[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 149 (Friday, September 7, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TACKLING FENTANYL: THE CHINA CONNECTION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 7, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we held a hearing at 
the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and 
International Organizations, which I chair.
  Chinese-made fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is killing Americans--more 
than 29,000 in 2017 alone. We must hold the Chinese government 
accountable.
  Kirsten D. Madison, Assistant Secretary of State for International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs testified that China is ``a 
primary source of illicit synthetic drugs coming to the United 
States.''
  Paul E. Knierim, Deputy Chief of Operations at the Office of Global 
Enforcement for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), stated in 
his testimony that ``China is one of the world's top producers of the 
precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine and fentanyl, 
as well as the chemicals used to process heroin and cocaine.''
  Ocean County, New Jersey Prosecutor Joseph Coronato, has called the 
China-made fentanyl sent into the United States a ``synthetic storm'' 
that is ``devastating.''
  He noted thankfully that local law enforcement is doing something 
about it--like his program that allows drug abusers to voluntarily turn 
themselves in at a police station--more than 800 since 2017--without 
being prosecuted. A program that has almost certainly reduced deaths.
  Still, Prosecutor Coronato noted that based on his medical examiner 
toxicology analysis, in 2014, 10 percent of overdose deaths had 
fentanyl in their systems. Shockingly, in 2018, fentanyl-related deaths 
have jumped to 80 percent or more.
  He also told the committee that ``synthetics will become the 
predominate type of illegal drugs abused within the next 5 years'' and 
that ``in many instances'' it is being sold ``right over the 
internet.''
  I asked both the State Department and DEA what the U.S. is doing to 
hold China accountable for fentanyl in the U.S. Are we using existing 
tools to hold bad actors in China accountable? We have tools, such as 
the Global Magnitsky Act, which targets corrupt officials and human 
rights abusers.
  Recently the House passed comprehensive legislation to address the 
opioid crisis including the Synthetics and Overdose Prevention Act. The 
bill requires the U.S. Postal Service (as private carriers like UPS and 
Fed-Ex are currently required to do) to obtain advance electronic data 
(AED)--detailed info on the shipper and addressee and other data-
empowering Customs and Border Protection to target fentanyl and other 
illegal drug shipments.
  Bryce Pardo of the RAND Corporation testified that the potency of 
fentanyl has sharply increased the number of opioid overdoses . . . and 
that the drug overdose crisis now surpasses major public health 
epidemics of prior generations, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
  Every single Congressional district in America has felt the scourge 
of the opioid epidemic. Don Holman, who was in the audience yesterday, 
lost his son, Garrett, to an overdose of synthetic fentanyl. Don's 
written testimony submitted to the committee, reports that the package 
came straight from China. His son ordered it online, not knowing of the 
poisonous effects fentanyl has.
  Last week, I spoke at the Mercer County, International Overdose 
Awareness Day sponsored by Prosecutor Angelo Onofri and Robbinsville 
Mayor David Fried. Personal testimonies offered by survivors and 
recovering abusers were deeply moving.
  Trenton Police Chief Pedro Medina spoke of the loss of his son, 
Petey, and assured the audience that there is a ``God who can help all 
of you.''
  Advocate Mark Manning, who lost his son Christopher, spoke of his 
ongoing pain but urged all to work together to help the vulnerable.
  And Adrienne Petta recounted the horrors of her addiction and the 
impact on her family--she is now a recovery specialist.
  For the record, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni's 
Opioids Diversion Program, steers certain low-level non-violent 
offenders to treatment rather than traditional criminal prosecution, 
and Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri's Community Addiction 
Recovery Effort (CARE) program which emphasizes treatment-first 
interventions for opioid addicts.
  We must look at this as a disease. Go after those who are marketing 
and selling fentanyl and offer programs and assistance to those who 
need help.

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