PIERRE, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) was named to the Fentanyl Policy Working Group within the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“China is the ultimate source of fentanyl coming into our country, and this fentanyl crisis is fueling crime around the country,” said Johnson. “The drug and its related crime are destroying lives, families, and communities. I look forward to working with my colleagues to crack down on the CCP’s influence on drugs and criminal activity in the U.S.”

The Policy Working Group will be charged with raising awareness of the CCP’s role in the fentanyl crisis through Committee events and producing legislation to combat the threat. Its work will start immediately and will build upon the Select Committee’s April report which revealed, among other things, that the CCP is undeniably subsidizing the export of deadly fentanyl into the United States.

The Fentanyl Policy Working Group will be led by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA). Johnson is joined by Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Michelle Steel (R-CA), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on the Fentanyl Policy Working Group.

Specifically, the Fentanyl Policy Working Group will work to:

• Codify, strengthen, and impose sanctions on entities involved in the fentanyl trade.
• Enact and employ trade and customs enforcement measures to restrict fentanyl trafficking.
• Close regulatory and enforcement gaps exploited by PRC money launderers and fentanyl traders.

Johnson highlighted the CCP’s crime and influence on the fentanyl crisis in America in an op-ed in Federal Newswire.

“Earlier this spring, the Select Committee uncovered new evidence showing how the Chinese Communist Party directly fuels America’s fentanyl crisis. China has programs in place to reward companies with subsidies for exporting fentanyl and other drugs illegal under Chinese law to the United States. It is now abundantly clear that the CCP is not just turning a blind eye to the fentanyl crisis, it is causing it. That is why I am establishing a bipartisan Select Committee fentanyl working group to determine what must be done to seek justice for the hundreds of thousands of victims and hold the CCP responsible for funneling this poison into American communities. Congressmen Newhouse and Auchincloss bring valuable experience on this issue, and I am thankful for their leadership of our new working group,” said Chairman Moolenaar.

“Combating our nation’s synthetic opioid crisis must be a top priority not only for the Members of our Select Committee, but for every Member of Congress. Our new working group will double down on our efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl and its precursors into the U.S. from the PRC while saving American lives. It’s time to get to work,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi.

“Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for people ages 18-45 in the United States, and we now know the Chinese Communist Party is the force behind that crisis,” said Newhouse. “From funding the manufacturing and export of illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals to holding ownership interest in companies tied to drug trafficking, the CCP is not only an active participant in the drug trade—they are directly incentivizing it. While the CCP continues to economically enrich themselves at the expense of the health and safety of millions of Americans, it is imperative that the United States sends a clear message: the buck stops here. I applaud Chairman Moolenaar for his leadership on this issue and look forward to leading my fellow working group members in cracking down on the CCP’s influence here at home.”

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Mexican drug cartels are poisoning Americans to death through fentanyl exports. Families are devastated and first responders are demoralized. The U.S. government must respond forcefully at every link of the supply chain, beginning with China. The CCP has been subsidizing and facilitating the export of fentanyl precursors, while stiff-arming American requests for law enforcement. This must end. The China Select Committee’s fentanyl working group will drive policy to interdict fentanyl at its source,” said Auchincloss.