{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-crack-down-on-biological-smuggling/", "Cotton Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Biological Smuggling", "2026-06-10", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "page_html", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Hannah McCarthy (202) 465-5601\n\nJune 10, 2026\n\nCotton Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Biological Smuggling\n\nWashington, DC \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced legislation to crack down on biological smuggling. The Biosecurity Smuggling Deterrence Act would impose tough, unavoidable mandatory minimum sentences on individuals who illegally import biological agents.\n\nThis follows the Department of Justice\u2019s charging two foreign-national researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH) with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox virus into the United States.\n\n\u201cIllegally smuggling dangerous viruses into our country threatens the health and safety of all Americans. My bill would increase the punishment for anyone who commits this heinous crime,\u201d said Senator Cotton.\n\nText of the bill can be found here.\n\nThe Biosecurity Smuggling Deterrence Act would:\n\nImpose a 20-year mandatory minimum for the smuggling (or attempted smuggling) of any biological agent or toxin (as defined in 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 178, which includes monkeypox virus and other select agents) \u2014 whether committed by a lone actor or as part of a conspiracy.\n\nImpose a 20-year mandatory minimum for conspiracy to smuggle such agents.\n\nImpose a 5-year mandatory minimum for making false statements to federal agents in connection with the smuggling, importation, declaration, or permitting of biological agents.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"]], "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://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-crack-down-on-biological-smuggling/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7241771090775728, "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"}