Gregory Murphy

Mr. MURPHY

Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, one of the first legislative acts of the new Republican majority. Main Street America has suffered 2 years too many of Democrats' one- party rule. Inflation continues to hover at record highs, and small businesses continue to struggle. The last thing that these small businesses can afford right now is 87,000 new IRS agents not only targeting their enterprises but targeting their livelihoods. With 11 million tax returns still awaiting IRS action, the IRS should be focusing on doing their job rather than weaponizing their agency. This isn't new. The Democrats have used the IRS and the Tax Code as a weapon before and are attempting to do it again. The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act rescinds new IRS funding intended to target middle-class families. This cannot wait. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill so our small businesses can thrive absent any fear of IRS agents knocking at their door.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to address an impending disaster that is about to face patient care in this country. Not just 2 years ago in this country, physicians were hailed as heroes for risking their lives to save others during the pandemic. Now, when other professions are being given large raises, doctors are facing double digit Medicare cuts beginning in January. As a surgeon of 30 years, I can say without a doubt that these cuts will either force practices to close or severely restrict the number of Medicare patients who will be seen. The constant attack on physicians who see Medicare patients has to stop. At present, the cost of seeing a Medicare patient exceeds its reimbursement. That is why most internal medicine practices will not see new Medicare patients. The constant threat to Medicare needs to stop. We have a growing and aging population. We need to provide some certainty to doctors and hospitals if they are going to be able to plan to take care of these Medicare patients. Madam Speaker, we cannot end this session without a Medicare fix.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Jackie Walorski MIECHV Reauthorization Act. Maternal, infant, and childhood home visiting programs support pregnant women and their young children with evidence-based approaches that improve maternal and child health outcomes for the most vulnerable. Over the last 30 years, I have taken care of many single mothers who struggled to take care of their children. Sadly, the problem is only getting worse with the explosion of fatherlessness in this country. This is a program we all wish didn't need to exist, but we are all very glad that it does. This is actually when the government gets it right. I personally have been in these homes, when I was in the State legislature, and these young women desperately need our help. Even more so, the children of these single mothers need our help. This program will help young mothers get the help that they need for their children. These are not handouts; these are hand-ups. This is what government is supposed to do. I am proud of our colleague and dear friend, the late Congresswoman Walorski, for her dedicated leadership on behalf of women and babies throughout the country. Jackie shined a bright light in this Chamber and was resolute in her love and support for American families. This bill cements her legacy and will improve the lives of millions of Americans for generations to come. I am honored to support this legislation and urge all of my colleagues to vote for the reauthorization act in honor of Jackie Walorski.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 3921, a bill originally introduced by Representative Walorski of Indiana, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 2460.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I want to say how deeply I appreciate Mr. Price's hard work over the last couple of years on S. 1098. I thank him very much for his efforts on this key and very bipartisan issue. It is clear that there is bipartisan support that victims of spousal abuse should be able to sever these consolidation loans without penalty or delay. I don't think that is the question. The question here is the change in the calculus because of what President Biden has done. While I support the intention of this bill to separate these loans, President Biden's unconstitutional, only-able-to-be-done-because-of- his-abuse-of-power student loan giveaway has drastically changed the context in which we consider this bill. The President, in his actions, has undermined what was a clear bipartisan effort. S. 1098 gives the administration the authority and creates a pathway which could be used for loan forgiveness, again taking money from people who didn't benefit from a college education and making those individuals pay for it. Once these loans are separated into the Direct Loan Program, these loans will be eligible for Biden's near-trillion-dollar student loan giveaway. Republicans made a good-faith effort to amend this legislation to protect taxpayers, but Democrats refused to close this loan forgiveness loophole. Our Republican solution, the Simplified Joint Consolidation Separation Act, will allow borrowers to separate their loans in a more timely manner to expedite financial freedom while protecting taxpayers by focusing on the administration's authority to directly aid those most in need. This targeted, commonsense legislation should garner immediate support from both sides of the aisle and will actually correct the issue that we all want solved.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives DelBene and Kelly for putting forth the timely Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to explain to the public what pre- authorization means. I am a practicing physician, so if I order a test, I recommend a surgery, it then goes into a bucket at an insurance agency, and then we play the great waiting game. The patient is no longer in the office because we have no idea how long that waiting game is. It was put in and accepted for what I believe was a good cause. But as with many government programs, or institutions, or institutions of our bureaucracy in the private sector even, it is something that has gone bad and gone terribly wrong. I may be waiting 2 or 3 or 4 weeks to speak with somebody who is not my peer. I am a surgeon. I may be speaking with a pediatrician or, even more, I might be speaking with a nurse practitioner who has no experience whatsoever in my field of study to get their approval of something that I know needs to happen. It is an absolutely antiquated system that does not work. I am going to give you a couple of examples. Approximately 10 weeks ago, I saw a prostate cancer patient. There were two avenues to go on this: Either he needed to be operated on very quickly, or the cat was out of the bag, and he needed intensive chemotherapy quickly. A week goes by, 2 weeks go by. What is that patient doing at home? He hasn't slept one wink because his entire future, his entire life, is then suspended in front of him. It took 3 weeks, 3 weeks to get the study that every urologist in the country knew was necessary to get that answer. Yet, in the meantime, that patient has lost years, just in life as far as worry. A second; one of my partners did a very complicated surgery on a patient. The patient was a bad diabetic; came in a week or two later with a wound infection. Fine, come in, get some intensive IV antibiotics. Try to get the patient out of the hospital because we know it is good to get patients out of the hospital when they don't need to be in the hospital. He needed a certain oral antibiotic that was prescribed for him. It was denied. It was denied. It was denied. A week and a half later, he shows up in my office as an emergency. I have to send him over somewhat late in the afternoon, so that means he gets on the OR schedule at 10:00, 11:00, or 2 a.m., and has to have an abscess drained. And then he is in the hospital now another 2 weeks because he didn't get that antibiotic prescribed to him when he should have because it was denied, his authorization. Mr. Speaker, I know the CBO score came in. I don't believe it. I have lived and breathed this for 30-plus years. I don't believe it. It doesn't pass the smell test. To come up at the last minute with this score, in my opinion, is erroneous and needs to be looked at again, because I look at the savings that we, as physicians, provide in knowing what is right for our patients in the moment versus some bureaucrat in an insurance company who is given the directive to deny, deny, deny, is not what we should be doing in medicine. Our medical system has become bankrupt and these pre-authorizations are part of it. So I have a hard time going along with the CBO score of $16 billion because I don't believe it. This is what is right for patients. This is decades past the time when this should have been done. I look at the doctors that I have worked with, and we are just plagued in clinic, because we know what we are going to recommend for our patients after years of study and work with patients is going to be possibly denied by someone who has no experience who has been told by insurance companies, deny, deny, and deny until they wear out the doctor and wear out the patient. So, Mr. Speaker, this is a travesty, I believe, to not pass this bill. I also do not believe the CBO score, and I think it is a great injustice for our patients to be denied care because of this antiquated pre-authorization system.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Daniel Reese Grime. Mr. Grime was born on March 31, 1930, and graduated high school in Monaca, Pennsylvania, where he lettered in football and worked at the St. Joe Minerals Corporation steel mill. Mr. Grime enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1952, where he went through basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and completed the Sea School course at Norfolk Naval Base in Portsmouth, VA. It was at Norfolk Naval Base where Mr. Grime prepared for his duty aboard the USS New Jersey. He was soon promoted to Corporal and given the task to man the 16" and 5" guns aboard the prestigious battleship BB-62. While aboard the USS New Jersey, Mr. Grime was a part of one of the most famous battleships involved in the Korean War. The USS New Jersey took part in numerous engagements providing Naval gunfire support, which played a crucial role in disrupting enemy supply lines. Mr. Grime would spend a total of six years in the Marines, including several years in the Marine Corps Reserves. Mr. Grime would go on to marry his loving wife, Janet, who he met while on leave in Washington, D.C. Together they raised four children. Mr. Grime would eventually return to work at the St. Joe Minerals Corporation steel mill and served as a volunteer fireman and as a volunteer at his local school system. He passed away on June 3, 2022, as a proud Marine and proud citizen of the United States. Madam Speaker, please join me today in remembering the life and memory of Mr. Daniel Reese Grime and all he has done for our beloved country.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this reckless bill today. I want to speak specifically to one issue, and that is medicine. As a practicing physician, I have seen miraculous curative advancements made in medicine over the last 15 years. This partisan package will destroy medical innovation and cripple independent private physicians. Up to 342 new lifesaving drugs will be prevented by this bill. We all agree that the cost of medicine is way too high in this country, but instead of attacking the real causes, we are now going to be shifting Medicare dollars away from doctors, those who actually take care of patients, and give them to insurance companies and Green New Deal policies. Some physicians will see, on average, a 40 percent reduction in reimbursement. Given the constant threats of Medicare cuts for physicians, who the hell would want to practice medicine or could afford to practice medicine in this country anymore? This scheme will have long-lasting negative impacts on patients, physicians, and the solvency of Medicare, and it will set a dangerous precedent for future medicine to use Medicare as a piggy bank to subsidize unrelated policies. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4040. There have been a few silver linings that we have seen in the pandemic, and definitely telehealth has been one of them. I will submit, I am personally thankful for this bill because I will say, maybe, perhaps I am the only sitting Member of Congress who, as a physician, has actually used telehealth. In my surgical practice, I see patients from 2 hours north, 2 hours south, and sometimes 5 hours east out on the eastern North Carolina coast. So many of my patients who come from rural eastern North Carolina can't even afford gas in the inflationary environment we have to even travel these distances, much less sometimes across town. While this bill is a good start, it is a very, very good start, it does not go far enough, and that is why I, with Dr. Burgess and Congresswoman Herrell, introduced a bill to permanently extend telehealth for federally qualified health centers and rural health centers. These are the medical practices that take care of our poorest and the most at-risk patients. These individuals need to be able to access telehealth because they have to travel long distances and don't have the resources that they need to be able to access physician care. I subsequently urge my colleagues to support this initiative and urge them that we can do much more.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Major General Hugh Robert Overholt of the United States Army (Retired) for his lifelong service to our country's military, Eastern North Carolina, and our great Nation. Born in the town of Beebe, Arkansas in 1933, General Overholt attended the University of Arkansas where he earned both a bachelor's degree and a law degree. While attending law school, he served as the Comments Editor for the University of Arkansas Law Review. Following his graduation in 1957, General Overholt entered the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After his graduation from the Army's Judge Advocate General's school, General Overholt would go on to serve in various leadership roles within the United States Army including Assistant Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1985 and Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army from 1985 to 1989. General Overholt served a remarkable ten years as a General Officer, which included eight as a Major General. General Overholt used these years to increase the professionalism and the role of the Judge Advocate General's Corps through critical changes and reforms. One of the finest accomplishments in General Overholt's career was the establishment of the Masters in Military Law (LL.M.) program at the Army's Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School located at the University of Virginia. General Overholt also greatly expanded the schools' facilities, automatized the delivery of Army legal services, and published a revolutionary code of professional responsibility for members of the Army's Judge Advocate Corps. General Overholt's changes modernized the Army's legal services and exemplified his ability as an outstanding leader. General Overholt has received numerous awards in recognition of his life of service. These include the Distinguished Service Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Legion of Merit, the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Army Commendation Medal (Two Oak Leaf Clusters). Along with attending the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps Basic and Advanced Courses, General Overholt also attended Airborne School, Command and General Staff College and the National Defense University. General Overholt has served on the North Carolina Board of Transportation (BOT) since 2009 and was instrumental in creating a new 2020 Department of Transportation (DOT) law that gave the BOT more oversight authority. This new legislation also shifted designation of board members from the Governor to the General Assembly. For the first time under this new authority, Speaker of the North Carolina House Tim Moore used one of the General Assembly's three appointments for General Overholt who was first placed on the BOT by Governor Beverly Perdue and was reappointed by Governors Patrick McCrory and Roy Cooper. General Overholt is the only BOT member who has been appointed by both Republican and Democratic Governors, plus a Republican Speaker of the House. General Overholt in action means seeing good government work. Between 2009 and 2020, General Overholt was instrumental in delivering over $800 million in new road projects to Carteret, Craven, Jones, Lenoir, and Pitt Counties. Of particular importance has been his support for military related transportation projects. One of the most vital military projects is the new Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point Slocum overpass ramp. General Overholt secured over $30 million in special funding for the project as part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) efforts to support the military and reduce traffic accidents and congestions in Havelock. He also advocated for the Highway 17 Bypass through Jones County that finally connected Camp Lejeune and MCAS Cherry Point with a four-lane highway. This was decades in the making and without General Overholt's leadership, it would not have become a reality. Two other major projects General Overholt helped shepherd through to construction are the Havelock Highway 70 Bypass and the James City-New Bern Highway 70 reconstruction. Today, his focus as an at-large BOT member continues to support Craven and Carteret Counties, the State Ports, aviation, rail, and the Global TransPark as well as overall transportation-related economic development. Prior to his appointment to the BOT, General Overholt was a Governor's appointee to the North Carolina Military Affairs Advisory Commission. He also helped lead the State's 2004 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) response team where he focused on advocating for MCAS Cherry Point. General Overholt was again successful in preventing the closure of this vital base. General Overholt also serves as Chairman of the North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District Service Academy Nomination Board, where he assists in nominating high school students to attend our esteemed service academies. He continues to be a servant to the people and the impact he has made on the citizens of this great nation is truly remarkable. General Overholt and his wife, Ann, have two children, Scott and Sharon, two grandchildren, Grayson Overholt and Ashton Overholt Baker, and two great-grandchildren, Sebastian and Sawyer Baker. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the service of this great patriot and all he has done and continues to do for our great state and Nation.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8351, the Formula Act. I thank my friend from Nebraska, Mr. Adrian Smith, and Mr. Blumenauer for their leadership on this bill. With families facing record-high inflation, with record-high food and gas prices, the last thing that parents need to worry about is being able to find formula, much less being able then to afford it. H.R. 8351 ensures that families are not covering the cost of additional taxes on formula imported into the United States, and I am pleased with the relief that this bill will provide. But, unfortunately, as has been the mantra of this administration, this crisis exemplifies just another self-inflicted wound that has been the point of the Biden administration. The administration knew about the impending shortage and failed to act to avert the crisis. The incompetence of this administration has real world effects. We are talking about something that is basic sustenance for infants in this country. They need this, and this bill will help bring affordability to parents for their children. Madam Speaker, I thank, again, my colleagues and encourage their support of this legislation.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in enthusiastic support of H.R. 6411, the Support The Resiliency of Our Nation's Great Veterans Act, commonly known as the STRONG Act. I am proud that this legislation includes language from my bill, H.R. 4233, the Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act. I introduced this bill alongside Ranking Member Bost to aid veteran transition back to civilian life, especially for those looking to further their education. Far too often, we see the tragedy of our selfless defenders losing their battle to mental health issues when returning from service. The intention of our provision is to aid more of our veterans who are readjusting to civilian lives by providing them with overdue access to vital mental health resources. This is especially personal to my district, as I represent 89,000 veterans, many of whom are or will be receiving benefits via the Post- 9/11 GI Bill. Regardless of which side of the aisle we sit on, we have an obligation to make sure that our counseling services are more accessible for our veterans, and I am glad that the STRONG Act focuses on this obligation. My provision would expand counseling and mental health support to student veterans through the VA's readjustment counseling centers, also known as Vet Centers. These centers provide individual, group, marriage, and family counseling, as well as peer support opportunities for Active-Duty servicemembers, veterans, members of the National Guard and Reserve, and certain military family members. Vet Centers are community based, confidential, and free. A recent RAND study shows that 20 percent of veterans on the GI Bill face feelings of depression from PTSD. That 20 percent amounts to over 170,000 veterans, double the number of veterans in my district. Currently, the option of student veterans using school psychologists, in actuality, provides very little relief for our veterans. The director of policy and advocacy for the National Association of School Psychologists has reported that the national ratio of school psychologists to students is anywhere from 1 to 2,000 to 1 to 5,000.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. I have heard personal stories from student veterans who have had to wait weeks or even months for a mental health appointment if their mental health crisis was not deemed in need of ``immediate attention.'' Unfortunately, many of our veterans do not have the luxury of weeks or months to see a mental health provider. In addition, many of our universities' mental health counselors are actually not licensed professionals but, instead, graduate or doctoral students. Our veterans deserve better than this. They deserve the best healthcare from qualified professionals. Helping students succeed in school and their civilian lives is one of the most important ways we can thank them for their service. Tragically, the suicide rate among our veterans now is estimated to be anywhere from 17 to 22 suicides a day. Forty-six percent of military students have reported suicidal thoughts, compared with only 6 percent of their nonmilitary peers. If we can provide mental health services that are able to assist just a single veteran who is contemplating suicide to choose to live, I believe it is our sworn duty to do so. We have that opportunity now. I am proud to support the STRONG Veterans Act, and I am very grateful to Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost for including my bill, the Student Veterans Counseling Center Eligibility Act. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6411 in support of our Nation's veterans.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for allowing me to speak today. I rise in opposition to H.R. 6087. I do this as a physician where I understand that diagnosing, treating, and certifying disability claims takes an expert's opinion--not general medicine, an expert's opinion-- and physicians have exceedingly more training and experience in dealing with what are truly complex medical issues. Let's be very clear: Disability is a complex issue. It is a lifelong problem. This particular instance requires diagnosis, treatment, and evaluations continually. There is nothing wrong with the system that we have in this country. In many instances, we find that we work together well as a team. But I think our Federal workers really, in this specific avenue, deserve better, and I urge them to understand that physicians are the best ones to do this. Using the claim that there is a physician shortage should not be an excuse to lower what I believe are standards for expert care. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Bost for yielding. I rise today to advocate for H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer Schools (VETS) Credit Act. It corrects issues that veterans are having when using their GI benefits when transferring schools after a school closure. The bill also includes provisions from my bill, H.R. 6458, which eliminates the requirement to specify an effective period of a transfer of post-9/11 educational assistance to a dependent. I am grateful to Representative Vern Buchanan for attaching my bill to H.R. 6604. As Members of Congress, we realize the overall importance of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. It has been a huge success in recruiting and retaining servicemembers. Many servicemembers use the added benefit of being able to transfer their education benefits to their family members. With the cost of college education so astronomical in this era, many servicemembers are using this opportunity. Under current law servicemembers are eligible to transfer their 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility to their dependents if they have served at least 6 years and incur a service obligation to serve an additional 4 years. The nonprofit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, otherwise known as TAPS, has brought to our attention that under current practice if a servicemember accidentally puts on their GI Bill transfer form that the benefits for a child or other dependent expire on a certain date and the servicemember later dies before the benefit is used, there is no way for the record to be changed to allow a dependent to use the benefit. If the veteran were still alive, they could go back in the system and change the date at any time. TAPS has seen this happen to several family members and has asked us to look into it and try to correct the problem. When we contacted the Department of Defense to see if they could address this with an administrative fix, we were told that a legislative correction was needed, and this is why we are here today to introduce my bill. The bill, as amended, includes this change that would eliminate the requirement to specify a period of transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement to a dependent. This would prevent those entitled to post- 9/11 education benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date and therefore preventing the dependent from taking advantage of the benefit. It may seem a small detail, but for those individuals it is a very, very large benefit. I am grateful to TAPS for identifying this issue and grateful for Congressman Buchanan as well as Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost for their support. I would like to thank the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their assistance.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay a tribute to the heroic crew members of Tow Boat US Beaufort (TBUS). On February 13, 2022, TBUS was alerted to a possible downed aircraft east of Cape Lookout shoals near Drum Inlet. This aircraft was comprised of eight individuals, including four high school students. The honorable crew quickly departed towards the vicinity of the last known position of the aircraft. At this time, weather conditions were deteriorating, and seas were a rough 3 to 5 feet. The wreckage of the aircraft was found before dark, and it was clear that there were likely no possible survivors. The next morning, emergency services called TBUS seeking their assistance in locating the aircraft on the sea floor. While local first responders focused on chasing floating debris offshore, the TBUS crew investigated where the plane struck the water using sonar to locate the wreckage. By 4:00 PM on February 14, 2022, TBUS confirmed they had found the crash site and had remotely operated vehicle footage of the debris on the bottom. That night, TBUS crews would be tasked with running the dive operations, while providing divers and surface support for body recovery. The next day, February 15, 2022, TBUS had put together a dive plan and divers to try and access the aircraft. Water temperatures were around 52 degrees on the surface, the current was running approximately 3.9 knots on the bottom in 60 feet of water, and seas were rough at 3 to 5 feet, making this an extraordinarily difficult dive to achieve with limited bottom time. TBUS crews worked until the next day, when all the remains had been recovered for the families. While this was a strenuous job, the selfless heroes at TBUS thought it was a necessary mission to help the grieving families of the victims. Putting divers in during small craft conditions, 50-degree water, and heavy currents makes for very dangerous conditions that highlight the heroic actions of the TBUS crew. TBUS crew members involved were Lee Sykes, Johnathon Evans, Jay Boone, Crockett Henderson, Luis Herron and John Wilson. None of this would have been possible were it not for the selflessness and servant attitude of the aforementioned members. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring these incredible and wonderful heroes.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of SECURE Act 2.0. When our military members pledge a commitment to the United States, we promise, in return, to care for them and their families. As the proud Representative of close to 90,000 veterans in North Carolina, I am committed to supporting strong legislation that improves the lives of our veterans and their families. When servicemembers change base assignments, their spouses often relocate with them, putting their own careers at stake and on hold. The SECURE Act prioritizes military family retirements by providing a tax credit for small employers that make more benefit plans available for military spouses. Incentivizing job creators to hire and retain military spouses is an important step to strengthening military family retirement savings. I am proud of the bipartisan effort by the Ways and Means Committee to lead the charge to support our military families, who so often face many uphill challenges in attaining retirement security. We must always fight for those who have given us so much to keep our safety.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of a critical and strategic asset for Marine Corps Aviation--Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East) located in Havelock, North Carolina. Since 1943, FRC East on board Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, has played an important role in securing the national defense of our great country. Their workforce has earned a reputation for excellence in providing world-class maintenance, engineering and logistics support for Navy and Marine Corps aviation, as well as other armed services, federal agencies and foreign governments. FRC East has accomplished this vital mission while maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. The depot's Safety and Occupational Health programs have been recognized at the state and federal levels, as well as within the Department of Defense. FRC East closed out calendar year 2021 with the lowest number of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable mishaps in the command's nearly 80-year history. The depot's superior standard of safety has also earned recognition from the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP highlights employers with effective safety and health management systems that record injury and illness rates below the average for their industries. In 2019, FRC East became the first Naval Aviation command to achieve OSHA VPP Star Status. The depot is one of only 21 VPP Star recognized sites in the entire Department of the Navy. FRC East was recently chosen as one of five sites for a Department of the Navy and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study aimed at evaluating VPP's effectiveness in reducing noncombat injuries. FRC East has also been recognized by the North Carolina Department of Labor. The depot was presented with two ``Million Hour'' awards and its fourth consecutive ``Gold Award.'' Million Hour safety awards are given to organizations that accumulate one million employee hours with no injuries or illnesses involving days away from work. To meet the Gold Award standard, an organization must have had no fatalities during the award year, and also post a Day Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate at least 50 percent below the industry average. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring and recognizing FRC East for its unwavering commitment to workplace safety. FRC East's culture of safety ensures the depot's most valuable resource, the highly skilled men and women who work there, are protected. I would also like to express my appreciation to the outstanding employees of FRC East for their dedication and continued service to our nation, our allies, and the Eastern North Carolina community.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in great sorrow. On March 18, 2022, Captain Matthew Tomkiewicz, Captain Ross Reynolds, Gunnery Sergeant James Speedy and Corporal Jacob Moore were killed as a result of a training accident in northern Norway under stormy conditions north of the Arctic Circle. All four marines were participating in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) exercise, Cold Response 2022, when their MV-22B Osprey tragically crashed. These four brave Marines were assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (VMM-261) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Losing four brave, dedicated service members is heartbreaking and our prayers are with the families of these fallen heroes. Their duty and commitment to our great country will never be forgotten and I am forever grateful for all that they accomplished and for their service to our beloved country. Madam Speaker, please join me today in remembering these great American patriots and recognizing all the sacrifices that they made for our beloved country.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of a devoted public servant in our community who will retire this upcoming May, Dr. Richard Woodruff of Jacksonville, North Carolina. A selfless and dedicated administrator and City Manager, Dr. Woodruff has been in the service of others for over 27 years. With over 50,000 marines and sailors stationed at Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station, Jacksonville is truly the home of the Marines. Jacksonville strives to provide quality services and a safe environment in which the marines, sailors and their families can live a peaceful life and work in recognition of their dignity. The services of the city provide support to the military families as their loved ones are deployed. Operating under the Council Manager form of City government, the City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and City Council and is the chief administrative officer of the city. Working with a team of professional department directors, the City Manager is responsible for the daily operations of city government, the preparation of the annual budget and the hiring and, when necessary, the removal of city employees. Jacksonville is a full-service city, with an annual operating and capital budget of approximately $100 million including general government services. Managing the City of Jacksonville is no easy task and Dr. Woodruff has shown exemplary leadership ability in his role as City Manager. After a 27-year career in public and private sector employment, Dr. Woodruff accepted the position of City Manager for the City of Jacksonville in 2010. Working with the Mayor and Council, the City Manager is leading a major renaissance in the historic downtown area of Jacksonville, including a new multi-purpose downtown waterfront park and the development of the ``Freedom Fountain'' located adjacent to City Hall. These projects will have a tremendous impact in developing and rejuvenating the downtown area. Dr. Woodruff is a graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina and earned a master's degree and Doctorate in Public Administration from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He and his wife Gwendolyn have three sons and six grandchildren. He served on Governor Perdue's Military Land Compatibility Task Force, which identified methods of land use to help protect the training mission of the military bases throughout North Carolina. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the retirement of this incredible and noble man and wishing Dr. Woodruff a happy retirement from his life of public service.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today is day 14 of Putin's ruthless, senseless war on Ukraine. Yet, with all eyes on the United States, President Biden has still failed to impose the necessary full economic penalties on the Russian economy. This week, Ways and Means Republicans and Democrats negotiated a strong bipartisan bill that added additional, much-needed economic punishments on Putin's war effort, a historic deal that stopped both U.S. imports of Russian oil and suspended normal trade relations with Belarus and Russia--that is, before the White House got involved. To be clear, the only reason the White House is doing anything is because it is being politically expedient. They stopped and stalled negotiations. The White House has subsequently watered down negotiations where now 40 percent of nonenergy imports from Russia can still continue under this plan, fueling his war efforts. While banning U.S. imports of Russian oil is critical, this weakened legislation fails to go the distance and truly hold Putin accountable for his shameful war crimes. There is a special place in hell for evil despots who bomb children's hospitals. We must do everything at our disposal to support Ukraine and prove to the world that a strong America will not allow brutal dictators to reign on this Earth without swift and ferocious consequences.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, February 13, a catastrophic tragedy took place in a close-knit eastern North Carolina community. A small plane carrying eight passengers, including four teenagers, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 4 miles east of the Drum Inlet. Tragically, all eight North Carolinians perished in the crash. There are no words to describe the pain and devastation that our community has felt in the weeks following this tragic accident. Yet, through this heartbreak we have all been moved by the outpouring of love and support from all of those across North Carolina and our great Nation. We cannot thank our first responders, U.S. Coast Guard, the Carteret County Sheriff's Office, State agencies, and community members enough for coming together in support of the families impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy. Members of our community have participated in many loving tributes to honor those we lost. I am grateful to the volunteers, ministers, students, teachers, parents, grandparents, friends, and classmates who are helping to provide aid and support, as well as comfort to our Down East residents. Their selflessness and commitment to others is to be commended, and I honor their service. We will always remember the beloved North Carolinians whom we lost: Douglas Hunter Parks, 45, from Sea Level, North Carolina; Stephanie Ann McInnis Fulcher, 42, from Sea Level, North Carolina; Jeffrey Worthington Rawls, 28, from Greenville, North Carolina; Ernest ``Teen'' Rawls, pilot, 67, Greenville, North Carolina; Jonathan Kole McInnis, 15, Sea Level, North Carolina; Jacob Nolan Taylor, 16, Atlantic, North Carolina; Noah Lee Styron, 15, Cedar Island, North Carolina; and Michael Daily Shepard, 15, Atlantic, North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask for a moment of silence to remember those who perished on that fateful day.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay a heartfelt tribute to Commander George O. Fulenwider, III of the United States Coast Guard, to honor his long and illustrious career. Commander Fulenwider began serving in the Coast Guard in January of 1984, when he enlisted as an E1. Upon graduating from basic training in Cape May, New Jersey, Commander Fulenwider was stationed on the Coast Guard Cutter UTE based out of Key West, Florida and has been serving our great nation with dedication and honor ever since. His retirement after many years of service to the United States Coast Guard is extraordinary and is a testament to his love for our country. During his very successful career, Commander Fulenwider spent 15 years on 8 different cutters with positions including Engineering Petty Officer (EPO), Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) and Engineering Officer (EO). During his service, Commander Fulenwider supported various Coast Guard missions including: Port and Waterway Security, Drug Interdiction, Aids to Navigation, Search and Rescue, Living Marine Resources, Marine Safety, Defense Readiness, Migrant Interdiction, Marine Environmental Protection, Ice Operations and Law Enforcement. Throughout his career, Commander Fulenwider was either directly involved in or supported nearly every mission and operation the Coast Guard was involved in during his tenure. This includes Operation Just Cause in Panama (December 1989 to January 1990), Operation Desert Shield (August 1990 to January 1991), the Gulf War (August 1990 to February 1991), Operation Enduring Freedom/Global War on Terrorism resulting from the September 11th attacks on America's World Trade Centers (October 2001 to December 2014). In addition, Commander Fulenwider responded to the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti that killed 250,000 people and displaced thousands of survivors. During his dedicated time of service, Commander Fulenwider quickly rose through the ranks of Seaman Recruit-Fireman (E1-E3), Machinery Technician Third Class (MK3, E4), MK2 (E5), MK1 (E6), MKC (E7), Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CWO2), Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO3), Lieutenant (LT, O3E), Lieutenant Commander (LCDR, O4), and finally Commander (O5). Furthermore, the U.S. Coast Guard afforded him the opportunity to obtain his Associate of Science in Naval Engineering from Trident Technical College located in North Charleston, South Carolina. Commander Fulenwider has received countless awards and achievements during his illustrious career. These include the Meritorious Service Medal, numerous Coast Guard Commendation Medals, numerous Coast Guard Achievement medals and Commandants Letter of Commendation, The Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Coast Guard and Navy Unit Commendation amongst many more. Currently, Commander Fulenwider is a Program Support Manager & Executive Officer at Project Resident Office Gulf Coast, assisting with the acquisition and construction of the Legend-Class National Security Cutters (NSC) at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The NSCs are the most technologically advanced ship in the Coast Guard's fleet, with capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement and national security missions. The NSCs are the largest cutters in the Coast Guard fleet at 418 feet long and have a maximum speed of 28 knots with a range of 12,000 nautical miles; these cutters are equipped to carry a crew of 148 and can be out at sea for 3-6 months, projecting a U.S. presence around the globe, from the straits of Taiwan to the Black Sea. Commander George O. Fulenwider, III will retire in Hubert, North Carolina with his high school sweetheart and wife of 37 years, Nancy Fulenwider, who has supported his selfless career from the very beginning. The sacrifices they both have made to make this distinguishing career possible is simply admirable. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the retirement of this incredible and noble patriot and wishing Commander George O. Fulenwider, III, a happy retirement from his life of outstanding service to our country.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, over the last year, our law enforcement officers have been faced with targeted attacks, skyrocketing crime rates, and decimated budgets. Madam Speaker, despite these challenges, our law enforcement officers continue to protect and serve our communities with unwavering bravery, sacrifice, and selflessness. Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent so many incredible law enforcement officers in eastern North Carolina, all of whom put themselves at risk each day so that the rest of us can live in safe, secure communities. Madam Speaker, Deputy Zachary Bellingham, a former U.S. Marine and deputy for the Craven County Sheriff's Office, in my district, is no exception. On October 21, 2021, Deputy Bellingham sustained life-threatening injuries while performing a wellness check in New Bern, North Carolina, when he was shot in the line of duty. Following his injuries, he was taken to Carolina East Medical Center, airlifted to Greenville, and received emergency surgery. He was then transferred to Shepherd's Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, where he has shown strong perseverance in his rehabilitation. The conduct and actions of Deputy Bellingham embody the values of a true American hero. Madam Speaker, his brave actions on that fateful day highlight the very best of our law enforcement and all they do to protect our communities. I am so relieved to know that Deputy Bellingham is in good care and continuing his road to recovery. After his injury, members of our community quickly rallied around Deputy Bellingham, offering him well-wishes in support of his recovery. His service, Madam Speaker, is one we all honor and appreciate, and I am grateful to represent such a compassionate and caring community in eastern North Carolina. Madam Speaker, please join us in expressing our sincere gratitude to not only this deputy but all law enforcement officers for their commitment to keeping us and our families safe each and every day.