Synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, continue to kill tens of thousands of Americans annually. In 2023, an estimated 74,000 people in the U.S. died from fentanyl overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
That figure is slightly down from 2022 when the CDC recorded more than 76,000 deaths.
Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is looking to crack down on China’s involvement in the United States’ fentanyl crisis.
In 2019, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) declared China the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into and throughout the country.
Fentanyl precursor chemicals are manufactured in China before being shipped to the U.S., Mexico and Canada, where the final fentanyl product is ultimately produced.
Lawmakers introduce bills to hold China accountable
Lawmakers have introduced three bills aimed at holding China accountable for illicit drug manufacturing. The bills are the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024, the [Chinese Communist Party] CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act, and the International Protection from [People’s Republic of China] PRC Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Act.
The Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024 would create a task force to tackle synthetic drug trafficking, like fentanyl. It would bring together key federal agencies for joint operations, disrupt trafficking networks and enforce sanctions.
The CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act targets fentanyl producers by expanding sanctions against those involved in fentanyl trafficking. It would grant the president the authority to block foreign financial accounts linked to individuals involved in the trade.
The legislation also targets Chinese vessels, ports and online marketplaces that knowingly facilitate the shipment or sale of synthetic narcotics.
The International Protection from PRC Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Act targets fentanyl trafficking. They impose civil penalties on PRC shippers that fail to implement transparent practices and safeguards to prevent drug shipments.
Lawmakers respond to the crisis
“For too long, China has profited from the destruction of American lives, and the fentanyl crisis they are manufacturing knows no boundaries,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. “As we continue our work fighting the immediate threat the drug poses, we are also going after the CCP and their central role in subsidizing, producing, and exporting the precursors that fuel this epidemic.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said, “Fentanyl has taken too many loved ones and devastated communities across America. We owe it to those families to close trade loopholes used by the CCP to ship fentanyl into the U.S. and perpetuate one of our nation’s worst drug epidemics.”
Legislative prospects
It’s unlikely that Congress will pass these bills during this legislative session. They will likely need to be reintroduced when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025.