{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-introduces-bill-to-fight-drug-cartels", "Byrne Introduces Bill To Fight Drug Cartels", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL), along with Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), has introduced the Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act. This bill would create a new designation, Significant Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), which has more stringent sanctions than the current transnational criminal organization designation. The penalties for Significant TCOs would mirror many of the penalties for entities designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), including sanctions on organization members and their families, travel restrictions, and increased penalties for US citizens who grant them material assistance. Click here for text of the bill.\nCongressman Byrne said: We should not have to tolerate transnational criminal organizations exporting drugs and violence into our country. This bill will enhance our ability to come after these groups and keep our communities and citizens safe at home and abroad. Congress should rally behind this effort and show these groups that there are severe consequences for their actions.\nCongressman Gallagher said: Recent cartel-related violence in Mexico has demonstrated that whatever we're doing to combat these thugs isn't working. Enough is enough. This bill gives the administration the tools it needs to go after significant transnational criminal organizations and ensure they face maximum pressure under the law.\nThe Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act:\n Enables the federal government to impose sanctions on designated Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), including:\n\tBarring organization members and their immediate families from admission into the United States,\n\tFreezing assets, and\n\tSeeking civil and criminal penalties against individuals providing material assistance or resources to the organization.\n\tRequires the President to submit a report to Congress detailing the government's findings from the November 4, 2019 attack on U.S. cities in northern Mexico, including whether the organization responsible should be designated as a Significant TCO\n Co-sponsors of this bill include:\n Mark Walker (R-NC)\n\tMatt Gaetz (R-FL)\n\tDoug Lamborn (R-CO)\n\tLance Gooden (R-TX)\n\tBob Gibbs (R-OH)\n\tRandy Webber (R-TX)\n\tMichael Cloud (R-TX)\n\tDenver Riggleman (R-VA)\n\tRon Wright (R-TX)\n\tJohn Rutherford (R-FL)\n\tRick Crawford (R-AR)\n\tFrench Hill (R-AR)\n Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has introduced the Senate version of this bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-introduces-bill-to-fight-drug-cartels"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9642480872571468, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}