Last year alone, fentanyl took the lives of more than 450 Iowans, and it’s now the leading cause of death for Americans from my daughter’s age to my age. Something must change.
Let me be clear: the first step to saving lives from the fentanyl crisis is securing our Southern Border. But, we must also stop the flow of illicit drugs at its source. This crisis is being fueled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which profits off of drug cartels and money launderers exploiting our communities.
Look, as a former counterintelligence officer, I’ve seen firsthand how the CCP operates. We cannot allow them to continue to launder money and traffic fentanyl unchecked. That’s why I helped introduce the Stop Fentanyl Money Laundering Act, which would cut off the financial networks that allow the cartels to transport lethal drugs into our country.
The only way to stop this crisis is to hit fentanyl traffickers where it hurts the most by cutting off their cash flow. I will continue to do everything I can to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities and protect Iowa families.