[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H3214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                       TRANQ, THE ``ZOMBIE DRUG''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Collins) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COLLINS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to encourage the continued 
support for H.R. 1734, the TRANQ Research Act, which passed the House 
earlier this year.
  Fentanyl and other deadly substances are being seized at record 
levels by our law enforcement officers. So far, in fiscal year 2023, 
the Border Patrol has intercepted 20,000 pounds of fentanyl. That is 
enough to kill 4.6 billion people.
  Now, that is an incredible amount of deadly drugs, and it doesn't 
include the dangerous opioid analogues, such as xylazine, which are 
becoming far more common and are a challenge to identify in the field.
  Xylazine, also called TRANQ or the ``zombie drug,'' is a veterinary 
tranquilizer and fentanyl analogue that is wreaking havoc on American 
communities. It is also putting our law enforcement at risk.
  According to the DEA, over the past 2 years, the southern and western 
United States has experienced an over 100 percent increase in xylazine 
encounters. This is a very concerning trend.
  TRANQ earned the name ``zombie drug'' because it kills human tissue 
and is also resistant to opioid overdose treatments.
  Our Federal law enforcement officers are working hard to keep our 
communities safe and are doing it at great personal risk. They need the 
tools to identify these drugs in order to stay safe when encountering 
them in the field.
  That is why 25 of my colleagues and I introduced the TRANQ Research 
Act. This commonsense legislation directs the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology to conduct research on the detection and 
handling of the newest, most dangerous synthetic opioids.
  Detection capabilities will extend to police officers, Border Patrol 
agents, and other first responders so they are better equipped to stem 
the flow of this deadly drug that is coming into our country and also 
keep them safe while they are doing it.
  Our bill passed this House unanimously in May, and the Senate 
returned it in June with minor amendments that I support.
  Madam Speaker, I urge you today to take up the amended TRANQ Research 
Act quickly so that we can send it to the President's desk. Let's 
deliver again for the American people and get this crucial legislation 
signed into law.

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