Sanctioning Tyrannical and Oppressive People Within the Chinese Communist Party Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3334, the Sanctioning Tyrannical and Oppressive People within the Chinese Communist Party Act, and the good work by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I present my amendment, amendment No. 1.

The illegal production, distribution, and sale of fentanyl has contributed to a surge of overdoses across the world and severe addiction right here in the United States, as well. Cheap but deadly fentanyl is flooding into the United States across our open southern border, wreaking havoc on communities across our country and locally in our neighborhoods, killing a record number of Americans, including in Iowa's Third District, my hometown.

In Iowa alone, over the last 2 years, we have seen a 34 percent increase in drug death overdoses, with fentanyl implicated in more than 83 percent of those. Among Iowans, those 25 and under, drug overdoses have increased by 120 percent in the last 24 months alone, a staggering figure.

Fentanyl, tragically, is the leading cause of death of Americans my age down to my high school daughter's age. This epidemic kills over 150 young people in America a day, a catastrophic death toll by any measure.

At the source of the crisis is the Chinese Communist Party. They are the primary source for fentanyl production worldwide, including what ends up here in America. The chemical compounds of this deadly drug are manufactured under Beijing's control and then are sent to cartels and laboratories within Mexico.

Mules from Mexican cartels move this deadly fentanyl across the wide- open border on America's southern States and disperse it out to every community in America, where it kills our friends, neighbors, and families and guts our very communities.

The longer that we allow China to go unchecked as the main producer and funding source for these dangerous drugs, this crisis will continue to get worse and more deadly.

It is time that we put this heartbreaking madness to an end. That is why I offer my amendment, which would add any Chinese state-owned enterprise that knowingly produces chemicals for the manufacturing of fentanyl to the list of sanctioned entities here in the United States.

We must stop this crisis at the source and keep our fellow Americans safe.

My heart goes out to every family who has been impacted by this, and tragically at this point, nearly every American has felt or known someone who has been impacted by the fentanyl crisis, including the Kidd family that joined me here in this very Chamber at this year's State of the Union who lost their child to Chinese- manufactured fentanyl.

I urge everyone on both sides of the aisle in both Chambers to take action on this by supporting this amendment.

I thank my colleagues for their work in standing up to China to protect our communities and fight for our kids.

Mr. Chair, I do not believe this needs to be a partisan issue. The fact is simple: Fentanyl is killing Americans in every single congressional district in every single community across this country. We know how to stop it, and this is an amendment that can move it forward.

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).

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Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I believe that we can all fight this scourge at the source, not only to save Americans, to save lives, but to push back against those who would profit off the death of our country.

This is a bipartisan issue. This is a good issue for America. Most importantly, it is the best safeguard we can do to stop fentanyl in its tracks.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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