Dear Friends,

One of my biggest priorities in Congress is fighting deadly fentanyl that is taking the lives of Americans at unprecedented rates. Last year, we lost nearly 108,000 people in the U.S. to overdoses, including over 70,000 people from fentanyl and fentanyl analogue poisonings. Fentanyl was involved in more than 70% of overdose deaths in Kentucky last year.

Rep. Guthrie in his role as the Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee is fighting deadly fentanyl and pushing for recovery resources and law enforcement resources to curb overdose deaths

In my latest efforts to address this issue, I sent letters to TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and the U.S. Department of Justice to demand that more must be done to crack down on illegal drug sales, especially illegal fentanyl sales, on social media platforms. Teenagers and young adults in the U.S. are dying from fentanyl poisonings because criminals are exploiting social media platforms to sell young Americans fake pills that contain lethal doses of fentanyl. I am also working on legislation to address this issue. In addition to combating this illegal activity on social media platforms, I’m fighting for secure borders to stop the flow of illegal drugs; additional recovery, treatment, and prevention resources; and the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) strictest schedule, which Democrats voted to not consider on the House floor again this week.

The letter to TikTok that Rep. Guthrie, who serves as Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, sent with Energy and Commerce Republican Leaders

National Security Risks of CCP-Affiliated Companies Purchasing Land Near U.S. Military Bases

I believe it is a national security risk to allow Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated companies to purchase farmland near U.S. military bases. This issue must be addressed. A company with close ties to the CCP recently purchased land near an Air Force base in North Dakota, and a former CCP military official tried to build a wind farm near Laughlin Air Force Base where pilots train. I’m concerned that the proximity of CCP-affiliated companies to U.S. military bases could create opportunities for espionage and result in the CCP monitoring and intercepting the activities of our military.

I’m also concerned about the food security risks on domestic food production of the CCP owning farmland in the United States. Foreign investors at the beginning of 2021 held an interest in nearly 38 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I joined 50 of my colleagues in sending letters to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to take action on this issue from their respective departments. Click HERE to view the letter.

Commitment to America

House Republicans unveiled our Commitment to America legislative and oversight plan to get America back on track. We want an economy that's strong, a nation that's safe, a future that's built on freedom, a government that's accountable, and longer, healthier lives for Americans.

Rep. Guthrie hosting the Service Academy Information Fair at Elizabethtown High School to help answer questions on the service academy application process

Rep. Guthrie meeting with Kentuckians with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network on legislation to provide seniors access to cutting-edge multicancer detection tests

Rep. Guthrie and his education staffer, Emma, who is a WKU alum, meeting with Dean of Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Dr. David Brown, and Associate Dean, Dr. Cathleen Webb, to discuss WKU Innovation Campus and the USDA research facility at WKU