Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 114, H.J. Res. 88, I was not recorded due to official business. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 114, H.J. Res. 88.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey, is a great guy, and he is a good friend. He is mistaken in part and correct in part. He is right that it is not one-size-fits-all. It is two-sizes- fits-all, and States other than California aren't given the opportunity to determine whether they want to do something that is a little bit different than California or if they want to do something that is a little bit different than the national standard.

As Mr. Kiley pointed out in his very good comments on this subject, the problem is when California keeps ratcheting up their regulations, because they are a large economy, as has been pointed out, and because several other States decide to join them, although still in a minority, the manufacturers have to look at that and say: Are we going to manufacture two different types of vehicles for each class, or are we just going to follow what California has done?

De facto, this is a regulation on the Nation as a whole. De facto, this decision by the EPA is a regulation on the entire Nation.

That is why this Congress is paying attention to its own responsibilities and not listening to the bureaucrats and other unelected officials. We must make a decision and vote to pass H.J. Res. 87.

It is important to the Nation as a whole to protect our trucking industry and to protect jobs across this great land.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be here, and I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in strong support of the waivers before us today: H.J. Res. 87 by Representative James of Michigan; H.J. Res. 88, led by the vice chairman of the full committee, Representative Joyce of Pennsylvania; and H.J. Res. 89, led by Representative Obernolte of California.

The issue is that it is essentially becoming a nationwide mandate. Article I of the Constitution clearly gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. These are the reasons that I would point to that we need to not have State-by-State standards for building automobiles.

What this is, is you can't build a gas-powered car in Michigan and sell it to somebody in California. California has 40 million people, over 10 percent of our country. When you start having a patchwork of State laws banning cars that can be driven anywhere else in the country, except California says no, New Jersey says no, and Maryland, as pointed out, says no, then it completely distorts national commerce.

If you think about it, by 2035, zero-emission cars in California, the problem with that is, I don't think anybody believes they can get there with that standard, just like the EV mandates by 2032.

What happens, though, these automotive companies have to start building for that. We see the results of it. In my district, BlueOval SK, which is tied to Ford Motor Company, has two battery plants. One they are building. Only one is going to have production in it. They are looking at what to do with the other one. They have that and another one in Bowling Green because they put out these mandates, and businesses have to follow them. When they don't come to pass, it is just not an efficient way to do business.

You have California doing mandates on having to buy electric cars or non-internal combustion engine cars. It is clearly within the purview of the Commerce Clause. It is clearly the responsibility of the national government to set up what the standards are so commerce can easily move across State borders.

If somebody builds a car in California, a gas-powered car in California, I think California has the right to ban their citizens from buying it. I don't think they have the right to ban their citizens from buying cars produced everywhere else in the States.

There are contracts among the States. It is clearly what our Founding Fathers intended. This certainly fits right in it, and I urge my colleagues to reject these policies and support the underlying resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 146, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. I echo the sentiments of Representative Dean and my friend Representative Salazar. I appreciate the comments that they just made. I thank Congresswoman Dingell and Senator Cruz for their determination in combating this crisis of malicious, deepfake pornography.

Last month, I joined a bipartisan group convened by the First Lady. We heard from young survivors and their parents who were targeted by those abhorrent practices. I thank the First Lady for her leadership and for shining a light on this dark and destructive crisis.

I am sad to say that this issue struck close to home with the heartbreaking death of my constituent, 16-year-old Elijah Heacock. He tragically fell victim to an online extortion scheme, showing my community the dangers of predators targeting our kids online.

I sat with his mom, his dad, and his brother just this last week. We talked about the tragedy that happened in his life and their determination to see that we move forward in this Congress, not only on this bill but others to make sure that it doesn't happen to other families like theirs. We are all praying for that dear family.

Mr. Speaker, the heart-wrenching stories we have heard tell us all we need to know. It is time to send the TAKE IT DOWN Act to the President's desk so we can give survivors and law enforcement the tools they need to combat this crisis. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jake Tyner for his career in the United States Congress.

A Towson, Maryland native, Jake began his career in Washington, D.C. in 2016 as Director and Associate Policy Counsel of the Global Energy Institute for the United States Chamber of Commerce after receiving his bachelor's degree from Elon University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law. In 2020, Jake came to the United States of House of Representatives as Policy Advisor and Counsel to Congressman David McKinley (WV-01) before becoming General Counsel to Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. Through these roles, Jake proved his expertise in energy and environmental policy. As Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I was pleased to have him as a member of my team as Chief Counsel for the Environment Subcommittee to help develop and implement the committee's legislative agenda.

Recently, Jake accepted a role in President Trump's administration to serve under Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, as Deputy Solicitor for Energy and Mineral Resources. I know Jake will be a valuable asset to Secretary Burgum, President Trump, and the American people, the same way he was for me and the members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. I thank him, congratulate him on his new role, and wish him the best in his future.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 242, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 75) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 75.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as President Trump took office in January, the Biden- Harris Department of Energy finalized amended energy efficiency standards for commercial refrigeration equipment.

H.J. Res. 75, introduced by Representative Goldman of Texas, a new member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, repeals this final rule.

New standards for this equipment, which included a variety of products, became effective just 3 years ago. Yet the Biden administration moved ahead with implementing burdensome new standards.

In fact, these standards will require energy reductions up to 60 percent on top of the previous standards, pushing the price of this equipment higher than ever before. The Department of Energy itself estimates the final rule will cost $8 billion. However, it substantially underestimated compliance costs throughout the rulemaking process.

The Department of Energy, despite feedback from stakeholders, did not account for the significant ongoing capital investment manufacturers must make to shift to new refrigerants.

When amending energy efficiency standards, the Department of Energy must prove that new or amended standards are economically justified, as well as technologically feasible, and that they result in significant savings. Not only is it unclear if compliance with the DOE's final rule is technically feasible but it is certainly clear that the rule is not cost-effective.

For example, one popular refrigerator design covered by this rule, vertically closed transparent commercial refrigerators, is estimated by the Department of Energy to have a payback period of almost 94 years under the amended standards. For retailers, many of which are small or family-owned businesses, it makes no sense to purchase equipment that will take nearly 100 years to recoup the cost on, especially when the average lifetime of this product is 14 years.

This will result in less efficient equipment being used beyond its recommended lifetime or a significant capital expenditure which will have to be passed down to American families in the form of higher prices. This is a lose-lose situation for small business owners and clearly violates the letter of the law.

We must pass H.J. Res. 75 to repeal this midnight rule and provide certainty to American manufacturers and small retailers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Goldman) for his leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.J. Res. 75, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Goldman), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have a letter here from the National Automatic Merchandising Association--vending machines, as most of us would know it--that it would be affecting their vending members. Most are small businesses. Ninety-plus percent of their operators have revenues of less than $10 million a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is difficult for small businesses to stay in business. I would say if this equipment was going to do for small businesses what the Department of Energy

and the other side is saying, they would buy them. They wouldn't have to be told to buy them.

I have a letter from the National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, which sells to restaurants and so forth. It says these costs must be passed on to customers, many of which are small businesses like restaurants, bars, retailers, hotels, grocers, and schools. As the Department of Energy acknowledges in its own analysis, the increased capital expense caused by these standards may take more than--not many small businesses will invest their money if it is going to take more than 10, 75, and up to 94 years. Most small businesses don't stay in families more than a couple of generations. In many instances, to match cost reductions achieved through higher efficiency gains, more expensive equipment translates into higher costs for consumers. This is simple economics. As the cost of inputs in doing business increases, a restaurant's or grocer's prices also must increase to make enough of a profit to stay in business.

The other argument you can make is that if you buy this, you are going to be more efficient. The other side has said that then you can make more profit. If that is the case, believe me, our small businesses would be doing it without a government mandate.

Mr. Speaker, I will yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Register lists this class of equipment, and the simple payback period in years is 93.9 for all purchasers. I have it right here.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), who is the vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as we have heard today, the Biden-Harris administration DOE's final rule for commercial refrigeration equipment will have a detrimental impact on small businesses and the consumers. If small businesses thought this was going to benefit their businesses, I guarantee you, Mr. Speaker, as a family business owner, we would invest in it. We would not have to be mandated to invest in it.

This final rule does not even meet the statutory requirements laid out in ECPA for new or amended energy efficiency standards. With a cost of at least $8 billion, questions surrounding the technological feasibility of the standards and serious food safety concerns cloud this rulemaking.

Simply put, the DOE far exceeded the bounds of its authority with this rule. If Congress does not act, this final regulation will harm small businesses, drive up costs for American families, and put already expensive equipment out of reach for many who need it for their livelihoods.

That is why the following groups are supporting this CRA: The National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers; NATSO, representing truck stops and travel centers; SIGMA, representing fuel marketers; and National Automatic Merchandizing Association, which includes vending machine operators.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this.

I just want to be clear. I don't have anything in my family business in any of these businesses, but I will tell you what we look at is do we get a return on investment and can we serve our customers better.

The list I just said, they looked at it and said that if they don't get a return on their investment, then they can't serve their customers better by this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 75 to overturn these unworkable energy standards for commercial refrigeration equipment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Chairman Griffith, for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, this rule is an example of unsubstantiated bureaucratic overreach that does not have any added impact to public health benefits and actually goes so far as to have a negative environmental impact.

The Biden-Harris EPA finalized a rule targeting American tire manufacturers that runs the risk of destroying domestic tire production and eliminating thousands of good-paying American jobs.

When finalizing the rule, the EPA stated the goal was to reduce emissions from hazardous air pollutants. However, the rule also adds emissions limitations for total hydrocarbons. These two pollutants are not correlated.

In short, limiting hydrocarbons does not reduce emissions from hazardous air pollutants.

Additionally, implementation of this rule requires facilities to use regenerative thermal oxidizers. Use of RTOs will result in higher carbon dioxide emissions, as they require significant energy inputs to operate and maintain.

American tire manufacturers already comply with National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, known as NESHAP, and are operating well under the acceptable limitations. The manufacturers' compliance has ensured that our communities are safe. On the other hand, this rule all but ensures their demise.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are concerned about why we are bringing these issues up now. Due to the number of Biden-Harris administration midnight regulations, we have no choice in Congress but to address the onslaught of these policies before they destroy businesses and make life more expensive for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, let us be pragmatic and use common sense in our policymaking, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.J. Res. 61.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in the subcommittee this morning, it was brought to my attention that our colleague Sylvester Turner had passed away. He was new here, so I didn't really know him that well. Actually, the first time was either Monday or--the days run together. It would have been yesterday during votes, right before we adjourned to get ready for the special session, he was sitting right there on the aisle on the corner, and I shook his hand and talked to him for the first time.

Today, in Energy and Commerce, there were two Members, our colleagues from Texas, Mr. Weber and Mr. Goldman, who served with him in the Texas Legislature. If you listened to what they said about Sylvester Turner, only knowing him for a day or so, I missed a lot. He seemed to be a wonderful man, a wonderful person, and my thoughts and prayers and the thoughts of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I know the whole House, are with his family. He is going to be missed.

I will get down to the business in front of us. I know that has moved all of us--that is why I wanted to bring it up--to lose such a great colleague.

I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 42 to repeal the Biden administration's burdensome and unnecessary certification, labeling, and enforcement provisions for 20 different products that American families and businesses rely on day in and day out.

Over the last 4 years, the Biden Department of Energy proposed and finalized new and amended standards for 30 appliance classes, regulating virtually every appliance in our houses and much of the equipment in businesses. All of these regulations led to over $60 billion in added costs.

Implementing these certification, labeling, and enforcement provisions will further solidify the disastrous standards promulgated under the last administration.

This rule alone will increase costs annually by $213,000 while doing nothing to improve appliance efficiency, extend product lifetimes, or lower costs.

While consumers struggle to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of appliances and dwindling product optionality, the Biden administration consistently hampered innovation by imposing unnecessary and duplicative regulation on manufacturers.

Fortunately, H.J. Res. 42 will roll back this red tape and enable Congress and the Trump administration to safeguard consumer choice and lower costs for American households.

I thank the gentleman from the Ninth District of Georgia (Mr. Clyde), my good friend, for leading this legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.J. Res. 42.

We will miss our good friend from Texas, as I said, who I really got to know in the last 24 hours. I missed a lot by not knowing him longer.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give my sincere thanks to my Communications Director, DJ Griffin, who recently ended his tenure with my office.

A proud graduate of Colgate University, DJ began his Washington, DC career as a Senior Associate Director of Research for the Republican National Committee. The White Plains, New York native then began working on Capitol Hill as a Communications Director for Congressman Mike Collins prior to joining my office.

In 2023, I welcomed DJ to my office as the Communications Director and he has been devoted to achieving the goals of our office and has made a lasting impact on the communications to our district, keeping our constituents informed of what was going on in Washington, DC, DJ has proven to be an extremely valuable member of my team by clearly communicating what is happening in the halls of Congress with my constituents and helping me to secure the Chairmanship of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

I want to thank DJ Griffin for his work serving Kentucky's Second District as a dedicated public servant. While it is a loss for my staff,

I am grateful for his time serving the constituents of my district and wish him all the best on his next chapter in the United States Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 35 to repeal the Biden- Harris administration's natural gas tax. For the last 4 years, Americans witnessed firsthand the implementation of a heavyhanded, top- down regulatory agenda that put the interests of the environmental left first, leading to increased prices for families and businesses.

This resolution would overturn the rule implementing the EPA's waste emissions charge which was published following the 2024 Presidential election as part of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program established in the Inflation Reduction Act. Energy produced in the United States has some of the lowest methane emissions intensity in the world. U.S. upstream oil and gas producers have reduced their total methane emissions intensity by 42 percent since 2015.

We have our entrepreneurial spirit to thank for this success, not policies like the WEC, which are unworkable for American producers and will lead to our allies being forced to rely on gas with higher emissions coming from adversarial nations like Venezuela.

Businesses and consumers rely on the affordable and reliable natural gas underneath our feet. By putting new taxes on this baseload power, the Biden-Harris administration put the interests of their far-left base ahead of the needs of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will enable us to enact President Trump's energy agenda and restore American energy dominance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Larry Thomas Glass, Sr.

Larry, a lifelong resident of Barren County, Kentucky, was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to two children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Larry is survived by his family, including his wife Sylvia.

Larry was a pillar of the Barren County community as the proud owner and operator of Larry Glass Construction Company, in Glasgow. Larry and his wife of 54 years Geraldine, who passed away in 2016, came from humble beginnings, having built their company from the ground up. Their business has been a stalwart of the community in Barren County and south-central Kentucky for decades. Their charitable work includes helping local community partners and refusing to send them a bill afterwards.

You didn't have to meet Larry to be impacted by him in Barren County. Larry was very generous and devoted to international mission work, especially to the people of Ukraine. His philanthropy allowed him to help build a ministry school in Ukraine that continues to train preachers so that they may spread the gospel throughout the country. Larry's ministry also reached the Philippines where he helped to build churches, homes, and support orphanages across the country.

On behalf of Kentucky's Second District, please join me in remembering the life of Larry Glass, Sr.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Kayi Gambill Lewis. Kayi was the dedicated wife of former Congressman Ron Lewis for nearly 60 years, and together they proudly served Kentucky's Second District for fifteen years in the House of Representatives.

Kayi was a dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived by her husband, former Congressman Ron Lewis, their son Brent Lewis and his wife Amanda, their daughter Allison Coffey and her husband, Tyler, and multiple grandchildren.

Kayi was integral to her husband's success in the U.S. Congress--she was his most ardent supporter and his fiercest advocate. She was a key representative on her husband's behalf at events across the district when Congressman Lewis' duties kept him in Washington.

Kayi a Hardin County, Kentucky resident, was a force in her community and a dedicated member of the Youngers Creek Baptist Church. When Ron returned to being a pastor following his service in Congress, she helped him to lead their congregation's service each week. Kayi was also the former President of the Hardin County Republican Women's Club and a member of the Congressional Women's Club. Kayi was beloved by many in our community and will be deeply missed.

On behalf of Kentucky's Second District and a grateful community, please join me in remembering the life and legacy of Kayi Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 93, I call up the bill (H.R. 27) to amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 27.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances remain one of the greatest health threats this Nation faces. That is why both Congress and the Trump administration are working to keep fentanyl out of our communities across the country.

What we know about these lethal substances is that they are largely created with chemicals sourced from China and trafficked into our country and communities by Mexican drug cartels.

Part of making this Nation safer and more secure is empowering law enforcement with the tools necessary to prosecute those who traffic this poison into our communities. The HALT Fentanyl Act plays an important role in that objective by permanently placing fentanyl- related substances into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act so law enforcement can crack down on drug traffickers. This will help save lives.

Last Congress, this bill passed the House with 289 votes, and I am hopeful for a robust vote today. I am confident this bill can pass the Senate and be signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to note that the bill before us today schedules illicit fentanyl. We had testimony to say this will save lives. That is the vote before us today. Hopefully my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will vote for it.

We can talk about criminal justice reform, but the people who are putting the poison into our cities and our children deserve to go to jail.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith).

Mr. Speaker, we are going to work on the SUPPORT Act, but the vote before us today that people are going to put their names to, a yes or no: Do we want to make illegal derivatives of fentanyl produced and conceived in China sent to Mexico and across our border to kill our people?

That is what the vote is going to be today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), the vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments.

Mr. Speaker, I just will say that, if someone is trafficking in illicit fentanyl, they belong in jail. I understand the argument that people who are addicted need help and support, but if someone is trafficking in illicit fentanyl, they belong in jail. If someone is trafficking in a fentanyl derivative that is not scheduled, they don't go to jail. That is what we are here to do today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, derivatives of illicit fentanyl have to be scheduled for traffickers to be prosecuted.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), my good friend and member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Fry), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McDowell), a new member of the Republican Conference, a new Member of Congress, and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Crenshaw), my good friend and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Fong).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, speaking as the primary sponsor on the Republican side of the bipartisan bill, the SUPPORT Act, we do need treatment. We have worked on treatment. We have record treatment that has happened since the SUPPORT Act first passed, and we will work on it again this Congress.

We know it is going to expire by the end of March. What is happening is the scheduling of illicit fentanyl. What that means is, fentanyl is scheduled. What the people in China do who send their recipes for fentanyl to Mexico to be manufactured and sent across the border is if they could slightly change the molecule just enough that it is no longer fentanyl, it is no longer scheduled.

Our police officers have to find it and get it tested. Once they get it tested, they have to go back and say, okay, that is fentanyl. It is deadly. Let's go to Congress and get Congress to put that on the schedule. Then we put that on the schedule. Then they start to process and slightly change it again.

That is the reason we put this in an emergency order to begin with. That is why we want to put it in permanently because we know that it is effective.

We have had testimony to say that it is effective. We had my friend from New York (Ms. Gillen) come and say that she read that the DEA says this will save lives. Other groups say this will save lives. We have testimony that this will save lives. There is so much we need to do in helping people with their substance use disorders and struggles. There is no doubt there is a lot we need to do.

What we need to do today, what we are going to put our name on and record our vote on, yes or no, is: Do we believe that derivatives of fentanyl that are being trafficked from China to Mexico across our border, do we believe that should be schedule I and give the tools to our law enforcement officers to fight it?

That is what we are voting on today. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill. We had Mr. Cullen from Pennsylvania testify this morning in a hearing on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee for Health, who lost his son.

We all know people who suffer from this. We need to keep up the fight. This is important for us to do, and I encourage a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, we know that if this emergency declaration expires, that illicit fentanyl will no longer be scheduled and individuals will no longer be subject to arrest and prosecution.

I don't believe we need to study this. That is why we have the emergency in place because of the problem. Putting this off until a study comes back, people are going to die. I don't think we need to certify that people are going to die. I think that is self-evident.

Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Mr. Speaker, all I will say is that we know, and we have had testimony. We have had testimony from so many people who have come before our committee. We know that if we have illicit fentanyl that is no longer illegal, it is not going to save lives. It is going to cost lives.

We know this emergency order is expiring at the end of March. This needs to be done. It has to go to the Senate. Somebody mentioned earlier on the other side that it lingered in the Senate. We now have a Senate that will take this up. We have a President that will sign it.

We need to get this done so we can protect children and not delay this until we have another study when we know what is going on in our neighborhoods, our homes, our communities, and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the defeat of this amendment and support the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

THE SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the previous question is ordered on the bill, as amended, and on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).

The question is on the amendment by the gentlewoman from Massachusetts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Alan Slobodin for 30 years of service to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. I am proud to join the entire Committee in honoring his significant achievement and distinguished career on Capitol Hill.

Alan, a Bethesda, Maryland resident, graduated from Temple University in 1979 and received his JD from George Washington University in 1984. After receiving his JD, Alan served in private practice then as counsel on the House Committee on the Judiciary. He later became the President and General Counsel of the Legal Studies Division of the Washington Legal Foundation where he directed activities of legal publication and education programs for a major, national, pro-business public interest law center and advocated pro-free enterprise legal ideas before federal and state judges, Members of Congress, state legislators, the Executive Branch, and the media.

In 1995, Alan began his distinguished career with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce where he has proudly served six Republican Full Committee Chairs, eight Republican Oversight Subcommittee Chairmen, three Republican Ranking Members, and five Republican Subcommittee Ranking Members. As Chief Investigative Counsel since 2011, Alan has strengthened the public health of our Nation by conducting extensive oversight of public health agencies, spearheading scores of hearings, and leading many committee investigations into various topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, drug and device safety, the opioid crisis, and bioterrorism preparedness among others. In addition, Alan has mentored generations of Energy and Commerce Committee staff and earned the respect of Members and staff on both sides of the aisle.

On behalf of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and all the past Chairs and Ranking Members of our Committee that Alan has been dedicated to assisting; I thank him for his career of service and dedication to our Nation and our Committee.