H. Griffith

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 672 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and work of Southwest Virginia racing icon Larry McClure, who passed away on June 25 at the age of 81. On March 21, 1944, Mr. McClure was born in the Harmon, Virginia, community, located in Buchanan County. After moving to Chilhowie in Smyth County during his childhood, Mr. McClure began to develop a passion for automobiles and racing. His years-long interest in cars eventually culminated in the co- founding of McClure Motor Sales. Along with his brother Ed, the McClures started the automobile business with great spirits and motivation. In 1980, Mr. McClure helped lead an effort with Tim Morgan to open Morgan McClure Chevrolet in Coeburn, Virginia. Later in 1983, Mr. McClure joined forces with his brothers and Mr. Morgan in the founding of legendary auto racing team Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Many long-time residents of Southwest Virginia remember the era of dominance under Mr. McClure's leadership in the 1990s. Morgan-McClure Motorsports secured its very first win close to home, at none other than the Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite legendary driver Dale Earnhardt leading the pack for a majority of the Busch 500, Morgan-McClure racer Ernie Irvan pulled ahead for the win. Following this 1990 victory, Morgan-McClure Motorsports continued to win. The next year, Morgan-McClure Motorsports won NASCAR's ``Crown Jewel'' by finishing in first place at the Daytona 500 and beating some of NASCAR's finest. Most notably, Morgan-McClure Motorsports took home back-to-back Daytona 500 titles in 1994 and 1995, cementing the team as a powerhouse in the sport. Between 1990 and 1998, Morgan-McClure Motorsports won 14 races at the NASCAR cup level. Mr. McClure favored drivers that were not afraid to take risks and captivated audiences with the famous No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet. Despite most teams being based around Charlotte, Mr. McClure was proud of his roots in Virginia and found great joy in running his team out of Washington County. While many associate Mr. McClure with racing excellence, others remember Mr. McClure for his compassion and humility. In 2004, fellow Virginian and opposing driver Hermie Sadler's only engine gave out at Chicagoland. Without hesitation, Mr. McClure gave Sadler a spare engine. Sterling Martin, who spent multiple years driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports and won the 1994 and 1995 Daytona 500 events, attributed his racing success to Mr. McClure. After McClure's passing, Martin shared how much Mr. McClure meant to him. He described McClure as ``innovative, smart and a hell of a guy.'' Mr. McClure is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Ginny; brothers Ed (Lee), Teddy (Sarah), Jerry (Sue), and Gerald (Ruth), all of Abingdon; Jim of Chevy Chase, Maryland; and Michael of Florida; sister Betsy (Roy) of Las Vegas; sister-in-law Wilma; along with many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and special friends. He also leaves behind his cherished fur baby, Prissy. Today, we recognize Mr. McClure's impact on NASCAR and his influence in Southwest Virginia. As a lifelong native of the region, we will forever celebrate the accolades and feats of a NASCAR legend from Southwest Virginia.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the exceptional dedication and service of Sheriff Charles Foster of Wythe County, Virginia, who retired on August 1 after a 38-year career in law enforcement. Through nearly four decades, Sheriff Foster has served Wythe County Sheriff's Office with the integrity and devotion of a true public servant. Hired at the age of 18 as a dispatcher, Sheriff Foster developed strong ties to those he worked with early in his career and earned high marks from his community. After more than 30 years serving the Sheriff's Office, Mr. Foster ran for Wythe County Sheriff in 2021. Given community support of his law enforcement experience and credentials, it was no surprise that he won the election, unopposed. In 2023, Wythe County reaffirmed their trust in Sheriff Foster by re- electing him Sheriff. For the past four years in the role, Sheriff Foster led his department with humility, professionalism, and a profound sense of duty to his community. My office appreciated working with Sheriff Foster during his tenure. Thanks to his help and the Wythe County Sheriff's Office, they provide a room for my staff to hold traveling staff office hours and provide services to constituents. Southwest Virginia communities are served and represented by dedicated law enforcement professionals like Sheriff Foster. Aspiring officers and fellow law enforcement groups should be inspired by his legacy, defined by a deep personal calling to protect and serve. As Sheriff Foster begins this next chapter, we offer him our heartfelt thanks for his decades of service and his unwavering protection of his fellow Southwest Virginians.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I offer these remarks in honor of Mr. Durward W. Owen, a beloved member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and a giant in the interfraternal world, who passed away on Easter Sunday April 20th at the age of 94. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Mr. Owen was born on August 30, 1930. His roots in the Roanoke Valley and love for that part of Virginia remained for years, no matter where he and his family lived. As a young, promising talent in baseball, Mr. Owen received a scholarship to play catcher at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia where he was initiated into the Xi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Through Mr. Owen's time at Roanoke College, he grew as a young adult and matured. Around this time in 1952, he married the love of his life, Hazel Claudine ``Connie'' Manning. He also served his country in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. Following his military service, Mr. Owen returned to Roanoke College to finish his studies before graduating in 1955. An integral part of Mr. Owen's college life and later his adult life was the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. The organization helped shape Mr. Owen and provided him and opportunity to foster lifelong friendship and a commitment consistent with the mission, vision and values of the Fraternity. Shortly after his graduation from Roanoke College, Mr. Owen was recruited to begin his career with the organization, working first in South Carolina before relocating to North Carolina. His service to Pi Kappa Phi included his role as National Executive Secretary, later renamed Executive Director. In a span of 35 years, Mr. Owen's disciplined leadership and unique vision resulted in the Fraternity's growth from 46 chapters to 136 chapters nationally and led to Pi Kappa Phi being recognized among the country's most important Greek organizations. Other significant accomplishments and pursuits of Mr. Owen included the creation of a national philanthropic organization, PUSH, Inc., for Pi Kappa Phi. PUSH, now known as the Ability Experience, which strives to instill a passion for lifelong service in fraternity members while helping to empower people living with disabilities. Mr. Owen also developed the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation, an educational foundation of the fraternity and provides funding for the educational and leadership programs of the Greater Fraternity. Thanks to Mr. Owen's exceptional work, Pi Kappa Phi's direction has positively impacted the lives of more than 160,000 young men. I know this, because I myself am a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. I was invited to membership in 2013, well after my undergraduate experience at Emory & Henry College. The invitation to membership came from Roanoke-area friends who were active alumni in the Fraternity's chapter at Roanoke College. I am thankful for the opportunity to become a member of Pi Kappa Phi and to witness the important role the organization has in creating an uncommon and lifelong brotherhood that develops leaders and encourages service to others for the betterment of our communities. I, along with all members of Pi Kappa Phi, owe Mr. Owen a debt of gratitude for his help in making shaping this organization that has impacted me and thousands of other men. Roanoke College later recognized Mr. Owen for his outstanding qualities of integrity, leadership and citizenship that Maroons hold dear. In 2020, Roanoke awarded Mr. Owen its highest honor for alumni, the Roanoke College Medal. A scholarship was also created in Mr. Owen's honor to recognize an exemplary Roanoke College student and Fraternity member who has exhibited superior leadership skills. Durward is survived by three children--Melissa Luer (Bill) of New Orleans, Louisiana, David Owen (Leigh Ann) of Greenville, South Carolina and Sally Jackson (Bill) of Huntersville, North Carolina. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Owen's ceaseless dedication and service to Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and to his community will be missed by many. He will be remembered by the brotherhood as a visionary, a leader and a dear friend.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional courage and service of Lieutenant Brandon Hall of Buchanan County, Virginia. On May 1st, Lieutenant Hall responded to an emergency in which a camper had filled with dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Inside the camper were two adults and a child, all unconscious. When faced with an invisible but deadly threat, Lieutenant Hall entered the camper, removed the victims, and quickly administered critical first aid. In a moment of crisis, Lieutenant Hall was among the first to arrive, and when faced with danger, he did not pause. Lieutenant Hall's bravery and quick thinking saved these lives and stand as a testament to the selfless courage of the public servants in Virginia's Ninth Congressional District. Today, we recognize Lieutenant Hall for his swift and courageous response. The strength and skill he demonstrated in a time of emergency, reflect the very best of Southwest Virginia. We thank him for his service and are deeply grateful for his dedication.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman said, this is an identical bill to the one that passed out of the House with the exception of a few technical changes the Senate made, including sticking their number on it instead of the House number. Other than that, it is essentially the same bill this House passed and, frankly, with bipartisan support. I understand the gentleman's objections related to mandatory minimum sentences, but that is a different bill and a different day. That is not what this bill is about. This bill is about making fentanyl analogues a schedule I or making all of them schedule I substances. The gentleman referenced that there is no off-ramp. I would suggest to him that the off-ramp is in the eye of the beholder. What we did in this bill, and I think it is something that everybody on the floor can be proud of, we put into this bill the capability to do extensive research by universities, the NIH, and the FDA. We created a framework to do research on the 4,800 believed analogues of fentanyl. I believe it has two advantages. One, if we find one of these analogues that has no harm and even has a positive effect for some issue, that creates your off-ramp. There is already an off-ramp in the law for drugs that show promise and have a medicinal benefit. That opens up other statutes. This one doesn't have that off-ramp, but other statutes do that would allow if somebody comes in and says, wow, look at what this does. It does good things in the X area or the Y area or whatever. This bill has the component parts to make that possible. Unlike our schedule I on marijuana, which never allowed research or realistic research and created some of the dilemmas that we have today with that substance. We fixed that with this bill. Secondly, that research component, I believe if there is any benefit in the analogues at all, it may be that one of the analogues--I am not saying it will and I think the odds are slim, but it is possible that one of the analogues will have a blocking effect on the deadly aspects of fentanyl itself, and that would be a huge positive. When my colleague says that it has nothing on dealing with the problem as far as people who have an addiction, he is right. It does not today, but that research component has great potential for the future. In the short run, we stop the Chinese from bringing the precursors to Mexico and the Mexican cartels creating new analogues and trying to get around our laws by claiming it is not really fentanyl, it is an analog. We stop those attempts by the bad guys, the illegal people trying to bring this into our country and bringing it in, unfortunately, successfully. We stop it. We stop them using that technique to get around the law. Then we leave the door open for positive future benefits, if any, in the analogues. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have helped draft this legislation. I am proud to have drafted the part on the research component. I am proud that, notwithstanding the fact that they made a few tweaks and sent back a Senate bill rather than sending back mine and Mr. Latta's original House bill, I am proud to stand here today in support of the HALT Fentanyl Act. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues in this House to vote ``yes'' and let's send it to the President's desk. Let's make this a permanent law in the United States. As Chairman Guthrie said: It is not going to solve every problem, but it makes our kids just a little bit safer. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), who I understand is the youngest Mr. Joyce in the House.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), the vice chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald).

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte).

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) who has helped lead the charge on this legislation for many years now.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, most Members in this Chamber know someone who has been affected by the drug overdose epidemic plaguing our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, there were more than 107,000 overdose deaths that occurred in the United States. These staggering numbers are due in large part to the increasing presence of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues which are approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The lethal dose of fentanyl is just 2 milligrams or about four grains of sand. A loophole that the cartels have tried to use to traffic their illicit fentanyl into our country is by changing one part of fentanyl's chemical structure to create fentanyl analogues. The cartels did this in an attempt to evade our criminal laws. Right now, fentanyl analogues are considered schedule I substances, but only because of a series of temporary scheduling orders, and that order is now set to expire on September 30 of this year. That is why the HALT Fentanyl Act, led by myself and my friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) in this House and then Senators Cassidy and Heinrich in the Senate, is critically needed. This bill aims to curb overdose deaths by permanently scheduling fentanyl analogues as schedule I substances, Mr. Speaker. This will strengthen law enforcement's ability to prosecute fentanyl traffickers and act as a deterrent. The HALT Fentanyl Act promotes research by improving the registration process so eligible individuals can conduct studies on schedule I substances with the appropriate safeguards. In the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have heard there may be as many as 4,800 analogues. My understanding is that experts at NIH and FDA and other agencies have studied roughly 30 of those 4,800 analogues. By encouraging research of schedule I substances like fentanyl analogues, we can better understand how these substances work and how we can prevent potentially harmful impacts in the future. The temporary bans, Mr. Speaker, did not deal with the research component. So without this bill, we cannot legally do the research on the analogues that may, someday, be found to have medical benefits. Because fentanyl itself has a proven medical use, it is considered a schedule II drug, but illicit derivatives of fentanyl, also called fentanyl analogues, currently have no demonstrated medical value. Let me be clear. This bill will have no impact whatsoever on a physician's ability to administer fentanyl in medical settings. The HALT Fentanyl Act deals specifically with analogues, not medicinal fentanyl. We must address this bipartisan issue immediately and not allow this temporary extension to expire in September. Once fentanyl analogues are permanently placed into schedule I, Congress will continue to build off this work to continue to address the illicit fentanyl crisis in our country. According to a 2021 GAO report, there was a 90 percent decrease in these analogues coming into our country the year they were placed temporarily into schedule I. This bill is a critical step in combating the opioid crisis in our country because China and Mexico are heavily involved in this business. China sends the precursors of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, the API, or active pharmaceutical ingredients, to the cartels in Mexico who are then making the drugs and bringing them across our borders. By making these analogues permanently schedule I, it removes the incentive to traffic these drugs into our country due to the penalties if they are caught. China has even realized the risk of analogues themselves and has permanently scheduled these analogues on their strictest schedule. Other countries have followed suit and done the same. This bill received bipartisan support on the House floor with a vote of 312-108 in February. The bill has the support of many law enforcement agencies and other entities calling for the need to pass the bill. With passage of this version of the bill, it will be sent to the President's desk. I am hopeful the President will sign this bill into law quickly so that we can continue to combat this crisis and begin research in earnest to see if there is any benefit from any of the analogues that may help people who are afflicted having been addicted by accident or on purpose to fentanyl. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support S. 331, the HALT Fentanyl Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRIFFITH. 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 materials on S. 331.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 489, I call up the bill (S. 331) to amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, June 6, marks the 81st anniversary of D-day, June 6, 1944. In my district, Bedford County, Virginia, is designated as a World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service, the only such World War II Heritage City in Virginia. Bedford County is home to the National D-day Memorial. This memorial commemorates the soldiers who courageously stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Bedford had the largest D-day loss per capita of any town in the United States, losing 20 men on Omaha Beach. Known to many as the Bedford Boys, they were amongst the first soldiers to land at Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. Their stories of heroism and sacrifice will be passed along from generation to generation. One of the men who sought to memorialize their heroic actions was Staff Sergeant Bob Slaughter. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Mr. Slaughter served in Company D, 116th Infantry Regiment. Soldiers from central, southside, and southwest Virginia served in the 116th. Mr. Slaughter and the 116th were part of the first wave on the beaches. Mr. Speaker, when you watch the opening scenes of the film ``Saving Private Ryan,'' you will see the terror and chaos the men of the 116th saw. Mr. Slaughter was one of more than 34,000 Americans who stormed the beach over the several days of the operation and faced heavy artillery from the Atlantic Wall and the Nazi war machine. Mr. Slaughter, 19 years old at the time, lived through the horrors and mass casualties of D-day. His company faced heavy shelling as his landing craft reached the beach. The incoming fire from enemy weapons persisted as he stormed the beach and bravely trekked up the dangerous terrain. Even though many from his unit were killed before leaving the beach, he was part of a small group who found a goat trail that was protected from Nazi fire. That group circled behind the enemy and took out enemy positions firing on the American soldiers below. More than 10,000 Americans lost their lives on D-day, including many of the Bedford-based soldiers of Company A. Mr. Slaughter received two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts for his service. Later in his life, however, he wanted to award and honor the countless lives who heroically fought on June 6, 1944. The memories of these soldiers had to be preserved, and that was his task. Those memories drove Mr. Slaughter to undergo a journey to honor the lives of those young men who served our country on one of the most daunting days in American history. Mr. Slaughter, along with others, including Lucille Hoback Boggess, who lost two brothers on D-day, pushed for Bedford to be the home of the National D-day Memorial. He founded the National D-day Memorial, served as its chairman for 7 years, and later wrote a memoir, ``Omaha Beach and Beyond,'' to commemorate the sacrifices of our D-day soldiers. U.S. President Bill Clinton signed legislation designating the National D-day Memorial in Bedford as the Nation's monument to D-day, and President George W. Bush dedicated the memorial in 2001. Every year, the National D-day Memorial hosts an anniversary event to pay tribute to and recognize the sacrifices of America's valiant soldiers. That would be tomorrow, and Bedford is not that far away. As a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Congressman from Virginia's Ninth District, I continue to visit the memorial and pay tribute to America's Greatest Generation. For last year's 80th anniversary event, nearly two dozen World War II veterans were present. Tomorrow's event is slated to welcome several. Tomorrow's event will also feature a special panel that discusses the legacy of Mr. Slaughter, who, unfortunately, is no longer with us. He died in 2012, and he would have turned 100 this year. Mr. Slaughter's son will participate on the panel. The tremendous success of the memorial, the patriotism that it inspires, and the stories that continue to be shared can be attributed to Staff Sergeant Bob Slaughter, Company D, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. As a resident of the Roanoke Valley, I had the honor of getting to know Mr. Slaughter. Tomorrow is about honoring 19-year-old Bob Slaughter and all the men who went to fight for freedom. What mattered was their sacrifice, strength to fight, and willingness to put their lives on the line so others could be free. What mattered was Bob Slaughter's drive to memorialize the countless sacrifices of his brothers-in-arms. To all our world war veterans, to all of the families of those who served on D-day and to Mr. Slaughter, our Nation owes them a thank you. I thank all of them for their extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of American liberty.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of a colleague and member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Delegate Barnie Day, who passed away on May 12th at the age of 72. Born in 1952, Delegate Day grew up in North Carolina. An early part of his character development came in high school when Delegate Day started a job working in an aluminum factory for $1.85 per hour. After finishing school at the University of North Carolina in 1975, Delegate Day looked for opportunities in journalism. He worked for small newspaper organizations in North Carolina and Kansas City. During this time, he developed a great journalistic acumen. Southwest Virginia soon became home to Delegate Day and his wife, Debbie. They first moved to Floyd County before settling in Patrick County. It was in Patrick County where Mr. Day blossomed as a local official and community leader. As county administrator, he strived for the best interests of Patrick County and worked to improve his community. His service to Patrick County included stints with critical institutions like the First Bank of Stuart Board of Directors, Tri-Area Health Clinic and the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The people of Patrick County appreciated and praised Mr. Day for his work on their behalf. He earned such high marks that they elected him to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1997. I served in the state legislature alongside Delegate Day during his two terms in office. He showcased incredible oratory skills and passionate advocacy for rural Virginia. Members of both parties appreciated his storytelling. Delegate Day's stories often featured ``Cornbread'', a fictional character whose endeavors served as the building blocks of Day's arguments on legislation. Given his exceptional verbal skills and mastery of the English language, one Virginia political commentator called him ``Virginia's Mark Twain.'' The legacy of Delegate Day is to be commended and celebrated by rural Virginians. His life of honorable service and love for helping others made Delegate Day an outstanding figure that future community leaders can look to as inspiration.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, point of order.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, this is supposed to be a challenge because the rule says that we waived earmarks, but the gentleman is not talking about earmarks. He is talking about process that he doesn't like. He is talking about parts of the bill that he doesn't like, but he has not mentioned any specific earmark. Even the gentleman who spoke before him, the gentleman from Massachusetts, only talked in general terms about things that were general policy, not earmarks.

Mr. GRIFFITH. I submit, Mr. Speaker, that the gentleman is not in order, giving remarks that are not pertinent.