This Is Fine: House Republicans Open to Trump's 'Drug Dealer Death Penalty'

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Not much resistance from the House GOP caucus.

Republicans in Congress appeared open to President Donald Trump’s proposal to use the death penalty to crack down on drug dealers on Thursday night before the expected release of the president’s long-awaited opioid plan.

Republicans argued that such a policy could deter would-be drug dealers. But the move could spark a fierce legal battle, and Democrats, such as Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, have condemned it as an extreme option. “We will not incarcerate or execute our way out of the opioid epidemic,” Markey responded in a statement.

Politico reported on Thursday that Trump’s plan to respond to the opioid crisis would involve stricter punishments for convicted drug dealers, including the death penalty for some. Federal law currently authorizes prosecutors to seek the death penalty as an option in drug-related murders, but CBS reported the administration is hoping to expand capital punishment for drug crimes by encouraging prosecutors to utilize it in cases of trafficking leading to fatal opioid overdoses.

Trump cheerleader Chris Collins was quick to offer his support for the proposal. “Absolutely,” said Collins. “I think we need to have real consequences.” And California Republican Darrell Issa, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told me that using capital punishment for drug-related crimes could be a “useful tool” for law enforcement in fighting organized crime.

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