Combating the CCP's Role in America's Fentanyl Crisis and Other Updates

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you well. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact my office by calling (847) 413-1959, emailing me at [email protected], or sending a message through my website at https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/contact/email. For more frequent updates, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Combating the Chinese Communist Party’s Role in America’s Fentanyl Crisis

Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi speaks on the committee’s report on CCP fentanyl (Click the image above to watch his full question line.)

On Tuesday, as Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), I helped lead a hearing examining the role the CCP has played in the fentanyl crisis that has ripped families and communities apart. Just before the hearing, our committee released a bipartisan report detailing our investigation into how the CCP is not only allowing companies operating within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to continue to supply the world with fentanyl components, but also subsidizing them.

It is estimated that 97 percent of illicit fentanyl materials come from the PRC, which contributed to the deaths of 76,000 Americans from fentanyl-laced opioid overdoses in 2022, even as there were zero fentanyl-related deaths in the PRC. Furthermore, our committee’s report found that the CCP is using tax incentives to aid companies in producing these dangerous chemicals and doing little to criminally punish those responsible. During my question line, I also revealed that the CCP has been censoring words in Chinese on PRC-based websites related to fentanyl while allowing the dangerous products to be promoted in English. These actions have added to the belief that the CCP is protecting its own citizens from fentanyl while allowing it to run rampant internationally, including in the U.S. Congress must do more to tackle the opioid epidemic in our country, and it starts with cutting off fentanyl precursor supplies being promoted by the CCP.

More than 110,000 Americans die due to drug overdoses from January 2022-January 2023. That equates to one death every five minutes, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Our home state of Illinois has been rocked by opioid-related deaths in recent years, with 3,261 Illinois residents dying from opioids overdoses in 2022 alone, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There needs to be accountability for the CCP for the role it played in fueling this American nightmare and tragedy, and that is what this hearing and bipartisan report were about, including my policy recommendations for strengthened sanctions, prosecution, and accountability. You can watch my full opening statement here, and my full question line to the witnesses here. You can also watch my discussion on the report and hearing on CNBC by clicking here.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Joint Address to Congress

Congressman Krishnamoorthi with his guest, Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita, in Washington before Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s joint address to Congress.

Last week, it was an honor to welcome Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita as my guest to see Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appear before a joint session of Congress. As Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the CCP, I was particularly eager to hear Prime Minister Kishida discuss how our two countries would continue to work together to counter the growing threats posed by the CCP and ensure peace and security throughout the Indo-Pacific region. I was also pleased that President Biden secured agreements with Japan to bolster our partnership in the fields of economic and military cooperation. Prime Minister Kishida also announced greater investment in American companies, which will lead to increased trade and more American jobs.

Upcoming Mobile Office Hours

If you are unable to make it to our district office in Schaumburg, our staff are available at mobile office hours throughout the district. Share your concerns, questions, issues and get help navigating federal agencies at convenient locations across the district.

Our Next Wood Dale Office Hours: Wednesday, May 1^st: 10:00am – 1:00pm in the Wood Dale Public Library at 520 N Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL.

We will continue to hold additional office hours in Wood Dale on the first Wednesday of each month: June 5^th, July 3^rd, August 7^th, September 4^th, October 2^nd, November 6^th, December 4^th.

Our Next Elgin Office Hours: Tuesday, May 14^th: 10:00am – 1:00pm at the Gail Borden Public Library (Elgin Branch) at 270 N. Grove Ave, Elgin, IL.

We will continue to hold additional office hours in Elgin on the second Tuesday of each month: June 11^th, July 9^th, August 13^th, September 10^th, October 8^th, November 12^th, December 10^th.

Our Next Des Plaines Office Hours: Tuesday, June 11^th: 9:30am – 11:30am in the Des Plaines Public Library at 1501 Ellinwood St, Des Plaines, IL.

We will continue to hold additional office hours in Wood Dale on the second Tuesday of every other month: August 13^th and November 12^th.

Stay Updated Through My Social Media Accounts

The best way to stay up to date on these issues beyond our newsletter is through my social media accounts, which I update multiple times each day. You can follow my Twitter (X) here, my Facebook page here, my Instagram here, and my Threads here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community.

Warm Regards,