WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the Countering Beijing’s Weaponization (CBW) of Fentanyl Act. This legislation would amend the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 to define fentanyl and fentanyl precursors as chemical and biological weapons in U.S. law. This bill would also sanction Chinese Communist Party officials for refusing to curb the flow of fentanyl precursors to the United States. This is the first piece of legislation introduced by Senator Jim Banks in the United States Senate:
“When I campaigned for Senate across Indiana, I met far too many people who lost a loved one to fentanyl. I promised them that holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for poisoning hundreds of thousands of Americans would be one of my top priorities. The CCP is the world’s largest police state and could stop the flow of fentanyl from their country overnight if they wanted to. Instead, they continue to allow shipments of this deadly drug to flow through Joe Biden’s open borders and target our communities like a weapon of war.”
Full bill text available here.
Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) are original co-sponsors of this legislation.
Theresa Juillerat, co-founder of Justice Accountability and Victims Advocacy: “Our nation is under attack and our children are the collateral damage. Our adversaries are contributing towards and taking advantage of our vulnerabilities, by manufacturing and trafficking the lethal drugs that are getting into our country, into the hands of our children across our entire nation. The time for our Administration to collectively address this crisis is long overdue! It’s time to be aggressive in our approach! Thank you, Senator Banks for supporting this urgent initiative and introducing this bill! We must stop the flow of these lethal drugs by securing our borders, while keeping Americans safe and protect our children from these weapons of mass destruction!”
Chad Bauer, Captain, Fort Wayne Fire Department: “Fentanyl has taken the lives of so many of our children. Fentanyl has destroyed so many lives. It has to stop. This is a crisis and it’s preventable. This legislation is a big step towards that goal.”
Nate Moellering, CEO, Fort Wayne Recovery: “Over the last decade or so, we have done an excellent job addressing demand through treatment, harm reduction, and prevention efforts. While we still have a way to go, the progress is notable. It is absolutely time to address the supply side of the drug crisis. The Chinese Communist Party and the Mexican drug cartels have been getting away with murder, and I hope they will now pay the price. Fentanyl has been used to strike at the heart of our nation long before a magazine is loaded or a missile is armed. We are woefully behind in addressing this sprawling chemical attack on our nation. Thank you, Senator Banks, for doing what is long overdue. This is a vital step toward making America secure again.”
Background:
Senator Jim Banks previously introduced the Countering Beijing’s Weaponization (CBW) of Fentanyl Act last year as a member of the House of Representatives.
Additionally, then-Rep. Banks introduced the Stop CCP Fentanyl Act, which aimed to sanction Chairman Xi and China unless they halted fentanyl exports. His amendment to the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, requiring the Department of Defense to determine whether PRC officials assisted in or were aware of the transportation of fentanyl precursors to Mexican drug cartels, was signed into law.
2,130 Hoosiers lost their lives to overdoses in 2023, with the primary cause being fentanyl.
In 2023, the DEA seized over 80 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder—equivalent to more than 390 million lethal doses.
###