioning the cartels and keeping this poison out of our country," Swearingen said." So many families have experienced the tragedy of losing a loved one to fentanyl." The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently reclassifies fentanyl as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, increasing the prison sentences for people who sell the drug, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green. Latta was one of the authors of the bill. "I thank President Trump for signing this vital legislation into law to add another tool in our fight to keep dangerous drugs off our streets and out of the hands of our communities across Ohio and the country," Latta said. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than 324,000 fentanyl-related deaths over the past five years have been recorded in the U.S.