Sioux Empire Today

Earlier this week, the House introduced a continuing resolution (CR) spending bill that included numerous unrelated provisions. Many members of Congress expressed their opposition to the bill.

This prompted a return to discussions, leading to collaboration with House leadership and President Trump to create a clean CR by removing 1,400 pages of unrelated policies. However, Democrats voted against this revised bill.

Efforts continue to address the issue, with expectations of successfully funding the government until March. This would allow further work with President Trump on securing the border and addressing fiscal concerns.

The House DOGE Caucus held its first meeting this week, focusing on making government more efficient and reducing spending, aligning with priorities set by Trump's presidency. Discussions centered on optimizing taxpayer dollars, reflecting reasons for opposing the earlier CR due to its size and expenditure.

In 2022, fentanyl accounted for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths among adults aged 18-45. Most fentanyl originates from China. Measures are needed to prevent this drug from crossing borders.

As part of the Fentanyl Policy Working Group within the Select Committee on China, three legislative proposals were introduced this week to tackle this aspect of China's influence. The bills aim to save lives and enhance community safety by:

- Establishing a joint task force focused on synthetic narcotics like fentanyl from China.

- Introducing new sanctions against those involved in fentanyl trafficking and expanding existing sanctions targeting PRC vessels or ports aiding in such activities.

- Imposing "docking fees" on PRC entities failing to implement safeguards against producing and exporting fentanyl precursors.

Securing communities involves reinforcing border security and maintaining a firm stance on China.