In a significant bipartisan effort, members of the U.S. House of Representatives are forming a new group to intensify actions against China’s role in the American fentanyl crisis.
This move aims to curb the deadly flow of synthetic opioids into the United States, which has wreaked havoc on families, communities, and the labor market.
The initiative, led by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was announced by Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).
This new policy working group will focus on imposing stricter sanctions, targeting money launderers, and exploring trade reforms to cut off the supply chain from China.
The seven-member group, led by Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), includes Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Michelle Steel (R-CA).
The group’s goal is to build upon previous reports highlighting the Chinese government’s involvement in subsidizing the production of fentanyl precursors.
Rep. Newhouse explained the CCP’s direct involvement in the opioid epidemic, stating, “From funding the manufacturing and export of illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals to holding ownership interest in companies tied to drug trafficking, the CCP is not only an active participant in the drug trade—they are directly incentivizing it.”
Rep. Torres echoed this sentiment, stating that “97% of the fentanyl precursors are made in China.”
The working group plans to improve existing sanctions on entities involved in the fentanyl trade and propose new legislative measures.
This includes targeting Chinese financial institutions that launder drug proceeds and apps like WeChat Pay, which facilitate money laundering and the fentanyl trade.
Additionally, the group aims to reform trade laws to lower the de minimis threshold, which currently allows shipments under $800 to enter the U.S. with minimal scrutiny—a loophole often exploited to smuggle fentanyl precursors.
Despite a pledge by Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Biden to curb the flow of chemical precursors to fentanyl, skepticism remains.
Rep. Torres expressed doubt about China’s commitment, suggesting that “the CCP is stringing us along and we have to get tough.”
Experts caution that while cracking down on China is crucial, it may not entirely eliminate the fentanyl epidemic.
Jonathan Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon University noted that the production of fentanyl and its precursors is not particularly complex or costly, potentially allowing other nations to step in.
David Luckey, a senior international and defense researcher at RAND, stressed the importance of balancing firm actions against China with the risk of provoking unwanted retaliation.
Lucky stressed the need for comprehensive measures to reduce deaths from fentanyl, which is now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50.
“Disease, gun violence, car crashes, military operations—nothing is killing more Americans under the age of 50 than fentanyl,” Luckey said.