Rep. John James introduces bipartisan bill to expand sanctions over fentanyl

EXCLUSIVE — In a concerted response to combat the alarming rise in fentanyl-related deaths, Reps. John James (R-MI) and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) introduced legislation to strengthen existing sanctions on fentanyl traffickers by extending the scope to encompass associations and facilitators of these illicit operations.

“Fentanyl has devastated and uprooted the lives of so many Michiganders and American families,” James said in a press release. “And unfortunately, much of the heartbreak that these families are experiencing related to fentanyl deaths stems from issues on the southern border. The FREED Act will strengthen tools that we already use against Russia and Iran to go after fentanyl traffickers in Mexico and throughout the western hemisphere to strengthen our defense against this deadly drug.”

BIDEN SKIPS CLIMATE CONFERENCE AS HIS GREEN AGENDA IS CRITICIZED AT HOME

The bipartisan bill obtained by the Washington Examiner, called the Fentanyl Reduction Engrained by Economic Deterrence Act, was created as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids account for the vast majority of an overall increase in overdose deaths.

The bill would empower the Department of the Treasury to assess whether financial institutions are deemed a “primary money laundering concern” due to their complicity with illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States.

Jose Juarez/AP

The legislation clarifies that if enacted, the secretary of the treasury must submit a report of findings to Congress within one year of enactment and propose rulemaking to implement the report’s findings.

Driven by the rise of synthetic opioids, the nation exceeded 100,000 overdose deaths for the first time in 2021, with the fentanyl category of opioids accounting for 67,325 preventable deaths, according to the National Safety Council.

“Fentanyl has taken over global drug supply chains and was responsible for more than 85% of all opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021,” Pettersen said. “I am all too familiar with the devastating effects of synthetic drugs like these, as my own mother overdosed 20 times in one year because of fentanyl.”

The Foundation For Defense of Democracies Action, an activist and lobbying group, expressed support for the bill, saying it “comes at a critical time, as it would provide the United States with expanded tools to enforce the agreement recently reached between the Biden administration and Chinese government to crack down on the flow of fentanyl precursors and related activities to the United States.”

The federal government has increased efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl and precursor chemicals into the country, including further cooperation with Mexico and sweeping sanctions against firms across China and Canada. In October, President Joe Biden announced sanctions targeted at 25 individuals and entities based in China, as well as three other parties in Canada, which the Treasury accused of manufacturing and selling fentanyl and related chemicals.

During Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit earlier this month, China agreed to crack down on specific chemical companies that make fentanyl precursors. Toward the end of the summit, Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador discussed expanding enforcement and sharing resources to help stop drug trafficking.

David Zalubowski/AP

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Other lawmakers have recently taken similar action, with law enforcement this week calling for the passage of Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) FEND Off Fentanyl Act. The Senate passed the legislation in July as part of a bipartisan national defense bill and would use sanctions to target the financial institutions of drug traffickers and Chinese fentanyl suppliers.

“The opioid crisis has touched countless communities across Colorado and the nation, and I’m proud to partner with Congressman James on this bipartisan bill to crack down on those who traffic these illicit drugs into our communities and the financial institutions involved in fentanyl money laundering,” Pettersen said.