U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) have introduced a bipartisan amendment to the 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The proposal is designed to ensure that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can use its current statutory authority to block the importation of illicit weight loss drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from China and other countries.
The senators say that unregulated versions of ingredients used in well-known GLP-1 medicines are being produced in facilities in China that may not be registered with the FDA. These products pose risks to American consumers, including potentially fatal outcomes.
Senator Budd stated: “The Chinese Communist Party has proven time and again that it is willing to exploit our supply chain and endanger American lives to advance its own interests. That includes flooding our country with counterfeit, unapproved weight-loss drugs made in unregulated facilities. It is critically important that the United States maintains the gold standard for safe, effective medicines and we must act decisively to protect American patients. I am glad to partner with Senator Heinrich on this important issue, and I look forward to working with Commissioner Makary and Secretary Kennedy to help ensure the FDA can shut the door on these dangerous products at our borders and hold bad actors accountable.”
Senator Heinrich added: “We have a responsibility to protect Americans from dangerous, counterfeit drugs entering our country. Too many of these unapproved weight-loss drugs are being produced in unregistered facilities in China with no oversight and no regard for safety. That’s why I’m introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Budd to ensure the FDA can crack down on these illicit imports and keep American consumers safe.”
A recent public service announcement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned about counterfeit weight loss products containing unsafe or unapproved substances as well as misbranded packaging. In response, possible actions by the FDA could include refusing entry of such drugs or API into the U.S., issuing warning letters to foreign suppliers, or starting civil enforcement measures.
This legislative effort follows a bipartisan letter led by Representative Richard Hudson (R-N.C.-09) sent to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary urging immediate action against illegal anti-obesity medications coming into the United States.
