From Vision to Voice: A Year of Policy Advocacy at PHPI

Over the course of the past year, the Patrick Henry Policy Institute (PHPI) continued its mission of promoting human flourishing through legislative excellence. PHPI advocated for bipartisan humanitarian legislation that fought the ongoing fentanyl crisis, the sexual abuse of children, and the increase of deepfake revenge pornography. We also worked on fostering positive change by working to increase school choice opportunities for children across the nation.

Fighting Fentanyl with the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act

In the Fall, PHPI advocated for legislation targeting cartels’ distribution of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. Cartels utilize commercial pill presses to create pills that look like standard over-the-counter drugs but are really laced with often lethal doses of fentanyl. In 2023 alone, the DEA seized over 80 million counterfeit pills. According to recent DEA testing, 70% of seized pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. 

In light of this crisis, PHPI advocated for the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act (FIPPA), a bill that requires serial numbers to be engraved on every manufactured pill press. This change will enable law enforcement to effectively track and expose the underground market for pill presses that fuel cartels’ current counterfeiting activities. PHPI published research on this critical legislation, and PHPI members personally met with over 30 different Senate offices to advocate for the bill.

Fighting Child Exploitation with the Renewed Hope Act

Last Fall, PHPI also directed its advocacy efforts toward fighting the sexual exploitation of children by advocating for the Renewed Hope Act. The bill sought to equip law enforcement with the resources necessary to tackle this issue. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Team has only 10 analysts dedicated to identifying and rescuing exploited children. In 2023 and 2024, the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Renewed Hope, a three-week program where significant resources were dedicated to helping exploited children. Within this small time frame, hundreds of children were identified and rescued. Following the model of this program, the act requires the hiring and training of 200 investigators, computer forensics, and criminal analysts. PHPI raised awareness about the rise in child exploitation and the promising relief proposed in the Renewed Hope Act, urging Congress to provide law enforcement with resources proportional to the magnitude of this abuse.

Fighting Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery with the Take it Down Act

This Spring, PHPI shifted its advocacy toward fighting the increase of digitally published non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). AI’s ability to create and alter images and videos opens the door for rampant abuse, as individuals can create deepfake pornography of others without their consent.

Over 90% of the videos created or manipulated by AI are sexually explicit. Moreover, the presence of deepfake pornography increased by 460% in 2023. To counter deepfake pornography, PHPI advocated for the Take It Down Act. This act takes a two-step approach to address the issue. First, this bill criminalises the publication of NCII. This restriction applies to both real content and AI-generated content. Second, this bill enables victims of NCII to take down content depicting them. To this end, the bill requires online platforms to create a procedure by which victims can request that such content be removed within 48 hours. Members of PHPI met with members in both chambers of Congress, six of whom subsequently agreed to cosponsor the bill. A few weeks later, the House passed the Take It Down Act.

Increasing School Choice with the Educational Choice for Children Act

In addition to fighting the major abuses plaguing America, PHPI also advocated for positive changes in our nation’s education system. Parents are increasingly seeking alternatives to the public education system, but these alternatives are often too expensive for the average American family to afford. The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) creates a tax credit program that grants individuals or organizations a dollar-for-dollar tax credit equal to their donations to non-profit scholarship-granting organizations. Over 85% of K-12 students would be eligible for these scholarships, which can pay for expenses associated with alternative schooling. This would allow parents to choose where to educate their children without the burden of financial restrictions. PHPI also advocated for this policy in the halls of Congress, raising awareness for the issue and providing relevant research to Representatives.  

This year, PHPI has given a voice to those in need of help. To those financially restricted from alternative schooling options, PHPI advocated for legislation to increase available scholarships for K-12 students. To those misled by lethal counterfeit medication, PHPI advocated for legislation to empower law enforcement in the fight against drug trafficking. To children suffering sexual abuse, PHPI advocated for legislation to properly equip authorities to identify and rescue them. To victims of deepfake pornography, PHPI advocated for legislation to ban such content and empower victims to remove non-consensual content from online platforms. As the academic calendar draws to a close, PHPI can look back on a successful season of advocacy. The institute looks forward to continuing our dedicated effort to help Americans through legislative advocacy in the year to come.