Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask for my colleagues' support on my new bill, the TRANQ Research Act. This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to analyze and advance research on dangerous fentanyl additives that are putting public safety officers' lives at risk, including those guarding our borders. Fentanyl has been entering our country at record levels over the past 2 years. Now, we are witnessing dangerous cartels adding even more harmful chemicals, like tranq, to an already deadly substance. Tranq is a dangerous substance containing a veterinary tranquilizer, which when combined with fentanyl becomes even more deadly than fentanyl itself. The Drug Enforcement Agency reports that between 2020 and 2021, detections of tranq in fentanyl increased 198 percent in the southern United States. From 2020 to 2022, Georgia alone saw a 1,120 percent increase in overdose deaths involving this deadly concoction. Mr. Speaker, this issue may be even more widespread than we know. This bill is another step in fighting dangerous fentanyl additives. By understanding what these additives are, how to test for them, and how to safely handle them, we can better protect our first responders. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill, and I ask for my colleagues' support on this bill. ____________________”