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US Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with House Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Ro Khanna (D-CA), have reintroduced the CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act.
According to a statement from Khanna’s office, the legislation seeks to crack down on China-based and Chinese Communist Party-backed entities accused of facilitating the fentanyl crisis. It targets Chinese chemical manufacturers and online vendors that profit from selling illicit synthetic narcotics and their precursor chemicals.
The legislation was developed by the House Select Committee’s bipartisan Fentanyl Policy Working Group, co-chaired by Auchincloss and Newhouse. It builds on the committee’s bipartisan investigation into the CCP’s alleged role in the fentanyl crisis.
“Thousands of families in Massachusetts have been scarred by fentanyl,” said Auchincloss. “Chinese chemical manufacturers that are exporting this addictive poison to American shores should bear the full force of U.S. sanctions and anti-money-laundering measures.”
“The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for helping manufacture the fentanyl crisis,” said Newhouse. “For too long, they have subsidized and exported illicit narcotics, and Congress must take aggressive action to counter this epidemic that’s ruining American lives and families. This bipartisan legislation is a strong step in the right direction, as it targets CCP-backed entities, like Chinese chemical companies, who continue wreaking havoc on our communities.”
“Fentanyl has devastated communities across America,” said Khanna. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to hold the networks responsible accountable. We must stop the flow of fentanyl and illicit precursors into our country and protect American families.”
“The Chinese Communist Party has long had a role in facilitating the fentanyl crisis that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans,” said Moolenaar. “The Select Committee’s groundbreaking report in 2024 showed how the CCP subsidized the production of fentanyl precursors sold to the Mexican cartels. The bipartisan legislation we are introducing today targets the entities and individuals who participated in this deadly and illicit practice. It is a crucial step toward holding them accountable for the pain they have caused American families.”
The bill would target what lawmakers describe as the “Achilles’ heel” of fentanyl and other synthetic narcotics producers: their exposure to the U.S. banking system through legitimate commercial activities.
It would codify new authorities designed to address synthetic narcotics trafficking and target entities and individuals deemed responsible for the crisis. The measure would also codify and expand Executive Order 14059, which established sanctions authorities against individuals and entities involved in fentanyl trafficking.
The legislation would broaden existing sanctions authorities to cover Chinese vessels or ports that knowingly or recklessly facilitate the shipment or transportation of illicit synthetic narcotics. It would also target Chinese online marketplaces and other entities that knowingly or recklessly facilitate their sale.
Additionally, the bill would authorize restrictions on correspondent and payable-through accounts held by foreign financial institutions if the president determines that an account knowingly facilitated transactions for individuals involved in synthetic narcotics trafficking.
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