McCormick made fighting the fentanyl epidemic a significant part of his 2024 campaign and has even advocated employing the military to attack drug cartels in Mexico. He co-sponsored the Halt Fentanyl Act, which permanently classifies fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug, and was signed into law last year. Later, he introduced the Nitazene Control Act to similarly classify newer narcotics and, in March, introduced the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025, to “improve federal coordination” to “go after trafficking organizations [and] address China’s central role in producing fentanyl precursors and laundering drug money.”
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf reinforced the importance of targeting higher levels of the drug supply chain.
“When you measure it by lives lost, the most significant criminal problem we face is still drugs,” he said. “We try to dismantle the problem at the highest level … with cartels and transnational organized crime.”
He noted that Pennsylvania removed more than 56 million doses of fentanyl in 2025 alone, calling it evidence of aggressive enforcement efforts while cautioning that progress must be sustained.
“Now’s the time where you triple down,” Sunday said.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, who was not present during the discussion, later told WHYY News that said the city is “happy when our federal partners come to Allentown in a collaborative spirit,” but warned that enforcement alone is not enough as federal dollars for social programs remain at risk.
“I hope that the administration is focused on not just the big headline gravity stuff, but on doing things that strengthen cities,” he said. “They can do that by making smart investments and working closely and collaboratively with cities.”
Tuerk said that includes funding social services that prevent addiction and help offset potential losses in access to fentanyl treatment for Medicaid recipients who may lose coverage under new work requirements and eligibility changes. Medicaid currently pays for about 90% of all treatment.
“As a mayor and as a city leader, my concern is that the good work that law enforcement does to deal with fentanyl or other violent crime gets undercut by decisions that the administration has made that weakens a social safety net and it just creates more problems at the local level,” Tuerk said.
McCormick acknowledged ongoing concerns about funding and long-term strategy, particularly around addiction treatment and mental health services.
“None of us feel like we have conquered all the dimensions of this problem,” he said, adding that Medicaid funding has actually been increased, though reforms may “slow the pace of growth in spending.”
“That pace of growth will slow to about 3%, which is still higher inflation, so it’s still growing,” he said. “How those additional funds will be allocated, I think, is something that remains to be seen.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday emphasized that opioid settlement funds are being directed toward treatment and recovery programs, calling them “crucial” to reducing demand alongside supply-side crackdowns.
“We’re here talking about everything we’re doing today to address the supply, but at the same time, we have to just as vigorously go after the demand,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Allentown, noted that the Lehigh Valley has been heavily impacted due to its location along major trafficking routes, with “hundreds of families” affected over the years.
Sunday added a personal perspective, describing the crisis not just as a law enforcement issue, but as a fear shared by parents across the state.
“When I was a kid, if you made a mistake, you might not feel well for a day,” Sunday said. “In today’s world, one mistake can equal death. That’s not hyperbole, that is very, very real.”
