Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Bill to Target Fentanyl Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) joined Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in sponsoring the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, legislation to combat the opioid crisis by combatting the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States. 

The bipartisan legislation aims to combat the country’s fentanyl crisis by targeting the illicit fentanyl supply chain, from the chemical suppliers in China to the cartels that traffic the drugs from Mexico. By strengthening current law and directing the Treasury Department to target, sanction, and block the financial assets of transnational criminal organizations, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act aims to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl into our country by choking off the income source of those who traffic in synthetic opioids.

“I’ve heard from countless Wisconsinites who have lost friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones to fentanyl overdoses and poisoning. We must fight this deadly epidemic on all fronts, including disrupting the supply chains that traffic fentanyl into our communities," said Senator Baldwin. “I am working with Republicans and Democrats to combat this deadly pandemic to keep Wisconsin communities safe.” 

The United States is facing the worst drug crisis in history. In 2021, nearly 107,000 Americans died from an overdose, and 65% of overdose deaths were caused by fentanyl. Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl enough to supply a lethal dose to every American. Given the sharp increase in fentanyl-caused deaths, it is clear that a staggering amount of fentanyl is making its way into our country from the chemical suppliers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and drug cartels in Mexico.

The FEND Off Fentanyl Act is a sanctions and anti-money laundering bill to help combat the country’s fentanyl crisis by targeting opioid traffickers devastating America’s communities. The bill will enhance current law so U.S. government agencies can more effectively disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and penalize those facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl. The bill also ensures that sanctions are imposed not only on the illicit drug trade, but also on the money laundering that makes it profitable. 

For more information, read the one-pager here.

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