Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of Fentanyl and Xylazine Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding. I was anxious about the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee yielding because his alma mater team, West Point, lost to my alma mater Annapolis this weekend 31-13 at the premier football game, so I appreciate the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the fight against fentanyl and xylazine is a battle that we cannot afford to lose, and right now the United States is at a crossroads.

Our communities are grappling with a devastating crisis as lethal drugs like fentanyl and xylazine continue to wreak havoc across our country.

Today, we have a chance to deliver solutions. The amended version of my DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act is back before us and it is a stronger, more comprehensive tool to tackle this epidemic.

Every year, over 100,000 precious American lives are lost to drug overdoses.

In 2023 alone, opioids were responsible for more than 81,000 deaths. Fentanyl, accounting for nearly 90 percent of synthetic opioid fatalities, claimed tens of thousands of lives, shattering families and leaving communities in mourning.

These numbers are tragic reminders of the lives we are losing every day.

Now, xylazine, a tranquilizer known on the streets as tranq, is being mixed with fentanyl, creating an even deadlier and harder to detect combination.

This toxic mix does not spare anyone. It claims lives regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic status. From suburban Long Island to urban centers and rural America, this crisis is everywhere, Mr. Speaker.

Earlier this year, the House passed the DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. Since then, our Senate colleagues have worked to refine and enhance the legislation to better address the growing threat. Their amendments make a strong bill even stronger by ensuring our efforts are as coordinated and effective as possible.

The updated bill includes important improvements.

One, it mandates greater collaboration between the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration, ensuring that expertise and resources are shared in this fight.

Two, it prioritizes accuracy, efficiency, and innovation in drug detection technologies, including improving reference libraries to ensure no deadly substance escapes detection.

Three, Mr. Speaker, it aligns research priorities with specific threats, incorporating not only DEA reports but also the latest Homeland Threat Assessment to address emerging challenges.

Finally, four, it preserves the authorities of Federal agencies managing detection equipment and reference libraries, maintaining a seamless response across departments.

These changes reflect the urgency and complexity of the crisis that we as a nation face.

This legislation will empower our law enforcement officers, public health workers, and communities by developing cutting-edge technology to detect and intercept dangerous substances; strengthening partnerships between Federal, State, and local agencies; and staying ahead of drug traffickers' tactics through innovation and advanced research.

This bill is more than just policy. It is a commitment to saving American lives.

Mr. Speaker, every overdose prevented means a family spared from grief, a child with a parent, and a community with hope.

I express my deep appreciation for my good friend, Congressman Lou Correa, for joining me in championing this important legislation. His steadfast dedication to this cause along with Senators John Cornyn, Jon Ossoff, and Kyrsten Sinema's thoughtful contributions are getting the bill over the finish line and onto the President's desk.

I also thank the many organizations representing law enforcement professionals, public health advocates, and local communities. Their input has been invaluable.

Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking, and lives are at stake. Let us come together once again to pass the amended DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act and send it to the President's desk.

Let us give our law enforcement the tools that they need, and let us stand with our communities. Let us take a giant leap toward ending this deadly epidemic.

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