Floor Statements

Madam President, when most people talk about the fentanyl crisis crippling our communities today, they talk the numbers. And the numbers are very powerful.

In 2022, synthetic opioids like deadly fentanyl claimed over 75,000 lives in our country. In fact, it is estimated that over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to the synthetic opioids, the most common one being fentanyl.

But today, what I really want to tell you about is one person. I want to tell you about Reilly Schrapps from Butte, MT. Reilly was born November 6, 1997. We have four children. Our youngest of four was born in 1996. This all hits way too close to home.

You see, Reilly loved his mother and his father, Tom. Incidentally, Tom was my guest at the State of the Union Address earlier this year. His stepmother, his brother, his stepsiblings, their family's two dogs, were all loved by Tom. In fact, according to those who knew him best, Reilly was an avid fisherman, he was a sportsman--so much like most Montanans--and he spent his free time enjoying the great outdoors in Montana with family and friends, floating the Big Hole, skiing Discovery, and camping Canyon Ferry.

Reilly was also an artist. He enjoyed all these things and more until July 30 of 2022, the day Reilly died taking a pill laced with fentanyl. Reilly was in Montana when this happened. He was just 24 years old.

Reilly lives on in the stories that families and friends tell about him. But that shouldn't be the case. Reilly should be alive today.

Fentanyl overdoses quickly became the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds in our country. It is a fast-acting poison--50 times more powerful than heroin, 100 times more potent than morphine. And it is taking children away from their parents and spouses away from their partners. We lost over 75,000 people just last year.

And I commend law enforcement in Montana and across our country for doing everything in their power, many times risking their own lives, to get fentanyl off our streets, but they can't do it alone. We must stop fentanyl from flooding our streets to begin with by securing our wide- open southern border.

Since President Biden took office, there have been over 5 million illegal border crossings. Montana has just over 1 million total residents. We have had over 5 million illegal border crossings since the President took office. This includes gang members, drug dealers, suspected terrorists, as well as thousands of pounds of deadly, illegal fentanyl. This is the most in our Nation's history.

You see, Mexican cartels are using chemicals that come from China sent to Mexico; and there in Mexico, they manufacture illicit fentanyl, which is pressed then into counterfeit pills, smuggled across the southern border, and sold as pills in powder form in our communities.

These cartels are terrorist organizations. We need to call and treat them as such. The cartels are taking advantage of the wide-open and lawless southern border. So many of us have spent nights on the southern border, including myself, shoulder to shoulder with those brave men and women, with Border Patrol, trying to protect our country but vastly outnumbered, because they are not only flooding the southern border with illegals but also flooding the southern border with poison, including our Montana communities.

Montana is a northern border State. But we have a southern border crisis. And the consequences of this crisis are most tragic. These are not just numbers and statistics. They are human lives--lives like Reilly's. Every single one is someone's child, somebody's parent, somebody's friend. And they are people that should still be here today.

When Tom Schrapps joined me at the State of the Union Address earlier this year, he said that even though talking about what happened to Reilly is so painful, that if he could just save one person, one family, from the pain that he has gone through, the pain would be worth it.

So I am here talking about this, urging--urging--the administration and my colleagues to secure the southern border, change the policies that once were working that this President rescinded. We need to do everything to prevent more families from feeling this pain.

The scourge of fentanyl on our communities is the single greatest threat to public safety today. When you look at the violent crime that we are seeing increasing across the State of Montana--you spend a little time; it doesn't take a lot of time--a little time with any law enforcement across the State of Montana, they will tell you it is the drugs that are causing the crime--every one of them. Fentanyl will continue to fuel the worst drug crisis in American history until we take serious action to address the open border crisis at our southern border. And there are solutions right here at our fingertips.

If this administration and my colleagues across the aisle would join us, we can crack down on these Mexican drug cartels and those who supply them with the chemicals to produce illicit fentanyl.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Trina Jo Bradley of Pondera County for her lifelong commitment to preserving and promoting Montana agriculture and her tireless advocacy for common sense grizzly bear management.

Trina Jo grew up on a ranch on the East Front of Montana's Rocky Mountains, where she received a unique, hands-on introduction to the rich fulfillment that can be earned through a life in ag. She went on to earn an associate of science degree in agri-business, was then married to her husband Peter, and finally returned to the land she's always known to raise their daughter Kadence, on the edge of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The Bradley family run Angus cattle and Quarter Horses amongst some of the most beautiful foothills featured throughout the Treasure State.

In addition to her tireless work on the ranch, Trina Jo maintains an esteemed record of service to Montana's agricultural community through various leadership roles in organizations such as the Marias River Livestock Association, Montana Cattlewomen, North Country Cattlewomen, and the Rocky Mountain Front Ranchlands Group. In 2019, Trina Jo was appointed to the State of Montana's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council to apply her firsthand accounts with these apex predators in pursuit of sensible grizzly bear conservation practices.

Much of Trina Jo's time is spent educating people on the dynamics of working and living with a grizzly bear on personal property, including the threat this species inflicts upon livestock and how families can best protect children. She has been an outspoken advocate for grizzly bear management to be returned to the State of Montana, with hopes that the species will finally be delisted in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem--NCDE--in northwest Montana.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Trina Jo Bradley for her commitment to preserving our Montana way of life through her extensive work in the agricultural sector and her leadership in the ongoing discussion surrounding grizzly bear management. Keep up the great work, Trina Jo. You make Montana proud.

Mr. President, today I have the honor of recognizing Justin Heupel of Flathead County for his dedication to his students and passion for advancing agriculture education in Montana.

Originally from Culbertson, MT, Mr. Heupel first joined FFA as a student in 1988. His passion for farming and ag took him to Montana State University where he received a degree in agricultural education-- ``Go Cats!'' He has served Montana as an educator for 27 years and has spent the last 19 years teaching at the H.E. Robinson Agricultural Education Center in Kalispell, where he also serves as a faculty adviser for FFA.

Mr. Heupel has been instrumental in improving and expanding ag education

in our great State. He served as president of the Montana Association of Agricultural Educators and advocated for the Advancing Agricultural Education in Montana program that helped create over 25 new agriculture education programs in Montana schools and provided funding to improve the quality of existing programs. Recently, Mr. Heupel received the National FFA Organization's highest degree recognizing him for his exceptional service to agricultural education.

Teachers serve an important role as they shape the minds of young Montanans and help prepare them for future careers. Montana has a rich legacy of agriculture, as it is the primary driver of our economy. There is no doubt that Mr. Heupel's passion for teaching about agriculture helped encourage young Montanans to pursue careers in this important field. In fact, nine of his former students have gone on to become agricultural education teachers themselves.

Passionate educators like Mr. Heupel help make Montana a better place and give students the tools they need to be successful. It is my honor to recognize Mr. Heupel for his devotion to shaping the next generation of Montana ag leaders and keeping Montana's rich legacy of agriculture alive. Keep up the great work; you make Montana proud.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, today I have the honor of recognizing a true Montana hero, Dr. Daniel Edelman. Dr. Edelman is a veteran of the U.S. Army who was seriously injured on a mission while deployed overseas as the noncommissioned officer in charge of security and intelligence of the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.

Despite his severe injuries, Dr. Edelman pursued and obtained bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, along with several professional certifications, allowing him to have a long and distinguished career serving his fellow Montanans.

While serving as chancellor at Montana State University Billings, Dr. Edelman championed many student causes, with a particular focus on veterans, disabilities, first-generation, underserved, and Native American students. He worked with the FBI and other agencies to provide educational opportunities for victims of human trafficking and also entered into an agreement for MSUB to partner with the University of North Texas Health Science Center to identify human remains, particularly those of murdered Native Americans. Additionally, he created a veterans success center at MSUB. Dr. Edelman helped raise the final funds for a science building and student scholarships.

Outside of his work at MSUB, Dr. Edelman volunteers by serving on the board of Horses Spirits Healing, a nonprofit that helps veterans with

Mr. President, today I have the honor of recognizing a true Montana hero, Dr. Daniel Edelman. Dr. Edelman is a veteran of the U.S. Army who was seriously injured on a mission while deployed overseas as the noncommissioned officer in charge of security and intelligence of the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, First Infantry Division. Despite his severe injuries, Dr. Edelman pursued and obtained bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, along with several professional certifications, allowing him to have a long and distinguished career serving his fellow Montanans.

While serving as chancellor at Montana State University-Billings, Dr. Edelman championed many student causes with a particular focus on veterans, disabilities, first generation, underserved, and Native American students. He worked with the FBI and other Agencies to provide educational opportunities for victims of human trafficking and also entered into an agreement for MSUB to partner with the University of North Texas Health Science Center to identify human remains, particularly those of murdered Native Americans. Additionally, he created a veteran's success center at MSUB. Dr. Edelman also helped raise the final funds for a science building and student scholarships. Outside of his work at MSUB, Dr. Edelman volunteers by serving on the board of Horses Spirits Healing, a nonprofit that helps veterans with

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing and congratulating Montana West Economic Development for its 25 years of service to the communities of northwest Montana. As a small, private nonprofit, MWED has spent the last quarter century working to attract, launch, and grow businesses.

From their launch in the late 1990s, MWED has worked to help diversify local economies and attract capital investment. Their vision has always been the long-term health of the northwest Montana economy. From maintaining and growing economic drivers such as rail and timber, to growing new businesses in the manufacturing, tech, and service sectors, their work has provided substantial support and opportunities to grow northwest Montana's economy. They have also provided loans and services to launch dozens of local small businesses and run the Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center to help local companies with the government contracting process.

I have had the pleasure of working with MWED on a number of projects including the construction of the Kalispell Bypass and the Kalispell CORE and Rail project. They believe in their community and advocate strongly for its needs. Despite facing obstacles, MWED staff always maintains a can-do attitude and works to find solutions while maintaining the trust of community leaders.

Congratulations to Montana West on their 25th anniversary. I look forward to working with them on more projects for years to come.

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Timmye Crowley of the U.S. Postal Service in Yellowstone County for her dedication to serving her fellow Montanans and a unique act of kindness that saved a man's life.

Timmye has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for more than 20 years, delivering countless letters and packages to the people of Montana. Recently, on her day off, she decided to extend a helping hand during this busy season by making additional deliveries along her normal route. As she approached a house which she knew belonged to an elderly resident, she decided to walk up to the front door to personally deliver this man's mail, in an effort to avoid the man potentially falling on the icy sidewalks, which are a common sight during Montana winters.

Upon reaching the front door, Timmye realized smoke was billowing out of the house and suspected there was a fire inside. She saw through the window that the man was asleep in a chair and promptly began pounding on the door to wake him up to ensure he would not get hurt. The man was hard of hearing, so he was unaware of the smoke detector alarms. He soon woke up and walked to the front door as Timmye called 9-1-1. First responders arrived on the scene shortly, and the man was no longer in danger.

Thanks to Timmye's efforts, a potentially fatal outcome was avoided. It is my distinct honor to recognize Timmye Crowley for her passion and willingness to go the extra mile serving the Billings community. Keep up the great work, Timmye. You make Montana proud.

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Les Gilman of Madison County for his longstanding dedication to protecting the land and people that make up Ruby Valley.

Les is a fifth generation Montana rancher in the Alder area with family roots that date back to the Gold Rush in Virginia City in 1863. The history of the Gilman family's revered land can be recounted by historical documents written and compiled by Les' father, Lowell Gilman, complete with photographs and stories of the agricultural and mining activity that took place over the years. Les and his wife, Donna, now proudly tend to their family's ranch along with other family members.

Mr. President, today, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Dr. Doug Reisig of Missoula County as Montanan of the Month for his distinguished career as an educator and for his devotion to Montana students, Montana parents, and the community.

Doug was born and raised in Montana. He earned his master's degree from the University of Montana and his Ph.D. from Montana State. Back home in Montana, Cat-Griz bipartisanship is what Doug has in his background. You see, Doug taught at Billings West High School before accepting a job at the St. Ignatius School District. It was in St. Ignatius that he met his lovely wife Mary Jo. Doug and Mary Jo have been married for almost 43 years and have raised two wonderful daughters, Megan and Callie. They are now the proud grandparents of four grandsons.

Doug has been a teacher, building administrator, and superintendent for 46 years, serving as superintendent at Hellgate Elementary for the past 34 years. Prior to his retirement, he received the G.V. Erickson Award from the School Administrators of Montana for his contribution to education in our great State.

Since Doug took over as superintendent, the school has seen a 33- percent increase in enrollment. He also oversaw the construction of the new middle school, and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, under Doug's leadership, Hellgate Elementary was a leader in delivering meals to children in need and even went the extra mile by selflessly donating his increase in salary to the Family Resource Fund. With Doug's direction and precautions in place, both Hellgate Elementary and Middle School were in session 5 days a week during the 2020 and 2021 school years.

It is my honor to recognize Dr. Doug Reisig for serving the State of Montana as an educator and for his dedication to ensuring that Montana students have a very bright future ahead.

Congratulations on your retirement, Doug. You truly make Montana proud.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Cheryl Heser of Rosebud County for her passion for education and her dedication to preserving American history as a living history presenter for Montanans across the Treasure State.

Cheryl has served her community as an educator for many years teaching high school English, Spanish, and journalism, and she managed a K-12 school library. She is also a published author and served as the director of the Rosebud County Library in Forsyth, MT, for 17 years. Cheryl earned statewide recognition for her esteemed radio program and was named the 2014 Librarian of the Year by the Montana Library Association.

Even after her retirement, Cheryl's dedication to education and passion for storytelling continues through her work as a living history presenter. Cheryl travels to Montana communities to utilize her knack for storytelling and skilled research to educate Montanans of all ages and preserve American history by portraying the lives of historical figures like Dolly Madison and Annie Oakley.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Cheryl Heser for her passion for education and her work to preserve American history. I have no doubt Cheryl's unique and captivating living history presentations have influenced Montanans of all ages. Keep up the great work, Cheryl; you make Montana proud.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be considered as one amendment, No. 5487: No. 5425, Mr. Daines; No. 5361, Ms. Ernst; No. 5360, Mrs. Fischer; No. 5224, Mr. Portman; No. 5411, Mr. Barrasso; and No. 5454, Ms. Murkowski. I further ask that there be 2 minutes of debate, equally divided, on each division prior to the vote.

Mr. President, my amendment would strike the anti-energy provisions that snuck into this bill behind closed doors.

This partisan bill before us has a slew of provisions that raises royalty rates, fees, rents, and taxes that hurt our small oil and gas producers in America the most. By the way, it is those small oil and gas producers that produce over 80 percent of our supply. I guarantee you, if there is a rebuttal, they will talk about Big Oil, but this is not Big Oil; 80 percent is from the small guys. These producers don't have the ability to absorb the large increases from the government, so if you raise prices for energy producers, you raise energy prices for Americans.

It is not that complicated. If you want lower gas prices, vote yes.

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Dr. Doug Reisig of Missoula County as Montanan of the Month for his distinguished career as an educator and for his devotion to Montana students, parents, and the community.

Doug was born and raised in the great State of Montana. He earned his master's degree from the University of Montana and his PhD from Montana State--``Go Cats!'' Doug taught at Billings West High School before accepting a job at the St. Ignatius School District. It was in St. Ignatius that he met his lovely wife, Mary Jo. Doug and Mary Jo have been married for almost 43 years and have raised two wonderful daughters, Megan and Callie. They are now the proud grandparents of four grandsons.

Doug has been a teacher, building administrator, and superintendent for 46 years, serving as the superintendent at Hellgate Elementary for the past 34 years. Prior to his retirement, he received the G.V. Erickson Award from the School Administrators of Montana for his contribution to the betterment of education in our great State.

Since Doug took over as superintendent, the school has seen a 33- percent increase in enrollment. He also oversaw the construction of the new middle school.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, under Doug's leadership, Hellgate Elementary was a leader in delivering meals to children in need, and he went the extra mile by selflessly donating his increase in salary to the Family Resource Fund. With Doug's direction and precautions in place, both Hellgate Elementary School and Middle School were in session 5 days a week during the 2020 and 2021 school years.

It is my honor to recognize Dr. Doug Reisig for serving the State of Montana as an educator and for his dedication to ensuring Montana students have a bright future ahead.

Congratulations on your retirement, Doug. You make Montana proud.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing the retirement of one of the leaders in water policy from the great State of Montana. Mr. Bill Mills is retiring after 57 years as a giant in Montana's water industry and as a respected leader nationally.

Bill retired from the Air Force in 1965 and spent the next 12 years in the pump industry, focusing on the water business. In 1977, he formed the 2M Company in Billings, MT, with a $10,000 loan from his aunt and an SBA loan. His goal was to provide ``legendary'' service and support to the water well contractors and pump installers that provide water to homes, farms, ranches, and businesses throughout Montana. From those humble beginnings, he formed a 14-branch operation that covered the Rocky Mountain States and the Pacific Northwest. Bill served on the Water System Council Board in the 1990s and was a force behind Federal investment in programs to address rural residential and agricultural water issues.

In 2006, Bill expanded his vision and focus globally by helping form Water 4 Kids, an international organization that provides permanent, safe drinking water solutions for at-risk communities. To date, Water 4 Kids International has positively impacted over 3,000,000 lives in communities in Uganda, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, and the Philippines. In 2008, Bill was recognized as Montana's Small Business Person of the Year.

In 2017, one of Bill's oldest and most trusted manufacturing partners, Franklin Electric, acquired 2M and other leading water equipment distributors around the country to form the Headwater Companies. Bill served on Headwater's board of advisers until April of this year.

Please join me in congratulating Bill on a remarkable career that has positively impacted hundreds of employees, thousands of water industry professionals and helped provide millions of people with clean, reliable sources of water around the world.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Tom Kuntz of Carbon County for his unwavering dedication to the Red Lodge community and his 30 years of public service to the people of Montana through his selfless firefighting career.

As a graduate from both the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officers Program and Ithaca College, Tom brought his skills and passion to the Treasure State when he first moved to Montana in 1992 and began what would become a distinguished career in firefighting. He now serves as the chief of the Red Lodge Fire Department and has been an active leader in responding to the fires and natural disasters that have impacted the community over the years.

Notably, Tom served as a key player in responding to the 24,000-acre Robertson Draw Fire that blazed through Carbon County in June of 2021. Roughly 1 year after the community faced the devastating wildfire, they were hit with historic flooding, which has wreaked havoc throughout the county. Referred to as ``the 500-year flood,'' the high waters have caused catastrophic damage to people's homes, properties, businesses, and public infrastructure. Tom acted swiftly, working on the frontlines to help mitigate the wreckage and help members of the Red Lodge community.

Tom and his wife Eliza also serve the community through their various restaurant and hospitality businesses which have become staples in downtown Red Lodge and attract both locals and visitors from near and far. They also raised their two daughters to be involved in public service, and they regularly help out at the family businesses.

It is my honor to recognize Tom Kuntz for his dedication to keeping the people of Red Lodge safe through a seemingly relentless series of natural disasters and for his many years of public service to the great State of Montana. Tom, thank you for all you do help our communities prosper and stay safe. You make Montana proud.