Sen. Brown: 60 Minutes Report Details Threat of Fentanyl Imported From China

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following news release:

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- Brown Pushing Bipartisan Sanctions Bill to Target Fentanyl Imported to U.S., Hold China Accountable

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In case you missed it, CBS' 60 Minutes ran an in-depth story yesterday about the danger of fentanyl being imported from China, with a specific focus on the harm that has been inflicted in Ohio communities. The full 60 Minutes story can be viewed here (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-fentanyl-bought-online-from-china-being-shipped-through-the-mail-60-minutes-2019-04-28/).

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has introduced bipartisan legislation, the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, to directly address fentanyl imported into the U.S. This is the first-ever fentanyl sanctions bill that would apply pressure on the Chinese government to honor their commitment to make all fentanyl illegal and provide the U.S. with more tools and resources to go after illicit traffickers in China, Mexico, and other countries.

"On average, 11 Ohioans will die every day in my state due to an opioid overdose," said Brown. "The addiction epidemic has taken too many lives and caused too much devastation in Ohio. This new bill will add effective new sanctions tools to help combat the flood of illicit fentanyl coming in primarily from China and from Mexico, and help provide intelligence and funding to keep these dangerous drugs out of Ohio communities."

The 60 Minutes story also highlighted Sen. Rob Portman's (R-OH) Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which Brown cosponsored. The STOP Act will work together with Brown's INTERDICT Act, which Portman supported, to stop deadly drugs from reaching Ohio communities. Brown's INTERDICT Act was signed into law by President Trump in March 2018.

Last month, Brown led bipartisan legislation to provide state and local law enforcement with high-tech devices to detect and identify dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act would establish a new grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to help state and local law enforcement organizations secure these high-tech, portable screening devices.