Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) questioned witnesses today at the latest hearing held by the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), entitled “The CCP’s Role in the Fentanyl Crisis.” This hearing comes after the Committee released an investigative report that found that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) subsidizes the manufacturing and export of fentanyl materials and refuses to effectively enforce anti-trafficking measures.

“The fentanyl crisis is devastating families and communities across the country, taking the lives of seven New Jerseyans every single day. With 97% of illicit fentanyl materials coming from China, it is long past time that we look closely at the CCP’s integral role in this crisis. In New Jersey, I’ve heard from police chiefs and principals that traffickers use platforms like TikTok to reach school-age children. It is critical that Congress take action to prevent this social media activity and enhance law enforcement’s preventative and enforcement capacities online,” said Sherrill. “Fentanyl is both a public health and national security issue. I appreciate the insights from today’s witnesses on how we combat this problem and keep New Jerseyans safe.”

Sherrill questioned witnesses on how drug traffickers use social media platforms to advertise and sell illegal drugs, the need to pass President Biden’s National Security and Border Supplemental Funding Request to crack down on drug traffickers and fund the deployment of cutting-edge fentanyl detection machines, and what additional steps, such as direct sanctions against PRC-based companies, could help to finally incentivize PRC law enforcement to crack down on fentanyl precursor exports. A report from last summer found that, in New Jersey, almost three quarters of overdose deaths are caused by fentanyl.

Click here to watch Rep. Sherrill’s line of questioning.

The witnesses at the hearing included:

• The Honorable William Barr, 77th and 85th United States Attorney General
• Mr. Ray Donovan, Former DEA Chief of Operations
• Mr. David Luckey, Senior International/Defense Researcher, RAND Corporation

To watch the hearing in its entirety, click here.

As a member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, Congresswoman Sherrill is fighting to protect U.S. national security, reshore American manufacturing, ensure New Jersey is a place where businesses can thrive, and lower costs for families. As part of her work on the Committee, she introduced a legislative package entitled the American Jobs and Competition Plan to strengthen America’s economic and national security in the face of competition with the CCP.