…

When we look here at home, there’s not a single neighborhood, whether that’s Charleston, South Carolina, or Cleveland, Ohio, that has escaped the death grip of fentanyl.

And I’m very proud of this committee’s work to address this crisis, and for the support of all the members of this committee working together to stop this deadly drug.

Because what fentanyl, produced and trafficked by the Mexican cartels and supported through Chinese precursors, has done to our communities is a national security crisis.

I remain committed to seeing this legislation pass into law and to stopping the flow of illicit money and drugs across our border.

Every family in America deserves to be free from the scourge of this deadly drug.

I started with these two issues because I believe they should be top of mind for this administration and this committee.

And yet, just last week, Secretary Yellen was in China to discuss how cheap Chinese exports of green energy technology are harming electric vehicles and solar energy here in the United States.

This is a clear climate goal of this administration, but far from the top goal we should be pushing back China on.

A perspective that’s frankly hard to stomach when Hamas is enabled by support from Iran to carry out horrific attacks against our ally Israel.

All while China continues to be the top purchaser of Iranian oil and top financier to international web of illicit financing used by the Mexican cartels to kill people using fentanyl.

This needs to stop. Saving lives cannot play second fiddle to progressive climate goals.

We need to see real efforts by China to stop these activities that undermine U.S. national security interests.

America must be a strong leader.

Fentanyl and terrorism are leading threats and should be treated as such.

American families deserve to know that their government is protecting them of these threats and punishing those who trouble us.

Thank you, and thank you for holding this hearing, and I look forward for the opportunity to question the witness.

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Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Speaker: Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Ranking Member

Format: Committee Hearing

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