{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-rounds-and-colleagues-urge-biden-to-tackle-fentanyl-crisis-during-meeting-with-xi", "Sullivan, Rounds & Colleagues Urge Biden to Tackle Fentanyl Crisis During Meeting with Xi", "2023-11-15", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AK", "Dan Sullivan", "S001198", "www.sullivan.senate.gov", "sullivan", "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases?PageNum_rs=18", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), along with six of their Senate colleagues, yesterday sent a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden ahead of his meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC). In their letter, the senators focus on the devastating impact of fentanyl in the United States and the PRC\u2019s role in the fentanyl supply chain. The letter calls on President Biden to urge President Xi to do more to stop the flow of precursor chemicals that are sent from the PRC to Mexico. These chemicals are used to manufacture deadly drugs, which are then trafficked across the southern border. From 2020 to 2021, the number of primarily fentanyl-related deaths in the United States increased by 24.1 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\n\u201cIt is evident that the PRC plays a significant role in the production of fentanyl making its way into our country; contributing to the alarming rates of addiction and fatal overdoses across the United States,\u201d wrote the senators.\n\nThe senators\u2019 letter continued, \u201cBeyond supplying the chemicals to produce the deadly drug, businesses in the PRC are also assisting Mexican transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) in laundering the money that comes from selling the illicit drugs in the United States.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is our understanding it is not only a priority of the United States to minimize the PRC\u2019s involvement in the fentanyl supply chain, as even Mexico has urged President Xi to stop the flow of fentanyl,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cIf Mexican TCOs have a large portion of their supply chain effectively cut off by the PRC, it is likely we will see a drastic drop in illicit fentanyl being trafficked across our southern border and killing vulnerable Americans.\u201d\n\nSullivan and Rounds were joined by Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in sending the letter.\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n# # #\n\nDear President Biden,\n\nThe devastating impact of the fentanyl epidemic on our communities and families cannot be overstated. We strongly request that you urge President Xi Jinping, in this week\u2019s meeting, to take decisive action in curbing the production and export of fentanyl-producing precursor chemicals from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).\n\nIt is evident that the PRC plays a significant role in the production of fentanyl making its way into our country; contributing to the alarming rates of addiction and fatal overdoses across the United States. Prior to 2019, the PRC was the world\u2019s primary source of fentanyl until the substance was effectively banned. Despite the prohibition on producing fentanyl itself, pharmaceutical labs in the PRC still profit from the drug through the development and sale of precursor chemicals that are used to make fentanyl. Beyond supplying the chemicals to produce the deadly drug, businesses in the PRC are also assisting Mexican transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) in laundering the money that comes from selling the illicit drugs in the United States.\n\nDespite many of the precursor chemicals being technically legal to sell, it is clear the PRC can do much more to adequately regulate the businesses that sell these chemicals to eager buyers. For example, responsible sellers in the chemical industry typically implement required identity checks of those who are attempting to buy their product. According to a former DEA agent, \u201c\u2026 to sell non-listed chemicals, a good-faith seller would normally ask a buyer about the intended use of the compound and whether the buyer had the backing of a company or institution, such as a research organization or university.\u201d It is clear PRC companies are not voluntarily inquiring about the potential nefarious uses of their products when they are selling to international buyers. As such, there is undoubtedly more oversight the PRC can be conducting to make certain these precursor chemicals do not end up in the hands of illegal drug manufacturers.\n\nAs we all understand, tackling this crisis will require a multifaceted approach, and a crucial element is holding those responsible accountable. Addressing the role of the PRC in the fentanyl trade is paramount to our collective efforts in combating this epidemic. It is our understanding it is not only a priority of the United States to minimize the PRC\u2019s involvement in the fentanyl supply chain, as even Mexico has urged President Xi to stop the flow of fentanyl. If Mexican TCOs have a large portion of their supply chain effectively cut off by the PRC, it is likely we will see a drastic drop in illicit fentanyl being trafficked across our southern border and killing vulnerable Americans.\n\nFrom 2020 to 2021, the number of primarily fentanyl-related deaths in the United States increased by 24.1 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 26.1 out of 100,000 deaths in the United States are related to fentanyl up from 5.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2016. With each passing day, our nation\u2019s fentanyl crisis continues to intensify, with no end in sight without prompt action from our Chinese counterparts. We strongly urge you to use this opportunity to implore President Xi to finally put an end to the manufacturing of illicit fentanyl and hold the PRC accountable for its role in contributing to the fentanyl crisis.\n\nThank you for your attention to this very important matter, and we look forward to your timely response and action.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:49:58Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-rounds-and-colleagues-urge-biden-to-tackle-fentanyl-crisis-during-meeting-with-xi"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3885498046875, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}