{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-kennedy-colleagues-introduce-pure-act", "Sens. Cruz, Kennedy, Colleagues Introduce PURE Act", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Kenned (R-La.), and colleagues introduced the Preventing Unnecessary Resource Expenditures (PURE) Act. The legislation gives law enforcement stronger, cleaner tools to combat meth trafficking by eliminating the obsolete legal distinction between pure and impure methamphetamine.\n\nUpon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, \u201cThe distinction between pure and impure methamphetamine complicates enforcement and hampers justice. The PURE Act updates outdated rules so our criminal laws reflect modern science, strengthens the ability of law enforcement to pursue drug traffickers, and ensures the American legal system remains fair and clear. I am proud to join Senator Kennedy in introducing this legislation.\u201d\n\nSen. Kennedy said, \u201cMeth addiction is tearing families apart in Louisiana and across America. Our law enforcement officers should be able to fight this poison without having to jump through pointless, burdensome and expensive hoops. The PURE Act scraps outdated rules that waste precious time, burn through millions of taxpayer dollars and keep our communities less safe. I urge my colleagues to support this common-sense measure\u2014it\u2019s long overdue.\u201d\n\nThis legislation was cosponsored by Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).\n\nSen. Hagerty said, \u201cThe drug overdose epidemic is devastating communities across the United States. The PURE Act closes an antiquated loophole that burdens drug testing laboratories and delays justice. I\u2019m pleased to support this effort to empower our prosecutors and hold methamphetamine dealers accountable.\u201d\n\nSen. Graham said, \u201cIt should be easier for law enforcement to go after the people who bring dangerous drugs like meth into our communities \u2013 not harder. Meth is responsible for the destruction of countless lives, families and entire communities across the country, and it contributes to numerous other crimes. This legislation removes outdated standards and empowers law enforcement to adequately hold meth traffickers accountable. I\u2019m glad to work with Senators Kennedy, Cruz and Hagerty on this necessary bill.\u201d\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nThe PURE Act would:\n\nCreate a single, straightforward legal standard for methamphetamine\u2014\u201cmeth mixture\u201d\u2014instead of separate standards for pure and impure meth.\n\nEliminate an outdated rule that wastes law enforcement resources and slows down prosecutions.\n\nEnsure equal treatment under the law by removing a distinction that no longer reflects the reality of modern meth trafficking and replaces it with one standard that reflects the danger meth poses.\n\nReduce the burden on prosecutors and crime labs, freeing them to focus on building cases and protecting our communities.\n\nThe PURE Act brings federal law in line with today\u2019s drug trafficking landscape, cuts unnecessary bureaucracy and strengthens law enforcement\u2019s ability to take dangerous drug dealers off the streets.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-kennedy-colleagues-introduce-pure-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7252430077642202, "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"}