Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality Research Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Ms. CARAVEO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1734, the TRANQ Research Act. I also thank my colleagues, Congressman Mike Collins, Chairman Frank Lucas, and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for working with me to run this bipartisan legislation. I also thank Senators Peter Welch and Ted Cruz for moving this bill through the Senate.

As a doctor, I have seen firsthand the horrific impact the drug crisis has had on families in my community and across the country. Last year alone, more than 107,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, due in large part to the crisis.

Fentanyl is a drug with very high potency that is relatively easy to manufacture, and criminals making fentanyl can add different chemicals to change its molecular structure, creating a variant that is novel and difficult to detect.

Just in the past year, we have seen a dramatic increase in criminals mixing a common animal tranquilizer called xylazine with fentanyl. If injected, this combination can have horrible side effects, including large wounds at the injection site that have led to limb amputations.

Horrifyingly, tranq is already spreading across the country. Having seen the disastrous effect fentanyl has had on Colorado, I am proud to lead the charge to act against xylazine now to protect our families.

One of the major challenges we face to combat drugs like fentanyl and xylazine is detecting them. These drug mixtures usually contain a very small amount of the drug, and traditional laboratory methods are not designed to detect or identify new drug variants.

The TRANQ Research Act addresses this challenge by leveraging our Nation's scientific capabilities to allow our first responders to be able to detect, identify, and better understand novel opioids and other substances. Additionally, thanks to our partners in the Senate, the bill will also help Congress conduct oversight over Federal programs to respond to threats from new psychoactive substances like xylazine.

We know combating the drug crisis will take bipartisan action. I look forward to continuing to work with Congressman Collins and my colleagues to get this bill signed by the President and to keep pushing for commonsense solutions that both parties can agree on to keep American families safe. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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