Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an important milestone in the history of The Ripon Society--the organization turned 60 this past year.

For those not familiar with the group, The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854--Ripon, Wisconsin.

One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP's success. These ideas include keeping our Nation secure, keeping taxes low, and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter, and more accountable to the people.

For 60 years now, The Ripon Society has been promoting common sense policies and principles. Today, The Ripon Society tries to promote these policies and principles in several ways. Six times a year, for instance, the Society publishes a journal called The Ripon Forum, which has been called ``reform-minded'' by the Washington Post and is the longest running Republican journal of thought and opinion in the country.

The Ripon Society also holds a regular series of events geared around the issues of the day and the challenges facing our nation. These events include its Symposium on Leadership for senior Congressional staff members, that has been held at George Washington's historic estate at Mount Vernon since 2011.

Along with its partner organization, The Franklin Center for Global Policy Exchange, The Ripon Society also holds a dinner each year at one of our Nation's Presidential Libraries, where they present Members of Congress with the Roosevelt Leadership Award. This award honors those lawmakers who embody the qualities that Theodore Roosevelt spoke of when he said: ``The credit belongs to those who are in the arena, who strive valiantly . . . who at best know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly.

The Ripon Society and Franklin Center also hold a bipartisan luncheon at the end of each year to honor the ``Unsung Heroes of Capitol Hill''--that is the schedulers and executive assistants who quietly and faithfully work behind the scenes to keep the trains running on time in both the House and the Senate.

Finally, The Ripon Society and Franklin Center also hold an international policy conference each year in a foreign capital. Called the TransAtlantic Capital to Capital Exchange, the policy conference brings Republican and Democratic lawmakers together with their legislative counterparts overseas to discuss and learn more about the challenges facing America and her allies around the world.

At a time when so many groups and organizations seem to come and go in American politics, The Ripon Society has been a fixture for 60 years. I congratulate them on this achievement and wish them all the best in the years ahead.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 75 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 75, providing for the consideration of four measures: H.J. Res. 7, H.R. 139, H.R. 382, and H.R. 497.

The rule provides for consideration of all four measures under closed rules, with 1 hour of debate each equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committees of jurisdiction or their designees. The rule provides one motion to recommit for each measure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and in support of the underlying bills.

Today, the Republican majority begins the long process of reversing the policy failures of President Biden and the previous Democratic majority.

Madam Speaker, Republicans last week demonstrated that Republicans are committed to governing for the American people. Toward that end, Madam Speaker, House Republicans have had one of the most productive legislative weeks in recent memory. Our new governing majority has demonstrated that it is no longer a closed shop, which was business as usual in a Democratic House in the last Congress.

Instead of a lethargic Congress, Republicans, in only 3 short weeks, have set a precedent that I hope subsequent Members will emulate. The new Republican majority is eager to begin the important work that America has sent us here to do.

Instead of legislating for the few at the expense of the many, Republicans are making good on our commitment to America. We are dismantling the COVID surveillance state. We are protecting the conscience rights of our healthcare workers. We are demanding that government employees show up to do their jobs like the rest of America has done. We are terminating and rescinding the interminable extensions of President Bidens's public health emergency declaration.

Sometimes, Madam Speaker, I almost feel as if I have been trapped in a Dickens novel. In this tale of two cities, it seems the Biden administration is clearly of two minds on the COVID pandemic, one being the best of times: the administration's policies to combat the pandemic have been a resounding success. But then, on the other hand, we are still living through a crisis that requires emergency measures that have to be prolonged indefinitely.

The American people spoke in the last election, Madam Speaker. Their message was clear enough. Their message by electing Republicans was enough is enough.

Now, thanks to Chairman Graves and H.J. Res. 7, the American people can be assured that President Biden's national emergency will be rescinded. Americans will finally have a government that recognizes the reality across our Nation, the very words spoken by President Biden on ``60 Minutes'' last September: ``The pandemic is over.''

Madam Speaker, nowhere is the contrast more evident between Republicans and Democrats than what is included in this rule today. The Republican majority is already hard at work passing commonsense legislation that will benefit our people, that will benefit all Americans, not just a connected few.

Madam Speaker, just like you, one of the most vital services I provide to the constituents of the people of the 26th District of Texas is communicating with Federal agencies on their behalf. Through this communication, I am able to ensure timely services like passport services, Social Security benefits, Medicare enrollment, veterans' benefits, and many more. Over the past few years, I have seen that these services have been severely delayed or even halted--completely in some cases--because what do you get? No one answers the phone, or you get an out-of-office response from a Federal agency.

I submit that is entirely unacceptable. In fact, last week, I introduced a bill called the REACT Act, in a bipartisan fashion, to require a timely response from executive agencies after inquiries from Members of Congress. However, in order for the agencies to fulfill their responsibilities, they first have to get back to work.

H.R. 139, the SHOW UP Act, would end the unproductive telework policies to ensure that these Federal agencies are back at work for the American people.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support this bill, and I urge other Members to support the underlying bill, as well as the rule.

Madam Speaker, again this September, President Biden, in a candid and unguarded moment, officially admitted that the pandemic is over, and then for emphasis he repeated it. Despite this declaration, this administration just reauthorized the twelfth extension of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

I think all of us who were here at the time agreed that, in March 2020, the country was very much in a public health emergency. However, now the landscape has changed, and now the American people are transitioning back to their normal routines.

Today, the Biden administration's lack of transparency has, yet again, put our country in a very difficult position. Throughout the last 3 years and 12 extensions of this public health emergency, people have had ample time to seriously discuss a plan to avoid disruptions to patients and providers as we transition out of this pandemic.

This new House majority has been pressing the administration to come up with a plan to make permanent the policies that work and unwind those policies that don't. While there were several successful policies and innovations that came out of the emergency declaration, not just telehealth and hospital at-home flexibilities, this administration has repeatedly failed to provide a plan.

The public health emergency cannot serve as a permanent means for the Biden administration to subvert Congress to enact their radical agenda.

Madam Speaker, I support Congressman Guthrie's efforts to officially end this public health emergency, and I look forward to transitioning back to regular order.

Madam Speaker, our healthcare workers across America are still subject to President Biden's vaccine mandate enforced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The healthcare industry is already suffering from a severe workforce shortage that will have drastic effects on our ability to take care of patients.

Republicans have been crystal clear on the issue, Madam Speaker. We never have and never will support Federal vaccine mandates. The personal health decision of whether to receive a vaccine should be left between a patient and their doctor. The Federal Government has no place in demanding what an American must do for their personal health and certainly as a condition of employment.

For Texas specifically, one of our hospitals lost over 150 workers due to

the Federal vaccine mandate. This decision has deepened the staffing shortages back home, especially in rural areas, leaving all of us ill- equipped to deal with day-to-day functions.

Madam Speaker, I will conclude by saying that I stand in strong support of this rule and the underlying bills that they will allow to be debated.

Madam Speaker, I urge my fellow Members to support the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I disagree with everything the gentleman just said, except his kind remarks on me being named vice chair of the Rules Committee.

I do think it is somewhat ironic he brings up redistricting. After all, it was Democrats' gerrymandering in the State of New York that led to the court throwing out their map. As a consequence of the court map, we elected more Republicans from New York than anyone thought possible, which delivered the majority.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) to speak on the rule.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds for the purpose of response.

First off, the Speaker has been very clear that it is not negotiable. There will be no cuts to the Social Security and Medicare. But more importantly, the only person who is cutting Medicare right now is President Biden.

Ask any doctor in this country: Has your pay been cut in the last 4 years? And they will answer resoundingly in the affirmative.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie), to speak on this rule, another new member of the House Committee on Rules.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) to speak on the rule.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. McCormick), a new Member elected last November, to speak on the rule.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

In preparing for this debate today on the rule, I reflected on the iconic photograph of the sailor kissing his girlfriend on the streets of New York at the end of the Second World War. Think about that for a moment.

My parents were married in 1946. My wife's parents were married in 1945. The end of the Second World War, the optimism of that couple on the streets of New York, then gave rise to basically my generation, the baby boom generation.

I was thinking back to about a year ago when there was a video making the rounds on the internet of an elementary school class where the teacher said masks are no longer required and the unbridled joy of those young students as they ripped off their masks, never to have to put them on again.

We are standing on the precipice of just such a moment today, and this truly is a historic moment. It is one that the American people should look back on and say this was the time. This is the time for optimism and to, without fear, embrace the future because

we know the good things of which our country is capable.

Now, I do need to thank some of our fellow Members; specifically, the chairwoman of my committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairwoman Rodgers, Chairman Sam Graves of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Chairman Comer of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for their hard work in delivering for the American people by bringing these bills to the floor and helping ensure that commitment to America and the future.

The Republican majority has again demonstrated that our governing agenda will be devoted to improving the lives of our Nation's citizens. Our governing majority will continue to focus on the issues that matter most to our people: combating the rising energy costs, sky-high inflation, rampant crime, our porous southern border, and the fentanyl crisis.

These are the issues that the American voters rightfully demand that their Representatives address. The Republican majority is committed to solving the crises that the previous Democratic majority has inflicted on our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and exemplary public service of Assistant Police Chief Jay Powell of the Lewisville, Texas Police Department. Chief Powell passed away unexpectedly from cardiac arrest on January 6, 2023, at the age of 52.

A life-long resident of Denton, Texas, Powell graduated from Denton High School and earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Accounting from the University of North Texas, graduating in 1993. Powell began his 29-year career with the Lewisville Police Department in 1994, starting as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain. He was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2014. His previous assignments included Field Training Officer, Hostage Negotiator, Recognition Program Manager, and SWAT Team Member.

Powell was also a graduate of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration's ``School of Police Supervision'' and ``Management College'' as well as a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's ``National Academy'' in 2016. As Assistant Police Chief, he competently oversaw the Support Bureau, supervising officers in Training, Traffic, Personnel, Criminal Investigations, Special Operations, Communications, SWAT, Warrants, Narcotics, and Budget Resources.

Assistant Chief Powell will truly be missed, and I extend the House's profound condolences to his wife Rhonda, his parents Pat and Becky Powell, as well as to his fellow officers and colleagues in the Lewisville Police Department. He was a consummate law enforcement professional and fostered crucial community relationships. I am proud and grateful to have had someone with the character and servant heart of Chief Jay Powell serving the City of Lewisville and the North Texas community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding.

I want to speak in support of Protecting America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act.

Mr. Speaker, the Republican majority is wasting no time in making good on our commitment to the American people to reverse this reckless agenda that the Biden administration has followed.

Republicans understand that energy policy is foundational to a thriving and dynamic national economy, and for too long, we have watched as Democrats' energy policy was kind of an experiment for their radical agenda. Unfortunately, they hurt the American people in the process.

Interestingly, in July 2020, Senator Cornyn and I had a bill to allow filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve while prices were at historic lows. It was blocked by the Democrats. They wouldn't even consider it.

Today, we have an opportunity to protect America's resource and refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve so it can be used as it was originally intended, to protect our people at times of crisis.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say at the outset, Mr. Cole has probably had the hardest job in Washington the past 4 years. Being the ranking member of the Rules Committee is a difficult position. He has done it extremely well, so I know he is going to excel as the chairman of the Rules Committee during this term of Congress.

Clearly, Mr. Speaker, the American public spoke with a clear voice. They want the Nation to go in a new direction. They want a path away from tax-and-spend politics advanced by the Democrats in the last Congress. In this rules package, we have laid out how we intend to accomplish just that.

The era of legislating for the few at the expense of the many is over. This new majority today begins this serious task in ways that will make this Congress more transparent, more accountable, and more accessible to the public and the Members that serve the institution.

This majority will implement voting procedures on the floor so that recorded votes can be conducted in a straightforward manner, rather than what we have seen over the past 3 years that literally strands Members of Congress on the floor for hours when they cannot do any other work in their committee or anywhere else.

Mr. Speaker, I believe our friends in the previous Congress squandered their opportunity by focusing on the politics of division instead of what we were all sent here to do, and that is the people's business.

Tackle inflation, tackle lawlessness, the threats abroad--these are the urgent issues that the American public demands that their Representatives address. Instead, Americans were treated to the petty and divisive agenda of the last Congress.

Thankfully, Mr. Speaker, Republicans will utilize this majority. Republicans have proposed an agenda that will address these vital issues and put our Nation back on track to fiscal prosperity.

With this Republican majority, we offer Americans a governing agenda that will ensure that the 21st century remains an American century.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ron Marchant, a public servant now retiring after 34 honorable years of service. Marchant's career exemplifies the best of North Texas and the heart of determination which binds all Texans. Prior to his time as an elected official, Marchant received a degree in Religious Education from Southern Nazarene University which he used to pursue a career in marketing and teaching as well as endeavors in art and music. The community of Carrollton recognized Marchant's leadership and skill by electing him to the City Council of Carrollton from 1987 to 1992. In 1993, Marchant was elected as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 6 of Denton County, where he served until 2006.

Throughout those 13 years, Marchant dedicated himself to learning the problems which impacted the daily lives of the people of Denton County. He applied these years of experience to his career when he began as Precinct 2 Commissioner in Denton County in 2007. In this role, Marchant walked alongside citizens of North Texas for 16 years and assisted with many projects which transformed their lives. Marchant has successfully protected the liberties of Denton residents by maintaining low property taxes. He also dedicated himself to the expansion of mental health services and crucial resources which offer the people of Denton County food and housing. He provided comfort in times of turmoil by helping open vaccination clinics at Texas Motor Speedway which would administer over 300,000 individuals their COVID-19 vaccines. Marchant deeply values his experience in organizing the employee wellness clinic which facilitates affordable services for employees and retirees and decreases their risk of long-term illness. Marchant also served on many boards and committees, including the Metrocrest Hospital Authority, the Denton County Environmental Task Force, and the Denton County Health Advisory Board.

In both his career and personal life, Marchant has dedicated himself to future generations of Texans. Starting in 2004, Merchant acted as the Carrollton Christian Academy Mock Trial coach, instructing students, and providing them access to his detailed knowledge of trial procedures and preparing them for success. He also prioritizes his time with his children and grandchildren and plans to continue his advocacy for Denton County in the interest of creating a strong and thriving community for the next generation. Marchant's advocacy for the people of Denton County has had a profound impact on the entire region and improved the quality of life for countless individuals in North Texas. I thank Ron Marchant for his years of public service and excellence in the role of Commissioner. I, along with the rest of North Texas, wish to follow his example and cultivate his legacy of selflessness and competence. I congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I will yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to speak on the bill included within this rule, Senate amendment to H.R. 3404, the Respect for Marriage Act.

Mr. Speaker, as you well know, this bill previously came before the House. Unfortunately, at the time, the legislation was a byproduct of a very truncated process, having received no committee markup and being parachuted from the Speaker's office straight to the floor.

In response to the rushed House process, the Senate actually undertook a more comprehensive amendment process on the floor, giving Senators the opportunity to amend the legislation, something we did not have the opportunity to do. I am encouraged that the amended version from the Senate has tried to address some of the religious liberty concerns that myself and other Members have highlighted.

Even though I can report that this bill is much improved from its original form, there are still problems with this legislation and its possible implications for religious institutions and matters of conscience.

It is regrettable that certain amendments that would safeguard religious liberty, such as Senator Lee's and Congressman Roy's amendments prohibiting the government from removing a nonprofit organization's tax-exempt status based on religious beliefs, those were all blocked.

Had those additional amendments received a fair hearing and as a result been adopted, we could have made significant progress toward addressing the very serious and legitimate concerns about the consequences of this legislation and its potential curtailment of a fundamental American right.

Today's bill, while a better product than before, should have been better, and it is regrettable that we are at this point and this is the case.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), a colleague and certainly a well-spoken member of the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Speaker, if I could, I would inquire as to whether or not the gentlewoman has additional speakers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), a former chairman of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, if the gentlewoman is prepared to close.

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

In closing, I would note that today's rule is, in fact, the product of a very rushed legislative process. The bill should have been subject to regular order so that it could be improved to address religious liberty concerns noted by my fellow Members.

The very fact that we have had this discussion here on the floor to me indicates that there is some ambiguity. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) and Chairman Sessions for coming and raising the argument.

Section 6 of this bill provides protection of religious liberty, but only if you are religious enough. If you are a church, you are protected. If you are an individual or a school, you may not be, and you may be subject to that private right of action.

What we are voting on today is emblematic of how this one-party Democratic rule has been enforced in Washington, D.C., over the past 2 years. I am discouraged to see the majority is still focused on passing partisan messaging bills which will not address the problems they purportedly claim to want to solve.

This week, we are considering partisan bills instead of focusing our efforts on things like funding the Federal Government, maybe even the authorization for the Nation's defense, one of the requirements under the Constitution that we fulfill.

Unfortunately, tonight, this is a continuation of a discouraging and regrettable trend that I hope will be revisited by a new Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, he so quite correctly outlined some of the difficulties facing Congress as we get to this end-of-the-year crunch of legislation that has to pass before the end of the year.

There is no place where this is more pronounced than for our Nation's doctors. The very people that we asked to get us through the pandemic, the very people that we have asked to take care of us. And now we arrive at the end of this Congress, and we say: Thank you for your service, here is your pay cut. And they go: Wait, what? A paycheck.

The Surgeon General came to the Doctors Caucus earlier this year and said he is concerned. He goes around and talks to doctors all over the country, he is concerned about the level of burnout that he is seeing in the Nation's physicians. He said he has never seen this before.

It really should not be a surprise. You work doctors and nurses day and night during the pandemic, and then

you turn around and say, You know what, we don't value what you do. The evidence for that is right as we barrel into the end of the year, there are significant cuts to the physician fee schedule, sequesters, paygo, budget neutrality requirements that in aggregate spell about an 8 to 9 percent reduction in payments for physicians.

For years, I fought to repeal the sustainable growth rate formula. The sustainable growth rate formula was repealed in 2015. I thought, hallelujah, we won't spend every December having to worry about how to make our doctors whole because the formula has gone away.

But now through administrative actions and through budgetary requirements, doctors are facing these pay cuts. So here we are in another December trying to scramble together a doc fix so our doctors can remain in practice.

But what makes this year so different and what makes this year so devastating to the Nation's doctors is on top of the 8 to 9 percent cuts in Medicare, they are facing 8 to 9 percent inflation. Nowhere else in the Federal Government could you say, Hey, we are going to hold you at level funding and not take into account the fact that the cost of living adjustment--it would be a pay cut anywhere else.

Well, I will tell you this, it is a pay cut in your doctor's office, and they are feeling it. The aggregate weight of these pay cuts is going to be such that we will drive doctors out of practice. I hear from docs all the time that they are going to have to close up shop.

What does that mean? It means further consolidation within the healthcare industry. It means further hospital zoning physician practices, private equity-only physician practices because we just can't keep up with what the government is doing to us.

Now, there is a chance that something will happen before the end of this year and stop these cuts before they are administered. But I will tell you this, in the new Congress--in the next Congress--it is my intention that we have to be very serious about tackling this problem in our authorizing committees.

Madam Speaker, I am on the Committee of Energy and Commerce, I expect that very early in the year we will be intentional about fixing this problem because we can't find ourselves here in December of another year where our docs are saying, We are at the end of our ropes, and we just can't take it anymore.

This is a serious problem; it needs to be fixed. President Biden would talk about, Hey, Republicans, they are going to cut your Social Security and Medicare.

Well, Mr. President, you know who is cutting Medicare right now?

You are. It is your agency, and you won't stop it. Next Congress, Republicans will.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Scott Tarwater, a man whose life was marked by excellence and deep influence within his community. Over the years, Tarwater developed a profound reverence for the state of Texas and committed his life to encouraging the growth of North Texas whilst preserving its storied past. During his childhood, Tarwater watched the land around him transform as the Army Corps of Engineers began the development of Lake Grapevine along his family farm property. Tarwater and his wife, Donna, were married on the third step of the family's historic farmhouse, which showcases not only the union of two individuals as one married couple, but the union of reverence for the past and hope for the future which defined Tarwater's life. He watched and participated as a young man alongside his family as they partnered with Peter Paul Stewart, a landman who developed the treasured family farm into Lakeside Village. The Tarwater family farm now also serves as the grounds for Lakeside Tower, which has facilitated travel and business to the Flower Mound community. In March 2020, the Tarwater farmhouse was transported from Flower Mound to Grapevine, to make room for the influential Lakeside Village and to be enshrined forever as a historical landmark and testament to the Tarwater's investment in North Texas. Mr. Tarwater's professional life began with picking tomatoes on the farm and as he furthered his career, he kept his family's joy of continually serving their community close at heart. Following his graduation from Stephen F. Austin State University, Tarwater pursued a series of remarkable business successes in the hospitality industry. He worked as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 1982 to 1985 at American International Rent a Car, Inc., managing global accounts and developing his skills as a salesman of international renown. In the following years he became Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Windsor Hospitality Group, dedicating 10 years of his life to the company between 1990 and 2000. Tarwater spent the largest portion of his career with John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. Hammons Hotels & Resorts was considered at one point to be the largest private owner and hotel management company in the U.S., due to John Hammons' skill as well as his foresight in selecting Scott Tarwater to work as his close associate and business partner. Tarwater spent the final part of his career as Executive Vice President of Development Services with New Stream Capital. In his collective professional life, Tarwater managed the sales and marketing efforts of over 101 upscale hotels over the course of 15 years with both Windsor Hospitality and Hammons Hotels & Resorts. Throughout this great international success, Tarwater also kept Grapevine and Flower Mound in mind. In his work at New Stream Capital and Hammons Hotels,

Tarwater established the first hotel in Flower Mound, the Flower Mound Courtyard River Walk, and Grapevine's Embassy Suites Hotel. Though Tarwater lived a life of travel and adventure, he never lost sight of North Texas and its rich history. Tarwater embodies the best of Texas as a trailblazer and dedicated family man. Acquaintances and coworkers of Tarwater alike have appreciated his sincere friendship and the joy with which he approached life and work. Scott Tarwater has fundamentally propelled Grapevine and Flower Mound into a force on the world stage and preserved its historical integrity for years to come. I am honored to recognize the life of Scott Tarwater and his exemplary service to North Texas. I thank Mr. Tarwater for his excellence and dedication to the community we all hold so dear. I offer my condolences to the Tarwater family and Scott's loved ones and hold his example close to my heart.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the United Way of Tarrant County as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. In 1922, the Fort Worth Community Chest was created when a group of local leaders came together to merge the fundraising efforts from a variety of different charity organizations. These community leaders recognized that working together, united-as-one, was a superior strategy as opposed to competing against each other for charitable resources. This early non-profit organization was the forerunner of today's United Way of Tarrant County.

From its inception, the new organization focused on key initiatives to not only identify problems faced by Tarrant County residents, but to also address the reasons the problems exist in the first place. They have forged crucial partnerships with key community stakeholders. Engaging local governments, fellow non-profits, corporations, and small businesses to collectively combat county-wide challenges pertaining to education, financial stability, and community health. Continuing its growth and assistance to communities, the organization hit a major milestone in 1973, when it became officially known as the ``United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County''.

The United Way of Tarrant County continues to empower residents, donors, volunteers, businesses, and other groups who provide crucial support to enable the organization to fulfill its mission to improve the overall quality of life for those in need. Through building trust and relationships with the community, the United Way has always encouraged residents to unite together in order to further worthwhile change and build stronger communities.

I would like to express my admiration and well wishes as this worthwhile humanitarian organization celebrates its centennial. The United Way of Tarrant County is holding its celebratory ``Get United Day'' event on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas in honor of the 100th anniversary of its founding. The United Way has had a tremendously positive impact on the well-being of Tarrant County's citizens and will undoubtedly do so for decades to come.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on and urge defeat of the previous question so that we can immediately take up H.R. 6184, the HALT Fentanyl Act.

Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis on our southern border greater than we have ever seen due to the policies put in place by the Biden administration. Almost 2\1/2\ million migrants have crossed our southern border in fiscal year 2022. In 2021 alone, border officials encountered nearly 2 million illegal immigrants and seized over 11,000 pounds of fentanyl. This is a public health crisis that demands immediate attention.

H.R. 6184, the HALT Fentanyl Act, places fentanyl-related analogues into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and establishes a new registration process for schedule I research funding by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The move to permanently schedule fentanyl as schedule I is a necessary tool for the Drug Enforcement Administration to work with other agencies and law enforcement officials to address the threat of illicit fentanyl.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for Americans 18 to 45, surpassing suicide, COVID-19, and car accidents.

Mr. Speaker, we have all heard stories about how drug dealers are using social media and apps, like Snapchat, to infiltrate chats with teens or young kids and sell them these illicit drugs. We have no idea what they are selling and whether or not the drug is laced with fentanyl.

Two Congresses ago, the Energy and Commerce Committee worked hard on the SUPPORT Act to deal with what at the time was called an opiate crisis, but we have moved on from that, and now we have a fentanyl crisis.

This is a different disease. It demands attention at the southern border, it demands attention to the analogues being shipped to Mexico from China, and it demands that our Drug Enforcement Administration have the tools it needs to interrupt this deadly epidemic of drug overdose deaths. One death is too many, and we need to equip our communities to address this issue from the source.

If it has changed so much in 4 years, imagine what it will look like in 10 years if nothing is done now. I urge Members to defeat the previous question so we can immediately take up this important bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man whose philanthropy and dedication to the Washington, D.C. community is an admirable example of a life of service.

On October 3, 2022, Mr. Landon Victor Butler will be honored by the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) with the company's 2022 Sidney Harman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts, recognizing his exceptional support for the theater--and Washington, D.C. at large--over the past four decades. One of the nation's leading arts organizations, the Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company is synonymous with dramatic excellence and devoted to making classical theater more accessible, both on a local and national level. Mr. Butler has played a dedicated and pivotal role in achieving their goals, as well as the goals of many other honorable efforts, by utilizing his many years of public service to collaborate with business, government, and arts organizations for the betterment of his city, his region, and his country.

Mr. Butler has served on STC's Board of Trustees since 1997, serving a decade as Chairman. During his tenure as Chair, Mr. Butler helped oversee the planning, construction, and opening of the theater's state- of-the-art Sidney Harman Hall in 2007. He also spearheaded the creation of District Shakespeare, an ambitious arts education program that invites every Washington, D.C. public high school student to experience at least one live classical theater performance before graduation.

A native of Memphis, TN and an Officer in the US Marine Corps who proudly served his country for three years during the Vietnam War, Mr. Butler started his career building affordable housing in the Atlanta area in the early 1970's. During this time, he became centrally involved in Governor Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign, and he has been an active part of the D.C. community since arriving here for the inauguration of President Carter in 1977. As President Carter's Deputy Chief of Staff, he facilitated communications across a broad array of Administration-wide task forces that were formed to support Carter- Mondale initiatives, playing lead roles in the Panama Canal Treaty and SALT II ratification efforts. In 1981, Mr. Butler co-founded the Multi- Employer Property Trust, one of the nation's largest commercial real estate commingled funds, serving U.S., Canadian and European pension plans. He was also a founder of the first private venture capital fund in eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and he served as President of the investor relations firm Landon Butler and Company until his retirement in 2010.

A proud graduate of Washington & Lee University and Harvard Business School, Mr. Butler has spent a lifetime in service to his community, admirably leveraging his strengths in business, government, and non- profit organizations to improve countless facets of life in the Washington, D.C. region and beyond. In addition to his tireless dedication to the Shakespeare Theatre Company and arts education, Mr. Butler has also devoted his time and attention to many other philanthropic efforts, most notably as a founder of Integrity Initiatives International (the leading advocate for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court) and as a director on the Board of the Piedmont Journalism Foundation (a Virginia non-profit organization, with the mission of providing nonpartisan in-depth news coverage of important local issues).

An avid western horseman with multiple Quarter Horse Competition ribbons and buckles to his name, Mr. Butler is also a faithful conservationist, with over 20 years commitment to protecting ranching lands and traditions in West Texas alone. In partnership with Texas' legendary horseman and rancher Mr. Buster Welch, Mr. Butler and two lifelong friends, Mr. Henry Turley and Mr. Meredith McCullar, worked together to protect 25,000 acres of prime West Texas cow country called the Double Mountain River Ranch, near Rotan, TX. Their shared love of land stewardship enabled Mr. Welch to further practice his celebrated reverence for and expertise in time-honored and proven ranching traditions. Mr. Welch, who is in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Riders Hall of Fame, NCHA Members Hall of Fame and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Hall of Fame, and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, was a four-time NCHA World Champion and won the NCHA Futurity a record five times. In July of this year, Mr. Butler, Mr. Turley, and Mr. McCullar established the Texas Tech University ``Buster and Sheila Welch Excellence in Conservation of Natural Resources Scholarship Endowment,'' in memory of the legendary Texas horseman and his wife.

Long before he discovered the beauty of Texas horse country, Mr. Butler was instrumental in protecting the treasured Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia, working with a team of dedicated preservationists to facilitate the creation of the Cumberland Island National Seashore in the early 1970s. This effort not only protected the island's pristine land and historic landmarks from encroaching development, but also created public access to its beauty. More recently, Mr. Butler has dedicated his energy to land conservation in Virginia horse country, working to celebrate and preserve the area's land, arts, and other traditions as a tireless leader in various community initiatives and organizations, including the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, VA.

At the gala honoring Mr. Butler's contribution to the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Philanthropy in the Arts, he will be joined by his proud family, including his wife of 32 years Carol, and his four children: Margaret (Marcy) Butler (husband Ryan Compton), Jamie Butler (wife Carolyn Kleiner Butler), Headley Butler (wife Noa Gimelli), and Sarah Stettinius (husband Ted Stettinius).

Madam Speaker, Mr. Butler has shown unwavering leadership throughout his life in dedication to his country and numerous philanthropic endeavors, and his service to his country is a testament to his character and generosity. Landon Butler's consistent and tireless commitment to his community and his values embodies the very spirit of service and today I ask that we celebrate this fine citizen of our country. I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his contributions to the betterment of his fellow citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere appreciation to the staff of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. My Washington and district staff joined me there recently to take a highly informative tour.

The August work period afforded my staff and I the opportunity to meet together in Texas. As a part of the two-day meeting, we took the time to meet with the hospitable staff at The Sixth Floor Museum. From our first meeting inquiry, Ms. Nicola Longford--Chief Executive Officer, graciously welcomed us to visit the museum. Other museum staff who were instrumental in arranging our visit were: Mr. Tim Case-- Director of Operations and Special Initiatives, Mr. Steve Warden-- Operations Manager, and Mr. David Ontiveros--Assistant Operations Manager.

We were fortunate to be greeted by Ms. Kimberly Camuel Bryan--Chief Philanthropy Officer, and to have our tour personally conducted by Mr. Stephen Fagin--Curator. The Sixth Floor Museum is located in the former Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas. On the morning of November 22, 1963, Texas School Book Depository employee Lee Harvey Oswald, retrieved a rifle from a cached hiding spot, and took a position in the corner of a sixth floor window overlooking the publicly pre-announced motorcade route for President John F. Kennedy through downtown Dallas. As the Presidential motorcade slowly turned from Houston Street onto Elm Street, the crowds gathered below started excitedly waving and greeting President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Oswald is presumed to have opened fire on the automobiles below. Bullets struck and killed President Kennedy and wounded Texas Governor John Connally as the cars traveled through Dealey Plaza.

The Sixth Floor Museum reimagines that tragic event forever fatefully ingrained in the hearts and minds of the citizens and leaders of Dallas. During our tour, Mr. Fagin pointed out the photographs, film clips, artifacts, scale models and displays that document the assassination and thoughtfully examine its continued impact on the American people and its place in our Nation's history. The museum chronicles the life and significant contributions of President Kennedy and his administration's legacy.

I am grateful for the hospitality of The Sixth Floor Museum staff and especially appreciative of the time and authoritative expertise Mr. Fagin shared with me and my staff. I would encourage everyone who has the opportunity to visit this historic venue.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Emma Lynn Thomson. I had the pleasure of getting to know Emma when she served as my communications director.

Emma was a rising star on Capitol Hill and had an exceptional work ethic. She was a salt of the earth person who cared deeply for those around her. Because of her constant search for new ways to connect with constituents, North Texans, Pennsylvanians, and Hoosiers are fortunate to have benefited from her heart for public service.

She hailed from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Her sister, Molly, put it best at her memorial service. Emma's priorities were God first, family and friends second, and then her blooming career. Her love for her Savior was reflected in how she cared for others. She never missed an opportunity to join family occasions, big or small. Emma was an active member at Capitol Hill Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school, led Bible studies, and was the Deaconess for weddings.

Emma not only poured her life into her community, but also her country. After graduating from Bishop McCort High School, she attended and graduated from George Washington University. Her political career started as a press assistant for Senator Marco Rubio's Presidential campaign. Before coming to Capitol Hill to serve as communications director for three Members of Congress, she served as the digital communications assistant for the Democracy Fund.

Emma loved our country, and her loss will never be replaced on Capitol Hill. My thoughts have remained with her parents, Linda and David, her sister, Molly, and all who treasured her. Her life is one taken far too early.