What to Know in Washington: Biden Debuts Plan to Cut Drug Deaths

The White House has developed a new strategy to reduce the growing number of overdose deaths linked to xylazine, a potent animal sedative which officials say is fairly easy to obtain and is increasingly being combined with opioids and other drugs.

In a plan set to be released today, the Biden administration is calling on the FDA to develop and authorize rapid tests for xylazine and fentanyl for use in clinical settings. The administration will also push for testing standardization as well as devise an algorithm to predict whether someone used xylazine based on information like community prevalence and flesh wounds, which are associated with the drug, Ian Lopez reports.

Photographer: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

The Drug Enforcement Agency must publish an implementation report on the plan’s objectives by February.

The White House is seeking to reduce xylazine-related fatalities by 15% in at least three of the country’s four census regions by 2025. The number of overdose deaths involving xylazine jumped more than 30-fold to 3,468 between 2018 and 2021, CDC data show. Almost all of those deaths also involved fentanyl.

Because xylazine isn’t an opioid, it doesn’t respond to medications like naloxone, which are used to help reverse the effects of a drug overdose. Drugs like yohimbine and tolazoline are used to reverse xylazine’s effects in animals, but it’s unknown whether they’re safe or effective for people, according to the FDA.

Test strips for xylazine first became commercially available in late March, sold by Ontario, Canada-based BTNX for $2 each in packs of 100. States have moved to expand testing, with New York announcing in May that it would distribute free test strips and Delaware piloting a program supplying combined fentanyl-xylazine test strips.

Officials have also been working to make xylazine harder to get. The administration said it’s looking into what regulatory options exist to further disrupt the illegal supply of the substance, while still maintaining a legitimate inventory for veterinary medicine and research purposes.

Drug dealers are likely purchasing cheap xylazine and mixing it with opioids to maximize profits, according to the DEA’s 2022 report. US wholesale prices for a kilogram of heroin or fentanyl run to the tens of thousands of dollars, while the same amount of xylazine can be purchased from Chinese suppliers for $20 or less, the agency said.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be convening state attorneys general next week to discuss how they’re addressing the fentanyl crisis, and conversations will include xylazine, White House drug czar Rahul Gupta said. Read the full story by Madison Muller and Ilena Peng.

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• President Joe Biden will attend the NATO meeting at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Conference Center around 7 a.m.
• Around 11 a.m., Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
• Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will gaggle with reporters at the Press Filing Center in Vilnius, Lithuania around 8:30 a.m.

CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE

• The House is back at 2 p.m. to vote on a pair of bills to trim finance regulations.
• The Senate returns at 10 a.m. for votes on nominees.

Happening on Capitol Hill

Biden Set to Nominate Chollet for Pentagon Post

Biden plans to nominate State Department Counselor Derek Chollet to be undersecretary for policy at the Pentagon.

PGA Tour Plans to Tout Minimal Saudi Sway in Golf Merger

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Senate Panel Sets July 20 Markup for Supreme Court Ethics Bill

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Russia, China, and NATO

Turkey Agrees to Back Sweden’s NATO Bid in Boost to Alliance

Turkey agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid in a major breakthrough for the military alliance’s push to strengthen its defenses following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy scolded NATO for not setting a clear timeline on his country’s bid to join the military alliance, even as its chief, Jens Stoltenberg said he will push for a fast-track process for Kyiv. Read more.

Yellen Says Beijing Trip Opened Channels of Communication

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says her recent trip to Beijing opens the way for more regular and constructive engagement with China on economic issues.

US Defense Ties to Spur Philippine Investments, Envoy Says

The Philippines’ stronger defense relations with the US can help unlock business deals for the Southeast Asian nation as Washington and its allies seek alternatives to China, according to Manila’s envoy to the US.

FDA Allows More Cancer Drug Imports from China Amid Shortage

Regulators are allowing imports of additional supplies of a cancer drug from China amid a nationwide shortage that has forced doctors to ration care, putting patients’ lives at risk.

Politics and Probes

Ex-Team Abramoff Lobbyist Goes From Scandal, Prison to New Gig

Lobbyist Kevin Ring has a notable gap on his resume: prison time. After his downfall on K Street for his part in the Jack Abramoff influence scandal, Ring shifted from representing high-powered corporate clients and Native American Indian tribes flush with casino revenue to advocating for an overhaul of the nation’s criminal justice laws.

Haley Raises $7 Million for Quarter Despite Low Polling Numbers

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raked in $26 million in the second quarter, including $7.3 million in direct donations, demonstrating support from donors, despite persistently low poll numbers.

Miami Mayor Doubles His Wealth, Buys Boat as Side Gigs Multiply

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who also works as a lawyer and private equity executive, has faced criticism for possible conflicts of interest related to outside jobs, just as he launched a long-shot White House bid last month.

What Else We’re Reading Today

Teamsters Look for UPS Wins to Carry Over to Amazon, Big Three

Concessions that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters won from UPS’ promise to reshape the trucking business, even with the broader labor situation unsolved, and give organized labor a surer foothold at Amazon and other delivery firms that rely on contractors.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Blocked by Fourth Circuit

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Curbs on Short-Term Health Plans to Bolster Obamacare Numbers

The Biden administration’s proposal to restrict sales of short-term health plans that don’t meet Obamacare requirements are likely to increase the number of people enrolling in Affordable Care Act plans.

Judge Refuses to Pause Ban on Agency Social Media Contact

A federal judge in Louisiana denied a request by the government to delay an order he imposed last week banning federal agencies and officials from communicating with social media companies.

Banks Face Higher Capital Requirements From Regulators

Major banks are facing one of the biggest regulatory overhauls since the financial crisis, setting up a clash over the amount of capital that they have to set aside to weather tumult.

Americans Face Tighter Budgets as Student Loan Payments Resume

The restart of federal student loan payments this fall will be a renewed burden for millions of borrowers and another headwind for a US economy that’s losing momentum.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com