Following Senate Passage of Fentanyl Sanctions Act, Rose, Hill, Brindisi, Fitzpatrick Call for House Action to Combat Illicit Fentanyl, Hold China Accountable

Press Release

Following Senate passage of the bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act, Congressmen Max Rose (D-N.Y.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.)--the original sponsors of the legislation in the House of Representatives--called on the House to follow suit. The bipartisan bill would apply pressure on the Chinese government to honor their commitment to make all fentanyl illegal and provide the United States with more tools and resources to go after illicit traffickers in China, Mexico, and other countries.

"China is the leading producer of the fentanyl that is killing our children and tearing apart our communities--we have to hold them accountable, plain and simple," Congressman Rose said. "China may say that they're cracking down on illicit fentanyl production, but that doesn't mean we should trust them. I'm encouraged to see the Senate act, now the House must do the same."

"The resounding support behind passage of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act demonstrates the critical need for a bipartisan solution to combat the opioid crisis," Congressman Hill said. "Targeting the source of the world's largest producers and distributers of fentanyl will begin to stop the flow of these drugs coming across our borders and into states like Arkansas. I'm pleased to see my Senate colleagues put their political differences aside and work together on passing this life-saving bill. Now it is time for the House to do the same. Countless families across America cannot wait any longer."

"Too many families have been ripped apart by the opioid epidemic and the time to act is now," Congressman Brindisi said. "This legislation, supported by Democrats and Republicans, will hold China accountable and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on this deadly drug entering our country. The Senate had the courage to act and now the House must do the same."

"I applaud the Senate's passage of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act," Congressman Fitzpatrick said. "It is now time for the House to take a vote on this critical bipartisan legislation to stem the flow of fentanyl into American communities and to put its producers on notice."

Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) led the effort in the Senate, which included the legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

"We must hold China, currently the world's largest producer of illicit fentanyl, accountable for its role in the trade of this deadly drug. The Senate-passed, bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act will do just that," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "In New York state, from November 2017 to 2018, approximately 2,000 people died from an opioid overdose. About 1,500 of those deaths were from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The opioid crisis has claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated families and communities across the country. Our legislation is critical in this fight to save American lives, and I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this much-needed legislation."

"The Chinese government is the world's largest drug dealer. China has allowed fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to pour into the United States for years, killing tens of thousands of Americans," Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said. "Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies need additional resources to target the fentanyl producers, traffickers, cartels, and other criminals who are funneling this poison across our borders and into our communities. I'm pleased that this year's Senate NDAA includes our bipartisan amendment. I strongly encourage my colleagues in the House to pass this amendment to give law enforcement critical tools to stop this scourge and hold China accountable."

Specifically, the legislation would:

Require imposition of sanctions on drug manufacturers in China who knowingly provide synthetic opioids to traffickers, transnational criminal organizations like those in Mexico who mix fentanyl with other drugs and traffic them into the U.S. and financial institutions that assist such entities. Waivers would be provided for countries that take sufficient action to implement and enforce regulations on synthetic opioid production.
Authorize new funding to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Departments of Treasury, Department of Defense and Department of State, to combat the foreign trafficking of synthetic opioids.
Urge the President to commence diplomatic efforts with U.S. partners to establish multilateral sanctions against foreign synthetic opioid traffickers.
Establish a Commission on Synthetic Opioid Trafficking to monitor U.S. efforts and report on how to more effectively combat the flow of synthetic opioids from China, Mexico and elsewhere.
Following a commitment to the U.S. at the G-20 in December 2018, Chinese regulators announced on April 1, 2019, that a wider range of fentanyl derivatives would be declared controlled substances in China on May 1, 2019.

China has struggled to enforce its current drug laws and continues to deny that its illicit fentanyl producers are a major source of the illicit opioids contributing to the U.S. opioid crisis. To ensure accountability, Rose, Hill, Fitzpatrick, and Brindisi's sanctions legislation would pressure the Chinese government to move forward with an aggressive plan to enforce its announced new laws and provide the U.S. executive branch with flexible new sanction tools to go after actors, from manufacturers to traffickers, in China and other countries.

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