Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging The Trump Administration To Hold The Chinese Government Accountable And Curb The Flow Of Fentanyl Into The United States

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to demand immediate action from the Trump administration to hold the Chinse government accountable, using all possible diplomatic tools to push the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to curb the flow of fentanyl. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail he would hold the Chinese government accountable and stop the fentanyl crisis.

Over 100 days into office, Donald Trump has failed on both accounts.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has also handed over all leverage to China through his stupid trade war. And now he is trying to gut key State Department programs that help curb the flow of fentanyl into America.

Today, I join three of my colleagues in demanding Secretaries Rubio and Bessent use all possible diplomatic tools to push the People’s Republic of China to take immediate action to stop the flow of fentanyl into America.

The administration should scrap the misguided 91% cut – 91% – to the State Department’s International Narcotics Control and Enforcement programs included in the president’s budget proposal.

Instead of working to hold China accountable and stop this crisis in its tracks, the Trump administration has waged a destructive trade war with China and blamed allies like Canada for our fentanyl problem. And now Donald Trump’s budget is trying to gut key programs that could actually do something about the problem.

So specifically, I urge the Trump administration to first, push the Chinese government to do three things: do a better job policing illicit fentanyl and precursor chemical trafficking, increase precursor scheduling, and stop the illicit financing of precursor chemicals in China. We need commitments on all three points.

Second, the Trump administration must use every diplomatic tool available to stop the flow of fentanyl into America.

And finally, the Trump administration must immediately reverse cuts to the programs that actually address the fentanyl crisis.

When I met with President Xi two years ago, I told him directly about the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on American families.

I demanded to President Xi that the Chinese government take immediate action to cut off the supply of precursor chemicals that are fueling this crisis.

Some steps were taken, some important steps, but much more is needed from the Chinese government.

The president and his team should be working with the PRC to get these concessions and cooperation rather than the current strategy: destroying our influence and competition with the PRC abroad. 

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