WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has voted to temporarily extend a sweeping tool that has helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl. The Senate voted Thursday to pass a bill extending until October an order that allows the federal government to classify so-called fentanyl analogues as Schedule I controlled substances. The drugs are generally foreign-made with a very close chemical makeup to the dangerous opioid. The authority was set to expire next week and there were concerns that letting the authorization lapse could have led to a surge in opioid deaths.
