{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://fong.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vince-fong-and-rep-abigail-spanberger-introduce-stop-tranq-act", "Rep. Vince Fong and Rep. Abigail Spanberger introduce the STOP TRANQ Act", "2024-08-13", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "House", "CA", "Vince Fong", "F000480", "fong.house.gov", "fong", "https://fong.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2013 Today, Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) introduced the Strengthening Tracking of Poisonous Tranq Requiring Analyzed National Quantification Act of 2024 (STOP TRANQ Act). This bill will require the annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report to include an analysis of xylazine or \u201ctranq\u201d trafficking within the country-by-country report. Other prevalent drugs like fentanyl are already being tracked in this report and obtaining trafficking and production data on tranq can help curb the worsening drug problem in America.\n\n\u201cTranq is a growing drug threat to all Americans and must be taken seriously as a deadly drug coming into our country,\u201d said Rep. Fong. \u201cThere are drugs on the streets that are killing people in our local communities especially fentanyl and the growing rise of xylazine, and we should know the trafficking patterns from other countries so that we can stop the flow of these drugs from further harming Americans. It is critical that we combat this lethal drug crisis head on and support our law enforcement and prosecutors in going after those who wish us harm.\u201d\n\n\u201cTranq is killing Virginians in our communities and Americans across our country. But right now, our country is ill-equipped to counter the influx of xylazine and fentanyl in our communities,\u201d said Rep. Spanberger. \u201cAs a former federal agent and CIA case officer who worked narcotics cases and tracked cartels, I believe that Congress must provide our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers with every tool available to combat the deadly drugs flowing into our communities. As drug overdose deaths are increasingly involving xylazine, this bipartisan legislation would help law enforcement crack down on its proliferation in our communities and stop the predators who are killing our neighbors.\u201d\n\n\u201cStreet-level drugs are becoming more potent, and the fatalities associated with drugs like this are becoming all too common,\u201d said Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry. \u201cHaving the data this bill would require will provide us with the information to make more informed decisions in our fight against these dangerous drugs.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the war on drugs continues, fentanyl still runs rampant in our communities, and we are now facing a new enemy with the addition of xylazine, or tranq,\u201d said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. \u201cTo better address the growing usage of tranq and understand the associated risks, this legislation will require the State Department to include tranq in their Annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. This change is imperative as we work to combat this emerging threat--the more information and data we gather, the more tools we will have to tackle this crisis effectively.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nThe International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is released on March 1st annually, in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This report provides a country-by-country analysis of drug trafficking, money laundering, and financial crimes in an effort to effectively combat all aspects of these illegal activities.\n\nThe drugs currently tracked in the INCSR report include synthetic opioids, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, among others. Xylazine (Tranq) is currently classified as a \u201cdrug cutting agent\u201d in the most recent INCSR report.\n\nThis bill serves as the House companion to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) STOP TRANQ Act, which was introduced in March.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"]], "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://fong.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vince-fong-and-rep-abigail-spanberger-introduce-stop-tranq-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9398930706083775, "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"}