[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H5927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STOP THE IMPORTATION OF SYNTHETIC FENTANYL FROM CHINA
(Mr. BURCHETT asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, our country is still battling the opioid
epidemic, and every day we hear heartbreaking stories of those lost to
overdoses during this crisis. Congress must remain vigilant in the
fight against opioids, especially synthetic fentanyl from China.
China is the heart of the global fentanyl supply chain, and most
fentanyl trafficked into the United States is produced in China.
Sometimes Chinese fentanyl is shipped directly into our country, and
other times it is brought across our northern and southern borders by
smugglers working with Chinese drug dealers.
It only takes a small amount of fentanyl to overdose, and
unsuspecting drug users often purchase drugs cut with fentanyl. More
and more Americans are dying from synthetic opioid overdoses. There
were an estimated 31,000 deaths in 2018.
The Chinese Government needs to go after the massive fentanyl
operation in their country and should execute the dirtbag fentanyl drug
dealers, smugglers, and producers.
I was a cosponsor of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, which was included
in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the
President the authority to impose sanctions against countries failing
to do their part to stop illegal opioid traffic. If the Chinese
Government wants to avoid sanctions, they must bring the lowlifes
running this massive fentanyl operation to justice.
____________________