Peace Garden News

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Banking Committee, co-sponsored the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act.

“The never-ending flow of illegal drugs coming into our country has reached an unprecedented level, and these deadly drugs are taking the lives of Americans every day. Enough is enough,” said Senator Cramer. “We must push back against this scourge by cutting off the profits of these criminals.”

Introduced by Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC), this bipartisan legislation aims to combat the nation’s fentanyl crisis by targeting the illegal fentanyl supply chain and stopping chemical suppliers in China from transferring drugs to cartels along the southern border.

It also directs the Treasury Department to identify, sanction, and block financial assets of transnational criminal organizations and penalizes those facilitating the transfer of fentanyl.

Click here for bill text and here for a one-pager.

Background:

A staggering amount of fentanyl is making its way into the U.S. from chemical suppliers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and drug cartels in Mexico. Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl, enough to supply a lethal dose to every American citizen.

In 2021, nearly 107,000 Americans died from an overdose, 65% of which were caused by fentanyl. This is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45.

Original source can be found here.