Congressman Smith calls for sanctions on Chinese over fentanyl
Congressman Chris Smith today pressed representatives of the State Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency to use the tools prescribed in the Global Magnitsky Act to sanction bad actors in China who are contributing to the opioid overdose crisis in the United States through the manufacture and distribution of the synthetic drug fentanyl.
“Chinese-made fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is killing Americans—more than 29,000 in 2017 alone,” Smith said. “We must hold the Chinese government accountable.”(Click here to read Chairman Smith’s full opening statement)
“Are we using existing tools to hold bad actors in China accountable? We have tools, such as the Global Magnitsky Act, which targets corrupt officials and human rights abusers. Perhaps it is time we start thinking outside the box and use something like Global Magnitsky to ensure that corrupt Chinese officials and narco-traffickers are held to account,” Smith said during a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Global Heath, which he chairs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: September 6th, 2018 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Smith, Congress | Tags: China, Congressman Chris Smith, fentanyl, Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, Joseph Coronato, Kirsten D. Madison, Opioid Addiction Crisis, Paul E. Knierim | 1 Comment »