WASHINGTON—The House on Sept. 2 overwhelmingly passed a bill seeking to stop the flow of fentanyl from China.
The tally was 407–4.
The Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act, introduced by Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), would impose sanctions on Chinese producers of synthetic opioids and opioid precursors.
It would amend the Fentanyl Sanctions Act by allowing the U.S. government to implement sanctions on Chinese individuals and entities tied to producing, selling, financing, or transporting synthetic opioids or their precursor chemicals. It would also hold accountable those who refuse to cooperate with U.S. counternarcotics efforts to detect or prevent opioid trafficking.
“The Chinese Communist Party plays a prominent role in every step of the fentanyl crisis, from producing precursor chemicals to laundering cartel profits that fund the illegal trafficking into the United States,” said Barr in a Jan. 30 statement….