Gregory Murphy

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring importance to a treatment issue that faces our Nation's veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury, TBI, and post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. In line with National Suicide Prevention Month, I am introducing the Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act today. This bill will help so many of our veterans who are suffering from TBI and PTSD by creating a pilot program, increasing their access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBOT. There are presently many treatments for PTSD and TBI, but they do not work for everyone. As a physician for over 30 years, I have long been a strong advocate for HBOT, since I was in the North Carolina legislature. This type of treatment has restored the lives of so many of our veterans when all else failed. But the Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to use this treatment despite many requests by Members of Congress. This is a bipartisan issue. It is time for Congress to authorize this treatment option by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Charitable organizations--donations, not taxpayer funds--will pay for this program. My pilot program should show how efficacious this treatment truly is. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, as we owe our veterans and their families this treatment option for those who have lost all hope to help their lives return to some sense of normalcy.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2683, the Child Care Protection Improvement Act. As a father of three and a member of the Education and Labor Committee, the issue this legislation seeks to improve is near and dear to me. After reauthorizing the Child Care and Development Block Grant in 2014, which passed with broad bipartisan support, Congress added a requirement for States to implement background checks for any childcare employee put in charge of supervising children. Childcare is an essential service as well as a source of employment for many Americans, so safety and care are of the utmost concern. Parents want to know that their children are in a good, honest, and safe environment. However, since this reauthorization, implementation has been very problematic. Many States have experienced a great amount of difficulties actually performing robust background checks. In fact, as of March 1, 2020, only three States have been able to fully implement the required background checks. If passed, this bill will establish a task force at the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor background checks and to make recommendations for improving implementation at childcare businesses. Keeping children safe from harm is a parent's number one concern when they leave them in someone else's care. Parents will be more assured when they know their caretaker and all of its employees have histories absent of criminal activity, sexual abuse, or any other forms of neglect. We are facing so many challenges in this Nation at this time, but regardless, we can never stop working to make our children safe. I thank my colleague, Senator Burr from North Carolina, for leading this initiative in the upper Chamber. I thank my colleagues in the House for doing the same. I look forward to its passage here in the House. I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay a heart- felt tribute to speaker, singer, activist, servant leader, forward thinker, and prayer warrior Nancy Schulze. Mrs. Schulze is an incredibly gifted individual who has spent her life using those gifts in service to others. Nancy's achievements and accomplishments are too numerous to catalog, but among them are performing in the Capitol Rotunda, as well as at Galas honoring First Ladies Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush. In 2008, she founded the Republican Congressional Wives Speakers in Washington and holds annual seminars for this group featuring top experts in the fields of speaking, media, training and thought leadership. She is cofounder of the American Prayer Initiative. She has spoken at the Global Pastors Wives Conference, the National Republican Women's Summit in Washington, the Christian Women in Media Association and the Inaugural Prayer Breakfast for the Governor of New York. She is a Colson Center Centurion, having completed a year-long intensive master's level course on world view in 2010. Nancy has spoken at the National Prayer Breakfast as well as events for Members of the U.S. Senate, House and Presidency. She is currently involved in many endeavors including Physicians for Reform to repair our broken healthcare system. Given her list of accomplishments, the most astounding thing about Nancy Schulze is her seemingly unending energy and passion to work for the good of this nation. Her efforts would not be possible without her compassion and extraordinary commitment to excellence. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring this patriot, public servant, faithful Christian, and my friend, Nancy Schulze.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Roe for yielding, and thank him for gathering everyone together. Mr. Speaker, I will give a summary here this evening. Since the end of January, the world has been attacked essentially by a virus that none of us can see. I will say that since May 15, our administration has put in play Operation Warp Speed, and this is meant to save American lives. Mr. Speaker, $10 billion was allocated by this body to develop a safe and effective vaccine in record time. It has literally been today's Manhattan Project. It is combining the resources and the brilliant minds of private industry and governmental researchers in an unprecedented effort of cooperation. We have used decades of previous research combined with today's new technology and research to help us end the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective is to deliver 300 million doses by the end of December, early January, to the citizens of the United States. What do vaccines do? I think it is very important for people to understand what vaccines do. They stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies exactly as it would happen if you were exposed to the disease. After you get vaccinated, you develop immunity to that disease without having to get the disease first. We have two trials, two companies--Moderna and Pfizer--that are furthest along in their developments; 20,000 individuals so far have been accrued in the trials--half have been getting the vaccines, half placebo, and we need more. The highest at-risk populations are those being targeted: The elderly, those with comorbidities, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans. As we have heard earlier, Black Americans are under-enrolling in the vaccine and we need them to enroll. So how can this process, which normally takes years, be done in 8 months? It is that research is being done concurrently rather than in parallel; our phases are going at the same time; and production is going at the same time, fully understanding that we may have millions of doses of a vaccine that we will never use. How do we develop this at warp speed? Just to give folks one example, how do we develop a vaccine this quickly? If you can imagine the space shuttle, the space shuttle is a transport mechanism. It carries things out to the space station. We already have the space shuttle. We use that in vaccines. But what we have now is a different payload, a different payload going out to the space station. And the space shuttle is taking that into viruses with a different payload now specific to the coronavirus. What all Americans are talking about now is not only the development of a vaccine but a safe vaccine. We have proof that the processes that are in place to develop safe vaccines are working. As we have talked about, AstraZeneca stopped its trial because there was one untoward event. We have done research, and now they have started that trial again. Stopping trials is very commonplace in vaccine development, and the American people need to understand this. We went through this once before with polio. Polio in the fifties was killing thousands and disabling many, many more. Jonas Salk developed the vaccine. What he did was remarkable, but what he did also was led by example. He took the vaccine himself, and he had his family take the vaccine. This is what the Doctors Caucus is going to do. I will take the vaccine. The other members of the Doctors Caucus will take the vaccine because we need to tell the American people that we, physicians who have trained our entire lives in medicine, believe that what we are doing and what we are doing for the American people is safe. What this will come out to is that we will have 300 million doses. Right now, our government is working on how to get those doses out to the American people. In an unprecedented effort, the CDC is working with HHS and the Department of Defense to develop a mechanism to get the vaccine out and to track the vaccine. Finally, I will say this to the American people. There are two ways out of this pandemic, two ways on the pathway back to normalcy. One is to become infected with the virus, develop antibodies, and you recover. The second is to take the vaccine, develop antibodies without ever having the disease, and we can move forward as a Nation.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Jacksonville, North Carolina Police Department on being awarded the 2020 Law Enforcement Agency of the Year by the North Carolina Police Executives Association. These men and women go above and beyond the call of duty to keep our communities safe and our streets clean, while building trust and relationships within the community. The untold sacrifice and unwavering commitment by our law enforcement officials to serve in an increasingly polarized climate, riddled with hate and violence, deserves recognition. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring this distinguished department, their families and community. This is simply an outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, whether we like it or not, every day the Communist Government of China seeks the downfall of our great Nation. Since 2000, there have been well over 100 documented cases of Chinese espionage in the United States. Many of these have come from the infiltration of American academic institutions. This past year, even the chairman of the Department of Chemistry at Harvard University was charged with academic espionage. This is a national crisis and why I introduced the INFLUENCE Act today. Existing law requires institutions of higher learning to report any gift or contract from a foreign source valued at $250,000 or more. That is simply too high a threshold. My bill lowers this threshold to $50,000 so we can have a better idea of who is influencing American higher education. We cannot be naive to the fact that China desires this Nation's downfall, and their infiltration of American higher education is a clear and present danger to this great Nation's security. I hope my colleagues will bolster our national security by supporting the INFLUENCE Act.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as August approaches, reopening schools is now at the forefront of the American agenda. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advocates that we should start with a goal of having students back physically in the classroom. As an experienced physician of more than 30 years, I concur with the AAP, and I believe that the science and the data point toward reopening our schools in America. This is why I introduced the Open Schools Responsibly Act yesterday, which provides liability protection to schools that adhere to CDC and State guidelines. As we want to open schools again, then educational administrators need to have the confidence that they will not face the brunt of frivolous lawsuits. Obviously, schools that reopen without taking the proper precautions should be held accountable, and this legislation will still ensure that is the case. We want to protect everyone, from exceedingly low-risk students up to our higher-risk older teachers. We simply cannot allow our children, especially our higher-at-risk children, to fall further behind in their education. So, it is Congress' duty to pass liability protection to let our kids get back to school and get back on track.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Master Gunnery Sergeant Kenneth Pinckard in honor of his retirement from the Marine Corps after 28 faithful and honorable years of service. He spent his career supporting strategic intelligence operations, analyzing the enemy's intentions on the homefront and abroad, thus thwarting multiple enemy attacks and saving countless civilian and military lives in between. Master Gunnery Sergeant Pinckard, a fearless leader, played an instrumental role in the development and recruitment of Marines coming into the command. All the freedoms we enjoy today are because of these brave men and women in uniform, like Master Gunnery Sergeant Pinckard, who so unselfishly and courageously put their lives in harm's way for their fellow brothers and sisters. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the retirement of this selfless Marine. I wish Master Gunnery Sergeant Pinckard and his family all the peace and blessings as they embark on this next journey together

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment, floor amendment 272 in en bloc two, which provides clarity to a decades-long controversy about funding for Fleet Readiness Centers. These Naval facilities on Marine bases are major national security assets for the United States. My amendment would clarify that military construction projects at FRCs, including FRC-East in my district, must be funded by the Department of the Navy rather than by the Marine Corps itself. FRCs are naval facilities that work on naval aircraft. That said, their construction projects should be paid for by the Department of the Navy. Military construction projects at FRCs have been starved for decades due to this bureaucratic confusion. Most of the industrial buildings at FRC-East are more than 50 years old because of this uncertainty. This lack of core investment can directly degrade the long-term readiness related to Marine Corps and Naval aviation. I thank the committee for including this amendment and I urge my colleagues to support it en bloc.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1425. To be honest, I am a little bit baffled. We are in the midst of a global pandemic the likes of which this world has not seen in over 100 years, but sadly enough, my Democratic colleagues think it is a good idea to pass a law that would handcuff the ability of industry to create a vaccine and medicines to fight this disease. Are you kidding me? The price controls and regulations proposed in this bill completely eliminate any incentive for these drug developers to spend money to invent new drugs. Can you imagine any company, pharmaceutical or not, being taxed at the rate of 65 to 95 percent of what they make? We need the next remdesivir or dexamethazone to save people's lives, and such policy would not allow this to happen. What has happened in the past because of overregulation of industry in the U.S.? These companies have left the U.S. and gone where? Gone to China. How has that worked out for us during this pandemic? China has thus had a stranglehold on this Nation when it comes to the drugs that we need. At a time of national consensus that we need to purchase fewer drugs from China, the Democrats want to ensure that more of them are developed there and that we have to respond to them. This is insanity. Madam Speaker, make no mistake: I absolutely do agree that the costs of drugs in this country are too high. I am a physician. I still practice. I still see patients when we are back in our districts, and this is their number one complaint. But there are bipartisan and commonsense measures that we can implement to decrease the cost of drugs. Like I have said many times before, if we want to lower the cost of drugs, we need pharmacy benefit manager reform. We are the only country in the world that allows these middlemen to drive up costs. They cost this Nation over $800 million a year in unnecessary drug costs. This is a bipartisan and commonsense reform, rather than this nonsense legislation, that we can work on together to decrease the cost of drugs.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to H.R. 51. Voting against this legislation is not an economic, racial, or a social injustice, as my colleagues across the aisle may unfairly claim. I have no doubt that my Democratic friends, just like Republicans, want the citizens of Washington to have political rights like every other American. However, let's talk about what is honest here. Let's just be honest. The true goal here is to have two virtually guaranteed new Democratic seats so that D.C. can become a State. That is what it comes down to. That is the goal. Why do I say that? Because there is a much simpler alternative that I am baffled that the Democrats do not want anything to do with. I offered an amendment to this bill that would retrocede the District of Columbia back to Maryland. That is where the land came from. Congress ceded the west side of the Potomac, now Alexandria, from the District of Columbia back to Virginia in 1847. So there is plenty of historical precedent for this action. Unfortunately, despite making total sense, my amendment was, sadly, blocked. If D.C. were ceded back to Maryland, citizens can vote for Members of the House of Representatives and Senate in Maryland. They would have congressional representation in both Chambers, with the exact effect of statehood. The move is simply unnecessary, when ceding D.C. back to Maryland is a viable, cost-effective, and commonsense option. To further nullify this debate, the District of Columbia would require a constitutional amendment to change. The Framers of the Constitution, as has been said before, were very clear about this. The Supreme Court reaffirmed this in 1949. So why are we trying to overturn the Supreme Court? One answer: politics, pure and simple. Even setting aside the obvious need for a constitutional amendment, my colleagues across the aisle know that this legislation has no chance of becoming law. It is just the majority's attempt, again, to message bills to satisfy the base. Let me be clear: Republicans do not want to attempt to stifle voices or suppress representation. If the D.C. citizens want to have representation, then cede the land back to Maryland, because I have demonstrated it is a more hands-down, more practical solution.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay a heartfelt tribute to a very special gentleman who has been instrumental in the growth and development of many lives in eastern North Carolina. Dr. Bert Bright has served well in numerous roles at Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston, N.C. for the past 25 years. Dr. Bright has excelled as a middle school science teacher, a Science Olympiad coach--taking five teams to top ten finishes nationally, a varsity football coach, Assistant Headmaster, and finally, Headmaster. He has been a servant leader, a forward thinker, an encourager and a friend to students, parents and faculty. During his tenure as Headmaster, he has overseen multimillion-dollar building projects, administered advanced technology with campuswide wireless access, instituted an after-school program, expanded transportation services and fervently cheered state championship teams in five different sports. He expanded a diverse enrollment through multi-community outreach. But even more than all these achievements, Dr. Bright will be remembered most as a caring teacher and leader who saw the potential in every student and challenged them to be their best. A nurturing administrator who mentored his staff with skill, understanding and dedication. Parrott Academy enjoys a family atmosphere while maintaining a rigorous curriculum, competitive athletic programs, and exemplary fine arts interwoven with a culture of service. Such an environment would not be possible without the compassion, extraordinary commitment to excellence in education, model of sportsmanship, and servant's heart of Dr. Bert Bright. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing upon his retirement, a true Patriot in every sense of the word: Dr. Bert Bright

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress, I have spoken with constituents, business owners, and community leaders over the last few weeks who are apprehensive about their health and financial security. As a practicing physician, I have spoken with numerous infectious disease physicians, scientists, and epidemiologists about the present COVID-19 threat. While there are certain provisions in this bill that are not necessary, I would rather not dwell on its imperfections, and I will support it. Instead, I would like to thank House and Senate Members, as well as Secretary Mnuchin and President Trump, for negotiating a bipartisan deal in a timely manner to provide relief to the American people. The CARES Act provides desperately needed funding for those who need it in this unprecedented time in this Nation's history. Families, small businesses, churches, and community institutions receive the funding that they need to stay viable while we continue to fight the outbreak of COVID-19. I urge employers to keep their employees employed and access the benefits that this bill provides to keep them financially afloat.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, last Sunday, March 8, Gunnery Sergeant Diego Pongo and Captain Moises Navas made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country in north-central Iraq. Both were marines and assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, or MARSOC, which is located in Camp Lejeune in eastern North Carolina in my district. They were both killed in action while supporting Iraqi forces in clearing out a tunnel of ISIS fighters. Given the current coronavirus situation, it is easy to lose sight of the sacrifices of our servicemembers and their families, but we absolutely cannot allow this condition to make us forget about our men and women in uniform here and abroad. The deaths of these two brave marines are a somber reminder that our servicemembers and their families sacrifice so much for us each and every day, no matter the circumstances, so that we can live in peace and freedom. My thoughts and prayers are with MARSOC, Navas' and Pongo's brothers in arms, and especially their families and loved ones.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute in memoriam to Kathy Arnold Taft in honor of the opening of the Kathy Taft Center for Excellence and Leadership in Education in Greenville, North Carolina. Kathy was raised in eastern North Carolina and was a passionate educator, taken from us too soon on March 9, 2010. Kathy graduated cum laude in 1981 from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She spent many years as a public health instructor in both Raleigh and Greenville. She served as vice chair of the Pitt County Board of Education in Greenville and was a founding member of the Pitt County Communities in Schools program. Kathy served on the Board of Governors for the Governor's School of North Carolina from 1986 to 1992 and in 1995, was appointed by Governor Jim Hunt to the state Board of Education. She also devoted her time as a guardian ad litem volunteer, was a member of the East Carolina University Women's Roundtable, an Educator's Hall of Fame Inductee, and was honored by the Order of the Cupola. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the legacy of this incredible woman; she was a wonderful educator and dedicated public servant who served as an example to us all.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to longtime law enforcement officer Barry Stanley, who retired this past Friday as Chief of Police in Ayden, North Carolina. Chief Stanley attended Pitt Community College for his law enforcement training, graduating in 1993. He has served several Eastern North Carolina communities during his career including Grifton, Bethel and Ayden. His service actually began in his youth with the explorer's post at the Lenoir County Sherriff's Department. Chief Stanley has long been passionate about helping those who are victims of crime, especially the elderly. He feels helping those who cannot speak for themselves is the most important part of his job. Chief Stanley is a great leader who leads with fairness and integrity, earning the trust of his team. He has the respect of the men and women under his command, but they also consider him a friend. He will definitely be remembered as a chief who made a difference. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the legacy of this brave and patriotic man who has served Eastern North Carolina for 27 years. May we always keep our dedicated police officers and service members treasured in our hearts and constantly in our prayers for their service to God and country.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I apologize but I was unavoidably detained during the final passage vote. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 78.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Rachel O'Kelley, the chair of the science department and a biology teacher at John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, North Carolina. Earlier this month, she was awarded the prestigious Milken Educator Award. This national honor is given to teachers who display distinguished service and commitment to their communities. Rachel O'Kelley is 1 of only 40 teachers around the country to receive this award and the sole honoree for North Carolina. Each and every day, she goes above and beyond the status quo to challenge and engage her students through thoughtful, creative, and demanding activities. As we strive to entice students to follow the STEM course of study, it is wonderful to have bright and driven teachers like Rachel who inspire students to fulfill their potential and form the minds of future generations. It is my pleasure to honor Ms. O'Kelley here on the House floor for her continued devotion to eastern North Carolina's next generation of leaders.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the heroic Marine Forces Special Operations Command (or MARSOC) which will celebrate its 14th anniversary on February 24th. MARSOC was activated in 2006 at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina and initially consisted of a small staff and the Foreign Military Training Unit which had been formed to conduct foreign internal defense. MARSOC deployed its first units in August 2006, six months after initial activation, and since that time has deployed continuously. MARSOC's current missions include counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense and security force assistance. Since its inception, MARSOC has received numerous unit awards including: Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer, Afghanistan Campaign Streamer with One Bronze Star, National Defense Service Streamer, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer as well as Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the legacy of this brave and patriotic unit and their standard of Spiritus Invictus, an Unconquerable Spirit. May we always keep our dedicated service members treasured in our hearts and constantly in our prayers for their service to God and country.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Chief Ira Lewis, USCG (Ret.) of Harker's Island, North Carolina, who passed away recently at the age of 101. Mr. Lewis began his career as a fisherman, and then joined the Coast Guard in 1938. He served 21 years on the south shore of Long Island, New York, the final 3\1/2\ years as lighthouse keeper at Montauk Lighthouse. After retiring from the Coast Guard and returning to Harker's Island, Ira worked for 9 years at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station as a civilian. He continued fishing, and tended the local veteran's memorial, making sure flags were flown and grounds were well groomed. In 1940 Ira married the love of his life, Maggie Hancock, whom he had met in the second grade. They had two children Ann and Phil, and eventually grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a great great-grandson. Unfortunately, Maggie preceded Ira in death in 1999 after battling cancer. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring this veteran, patriot and public servant, Chief Ira Lewis who valiantly carried on the storied tradition of courage, faithfulness and service that characterizes our United States Coast Guard. May we never forget the sacrifices made by those in uniform, past and present, and always keep our dedicated service members in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Laurel Walsh of Greenville, North Carolina. For more than 35 years, she has been the first face people would see at St. Peter Catholic School. She answered the phone, led tours, maintained enrollment records, helped handle billing, and also served as school nurse. For 20 years she even served as athletic director. Not only that, but for all those jobs, and for all those years she never once brought home a paycheck. Although a few people in leadership were aware, most in the St. Peter family thought Mrs. Walsh was a paid employee. Her secret was safe until about two months ago when the school established an endowment in her honor. In announcing the creation of the Laurel Walsh Fund, school officials revealed that this longtime employee was, in fact, a volunteer. Teacher Joe Hughes who has worked with Walsh for three decades said: ``She's just so kind to everyone. She's just a fine person, just a good example of what a human being should be, what Christ called us to be.'' Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring this incredible volunteer, but more importantly, a wonderfully faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, and my personal friend, Laurel Walsh.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5037, which is a tribute to my predecessor, friend, and mentor, Congressman Walter B. Jones. Sadly, he passed away while serving diligently in his office nearly a year ago. This legislation would designate the post office in his hometown of Farmville, North Carolina, as the Walter B. Jones, Jr. Post Office. He was the son of Walter B. Jones, Sr., and Doris Long. A devoted public servant, a man of great faith, and a proud American, Walter put the people and the needs of North Carolina's Third District first. I knew Walter first as a patient, who then became a dear friend and then became a political mentor. His passing was a loss for our State, our Nation, and for all who knew him and loved him. In part due to his own service in the military, Walter cared deeply about the brave men and women who served our country. After attending Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, Walter graduated from Atlantic Christian College in 1966 and went on to serve in the North Carolina National Guard for 4 years. After serving for 10 years in the North Carolina House, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1995, where he would spend the remaining 24 years of his life diligently serving the people of North Carolina's Third Congressional District. He worked tirelessly to ensure that he was always available to his constituents and saw that they received assistance whenever they needed it, particularly with the VA and healthcare benefits. Both in our Nation's Capitol and in eastern North Carolina, Walter was known for his humility and kindheartedness. In fact, Walter was voted the nicest Member of Congress in 2004 in a survey conducted by the Washingtonian among top Capitol Hill staffers. Of course, Walter was known for his vigorous support of our military and particularly thousands of marines based in eastern North Carolina at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps air stations in Cherry Point as well as New River, along with FRC East. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, he began a letter- writing campaign, ultimately sending over 11,000 letters of condolences to families and extended family members of fallen soldiers. Outside of his office--and now my office--are hundreds of photos of those who have fallen for the freedom of this Nation. This was the kind of man he was: admirable, selfless, and caring. Additionally, some of Walter's greatest achievements while serving in Congress included the work to ensure autistic children of military families received a proper education. He also advocated for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat veterans with traumatic brain injury and to protect the beautiful wild horses on Shackleford Banks and North Carolina's beaches. He had compassion and respect for these beautiful animals on the eastern shores. Walter left behind a legacy that epitomized what we all should aspire to be as a public servant. So it is my privilege to introduce this bill honoring such a great American like Walter Jones. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the entire North Carolina delegation for joining as original cosponsors of this piece of legislation, and I urge Members to adopt H.R. 5037, which would permanently name the post office after him in Farmville.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Martin Ferrell Nevins of Elizabeth City, North Carolina on the occasion of his 100th birthday. A native of Iowa, Mr. Nevins, or ``Matty'' as he was known to friends, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1941. During WWII he was a boatswain's mate aboard ships in San Francisco and Alaska. By the end of WWII Marty had advanced to Aircraft Structural Mechanic. He retired from active duty in 1962 as a Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic. From 1962 to 1980 he worked as a civilian at the Coast Guard Base in Elizabeth City, and retired as Superintendent of the Aircraft Repair Division. He was then awarded the Distinguished Career Service Award for his 38 years of service to the Coast Guard. After his retirement, Marty enjoyed spending more time with his wife Helen. He also volunteered with Meals on Wheels, served as an officer in his Kiwanis Club, and tutored others in reading, writing and basic math. Matty was quoted as saying: ``If you take something from the community, you ought to give something back, and Elizabeth City has given us so much.'' Unfortunately, Mr. Nevins is predeceased by his wife Helen who passed away in 2007 at the age of 92; and also by their daughter Christine, who lost her courageous battle with cancer in 2013. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring this incredible veteran and public servant, Mr. Martin Ferrell Nevins.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Corporal Scott McDonell, an exemplary marine stationed in my district at Camp Lejeune. In the early hours of January 11, 2020, Corporal McDonell heroically pulled three people from a burning car in Wilmington, North Carolina. After he saved their lives, he stayed with the injured passengers for several hours at the hospital. Even though he had never met them, he felt it was his duty to ensure their safety and well-being. Even while off duty, Corporal McDonell remained faithful to the people he serves by running into harm's way and risking his own life to not only save their lives, but also to provide comfort after a traumatic event. Corporal McDonell's actions on that day embody the Marine Corps' motto, Semper Fidelis, or Semper Fi, which is Latin for ``always faithful.'' It is such an honor to represent nearly one-third of all active-duty marines, who, like Corporal McDonell, are always faithful to their fellow marines, communities, and our Constitution.

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina

Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the tragedy of our national debt. Out-of-control spending is the single greatest nonviolent threat to our Nation. This year alone, the Federal deficit increase exceeded $1 trillion. Just to give some perspective, a trillion $1 bills stacked from the ground would reach 60,000 miles into space. The International Space Station is only at 200 miles. This stack would reach one-quarter of the distance to the Moon. The current debt is at $23 trillion, which amounts to $70,000 per American. It continues to compound year after year after year without any relief in sight. It is estimated that the national debt will rise to 93 percent of GDP in the next 10 years. That means that for every $100 that this Nation makes, $93 would have to go toward servicing our debt. Mr. Speaker, this is a national tragedy. We are bankrupting our children and our children's children's future. We must stop this impending disaster. I urge my colleagues and associates to help us address real solutions.