Country star and rapper, Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, recently took a stand against the fentanyl crisis in a powerful testimony before the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee. Advocating for the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, a bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing the flow of the drug into communities, Jelly Roll spoke passionately about the devastating effects of fentanyl, not only nationally, but also in his own community.
His past as a drug dealer added a unique perspective to his testimony. He admitted to his mistakes, saying, “I was the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about, just like these drug dealers are doing right now when they’re mixing every drug on the market with fentanyl and they’re killing the people we love.”
“I’ve attended more funerals than I care to share with you all on this committee. I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I loved dearly, deeply in my soul, good people, not just drug addicts,” he said. His words echoed the pain of many who have lost loved ones to the fentanyl crisis.
He shared his personal experience, revealing that his daughter’s mother is a drug addict. “Every day I get to look in the eyes of a victim in my household of the effects of drugs, every single day. And every single day I have to wonder if me and my wife, if today will be the day that I have to tell my daughter that her mother became a part of the national statistic.”
Jelly Roll’s testimony was a call to action. He urged the committee to pass the legislation, but also to address the root causes of addiction. “I truly believe in my heart that this bill, that this bill will stop the supply and can help stop the supply of fentanyl. But in part of being proactive, gentlemen and women and ladies, I have to be frank and tell you all that if we don’t talk to the other side of Capitol Hill and stop the demand, we are going to spin our tires in the mud.”
His words serve as a stark reminder of the urgency and complexity of the fentanyl crisis. As Jelly Roll continues his fight against fentanyl, his testimony stands as a powerful testament to the human cost of the crisis and the need for comprehensive solutions.
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Watch Jelly Roll’s Passionate & Personal Testimony Before U.S. Senate on the Fentanyl Crisis
Jelly Roll calls for stronger legislation against fentanyl crisis in powerful congressional testimony
Jelly Roll calls for stronger legislation against fentanyl crisis in powerful congressional testimony – WSVN 7News
