Pete Stauber

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of William ``Bill'' Loushine, who died February 26 in Chisholm at the age of 102. Bill graduated from Chisolm High School in 1939 and received his BS degree in 1943 from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. During WWII, Bill served as a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific and as company commander of the Chisholm Army National Guard Unit, where he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War with the 47th Infantry Division of the Minnesota Army National Guard. Upon his return from Korea in 1953, he continued to serve in the National Guard for 25 years, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Bill was a teacher and a coach in Chisholm for 36 years. He coached swimming, baseball, and curling. He was the coach of Chisholm's 1948 state championship winning baseball team, and the 1963 state championship curling team. Bill started a junior bonspiel in Chisholm in 1963 and continued to run it for 20 years until 1983. While in his 80s, Bill wrote a 32-page history of the Chisholm Curling Club from 1960 to 2010. This book has allowed Chisholm's flourished curling history to live on. Bill continued to curl well into his 90s. Bill was devout in his faith. He served on the liturgy and pastoral councils in the St. Joseph's Parish, and as a commentator, lector, and Eucharistic minister, as well. Bill served for many years in the Charter and Planning Commission and as Citizens Committee Director in the Department of Military Affairs. All these accolades serve as a testament to Bill's commitment to community engagement and the Iron Range. I had the pleasure of meeting Bill when I presented him with a flag that was flown over the Capitol in honor of his 100th birthday 2 years ago. His service to his country and his community made our Nation and our State a better place to live. I thank Bill. The Iron Range has truly lost a giant. Rest in peace.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of my bipartisan legislation that improves the safety of air travel. I also thank my colleague, Mr. DeSaulnier, for his support and leadership on this legislation, as well. In 2022, the United States was home to 8 of the top 10 busiest airports in the world. This means that, as Americans, we have no room for error when it comes to aviation safety. Although aviation is the safest form of travel, we must always strive to be better. This is why we must address the notice to air missions, or NOTAMs, system. NOTAMs provide current, up-to-the-minute data to pilots on any aspect of their flight. Unfortunately, NOTAMs are often buried in lengthy reports, conflating important safety information with more common alerts. These inefficiencies have the potential to create life- threatening situations, which have just been mentioned. On January 11, 2023, all U.S. domestic flights were grounded for the first time since 9/11. The latest reports from the FAA suggest that the unintentional deletion of files caused this chaos. No one person or one file should be able to take down our whole flight safety system, but the NOTAM system is old and antiquated so it comes as no real surprise. Unfortunately, leadership at the Department of Transportation is more concerned with woke politics and changing the name of the system, rather than appropriate upgrades for aviation safety. Mr. Speaker, I have been advocating for NOTAM upgrades for 4 years now. My legislation, which creates a task force at the FAA with important input from safety experts and industry professionals to address both efficiency and resiliency of the NOTAM system, has passed out of the House both in the 116th Congress and in the 117th Congress in a bipartisan fashion, only to die in the Senate. I encourage my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to pass my legislation before another failure of the NOTAM system occurs. Our pilots, crew members, and passengers are counting on us. Mr. Speaker, we do have a change in the 118th Congress. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is being led by two of my friends. Chairman Sam Graves is ready, able, and willing to change how the committee works and actually bring forth legislation that is good for the American people and good for our transportation. I have full faith in my good friend, Ranking Member Larsen to do the same. We have worked together in the past, and I see this committee succeeding with the leadership that I have previously seen by the chair and the ranking member.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Fischbach for allowing me to speak and for her leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. Over the past five decades, we have seen the devastation of this ruling which has led to the loss of tens of millions of innocent lives here in the United States. I am heartened by the Supreme Court's reversal of this decision in Dobbs v. Jackson last year and the countless lives that will now be saved each year. For me and my family, the sanctity of life is deeply personal. Nearly 20 years ago, my wife, Jodi, and I became parents of a baby born with Down syndrome. Whenever I look at my son, Isaac, I see a miracle of God's special gift to our family. Today, Isaac is an incredible, kind, and charming young man, and we know his future is bright. Now imagine what kind of world we would be living in if every child was given the same chance to reach their potential. The world would be much better, and our collective future would be much brighter. Since the start of the current Congress, the House has voted on two bills to protect and support life. I am proud that all of my Republican colleagues joined me in supporting these very important measures. Unfortunately, very few of my Democrat colleagues joined us in support. To those Democrats who joined us in defending life: I commend you for your courage to stand up to the radical wing of your party which pushes for abortion on demand without limits and paid for with taxpayer dollars. The right to life should not be a partisan issue. I extend an olive branch to all of my Democratic colleagues from across the aisle and encourage them to join us in our fight for life and to protect the most innocent among us--the unborn. It is up to us to do what is right and always defend life.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 22. The bottom line is, do we sell our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China or not? The answer is we should never sell one ounce of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the communist country of China. Remember, Joe Biden as a candidate on day one declared war on American energy by shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline. He still commits to the war on American energy. We in America are paying way more for energy than we should because of the policies of this administration. H.R. 22, Mr. Speaker, is an easy one. The United States of America should not sell one ounce of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the communist country of China. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 22.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I missed votes on November 30, 2022 due to bad weather. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 486, YEA on Roll Call No. 487, and NAY on Roll Call No. 488.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Daniel Wheat, a young man from Duluth, Minnesota, who recently passed away. When Daniel was born, doctors told his parents that he would never walk or talk, but he proved them wrong. While Daniel happened to have been born with Down syndrome, he didn't let it stop him from living his life to the fullest and bringing happiness to everyone around him. Daniel lived a life filled with service to the Duluth community. His warm heart and sense of humor brought endless joy to his family, friends, and anyone else who was lucky enough to have met him. From playing the drums and cymbals in Duluth East High School's band to winning gold, silver, and bronze medals in powerlifting for Team USA at the International Special Olympic Games, Daniel lived every day to the fullest. We should all work to embody a perspective like Daniel's by living each day to its highest potential. Daniel Wheat was an inspiration to his family, and our entire community is better off because he was in our lives. I pray that God watches over the Wheat family as they grieve and remember him.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Frank Ongaro's successful career of advocating for and protecting Minnesota mining, and to celebrate his well-deserved retirement after serving as the Mining Minnesota executive director for 15 years. Frank is a born and raised Iron Ranger from Hibbing who has spent a majority of his career working in or around mining. Starting with his grandparents, who immigrated to the United States and worked in mines, Frank and his family truly have embodied what the legacy of Iron Range mining means. In northern Minnesota, mining is our past, present, and future, and Frank worked tirelessly every day to protect what so many of us hold near and dear to our hearts. Mining isn't just a career; it is a community that he continuously uplifted. That is why when I think of American exceptionalism, I think of Frank Ongaro. Frank has been a champion for promoting and protecting the Iron Range every day of his career. I thank Frank for his decades of service to our communities and wish him nothing but happiness as he begins this new phase of life.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Todd Haugen's retirement after his 42-year long broadcasting career in Bemidji, Minnesota. Todd's last show will be November 18, 2022. Todd has been a member of the Bemidji community since he attended Bemidji State University, where he later went on to be honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award. For nearly the entirety of his 42-year career in Bemidji, Todd was on air with KBUN/KB101. As the long-time host of the popular daily public affairs show Chatabout, Todd helped his station, KB 101, earn a record number of six National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Awards, a Crystal Heritage Award, and two NABEF Service to America Awards. He also a two-time National Association of Broadcasters Marconi award finalist for Small Market Personality of the Year. During his time as a broadcaster, Todd did so much more than hosting shows and entertaining and informing his community. He hosted hundreds of community events, fundraisers, and participated as a host for Hubbard Bemidji's annual Radiothon to End Child Abuse that raised over $1 million since it began in 1988. After a successful career in broadcasting and serving his community, I wish Todd nothing but happiness in this new stage of life. I Hope he enjoys retirement.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the life of Joni Dahl from Gilbert, Minnesota, who tragically passed away in a car accident this summer. Born and raised on the Iron Range, Joni truly embodied the spirit of Our Way of Life in northern Minnesota through her hard work, passion and service for her community. Joni was the Executive Director of the Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce and served on the Gilbert Planning and Zoning Commission, among many other local organizations. She was also very passionate about racing and hockey. Joni impacted countless lives, and her loss leaves a hole in the lives of many. Let us all remember Joni's compassion, dedication, and love for northern Minnesota and her fellow Iron Rangers. May her legacy live on.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I find myself pretty upset today. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are trying to deceive the American people. Democrats are only bringing up these bills today because 46 days from a midterm election they want the American people to suddenly and miraculously believe that they care about the crime crisis plaguing our Nation. There were 219 Democrats who voted to defund the police and take away resources from law enforcement, including qualified immunity. There were 219 Democrats who voted for legislation that effectively destroyed the profession that I love so much. You can laugh, Mr. Chair, I wore the uniform of local law enforcement, and that smirk upsets me. Make no mistake, Democrats are the reason recruitment, retention, and morale of law enforcement officers is at an all-time low and crime is at an all-time high. The timing of these bills is an insult to the law enforcement community and the American people. To my Democrat colleagues: Where were you when the protesters came to my State of Minnesota and set up GoFundMe pages to raise money and bail out violent criminals who assaulted and beat innocent people? Where were you when a Member of the California delegation came to Minnesota to stir up aggression and hatred toward my brothers and sisters in the blue and brown? Where were you when officers were being violently assaulted and killed each day across this country? Where were you when America's police officers and their families were begging for support and needed elected officials to have their backs? Where were you? I will tell you where you were. They were here in this Chamber pushing police departments to be defunded. They wanted to defund, dismantle, and disarm the police. Regardless of how I vote today, I have to tell you that I am furious that days before an election, and for political purposes only, these bills are being brought up by my colleagues. The American people have suffered enough, and at the end of the day the American people and our law enforcement community do not appreciate being used as pawns for political gain. To the American people, I know the crime crisis you and your families are facing is very real. I will not stop my work to reinvigorate the law enforcement profession, to hold lax prosecutors accountable, and to put violent criminals away. Mr. Speaker, my time in uniform may be over, but my watch will never end.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5118, the so-called wildfire response package. The Greenwood fire in northern Minnesota was the worst in decades. It ravaged my district, forcing home evacuations, closing the Boundary Waters, and upending people's lives. Still, even worse wildfires ravage southern California and across the West. Wildfires are the result of weather, topography, and fuel. Madam Chair, the only factor we can control is fuel. Our forests are thick with dead wood fuel, and they are, predictably, going up in flames. Real solutions include reforming our broken permitting process so we can get our loggers into forests on projects to really make a difference. There are no better conservationists and forest managers. They know better than anyone how to preserve our forests for future generations. Like everything done by this majority, it throws money at a problem and offers no real solutions to ensure this doesn't happen again. And, no, not one single wildland firefighter receives a raise under this bill. $20 an hour is already the minimum wage, and when you authorize no money with it, it will, in fact, lead to wildland firefighting jobs being cut. Republicans are offering solutions. Ranking Member Westerman has the Trillion Trees Act. I have the ESA Flexibility Act and the Healthy Forests for Hunters Act. Madam Chair, Republicans will keep offering solutions until you accept them because we need to fix this problem. It cannot go on like this any longer.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 3231, a bill originally introduced by Representative Don Young of Alaska, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment I introduced, which increases the Circuit Rider program. The modest increase of $418,000, offset entirely, means cleaner water for rural America. Circuit riders travel from facility to facility across our small towns, lending expertise and technical assistance because each individual locality does not have the money to pay for their own. Many treatment facilities in rural America have a dozen or less employees, and these circuit riders save money for local budgets and taxpayers. According to the National Rural Water Association, this minor increase allows for about 90 more circuit riders. That is 90 more experts traveling across rural America and rural Minnesota, lending their invaluable knowledge to our rural water treatment facilities. In an industry losing expertise to retirement or other jobs, this funding can also be used to keep these mission-critical positions competitive. Finally, this amendment brings funding for the Circuit Rider Program in line with a request I led along with 50 other bipartisan Members of Congress. Let's allow rural America to have clean, sanitary water, free up local budgets, and ensure our rural operators get the technical assistance they so desperately need. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Abe Schwartz, a math teacher at Bemidji Middle School, who has been honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Our children are our future, and teachers like Abe are absolutely critical in developing young leaders with a passion to learn and grow. This is the nation's highest honor for teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and I am incredibly proud knowing that we have such a talented and enthusiastic educator in our great Eighth District preparing our next generations for ingenuity and greatness. Congratulations again to Abe on this amazing accomplishment, and I thank him for his steadfast dedication to the students at Bemidji Middle School. I wish him nothing but success as he continues to mentor and lead his students to a bright future.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, recently, a grassroots group of servicemembers created a survey called the ``Congressional Survey of Accountability, Truth, and Freedom.'' The survey includes over 60 pages of testimony from nearly 600 servicemembers describing the discriminatory treatment they have received from the Department of Defense in their attempts to receive a religious or medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Experienced servicemembers are facing an unfair choice: Get the shot against their personal or religious beliefs in order to continue their patriotic service in defense of our freedoms or sacrifice their military careers and risk the benefits that help their families make ends meet. I am aware that certain branches of the military are self-reporting information on religious and medical exemptions. However, it is important that there is a detailed, congressionally mandated report that requires the Department of Defense to be as transparent as possible regarding their denials of religious and medical exemptions. My amendment would require the DOD to report every 60 days on the number of religious and medical exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement requested and denied and the reasons for such denials; the number of members denied an exemption who then complied with the requirement and got the shot against their beliefs; and the number of members denied an exemption who did not comply and were separated from service. We need to bring to light just how many servicemembers have been coerced to get the vaccine or forced to separate and for what reasons. This mandate is putting our national security at risk for no good reason, and I am certain this amendment will prove that. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Eli Ruth, a fifth-grade student at Bay View Elementary of the Proctor School District who was named Minnesota's AAA School Safety Patroller of the Year. Recently, I have been focused on how the United States is an exceptional country and how our people live out American exceptionalism every day. When I see a student like Eli taking an opportunity to be a leader among his peers and working to ensure their safety, I see a young man who perfectly exemplifies American exceptionalism. During his time as a safety patroller, Eli has come to know the students and community very well, and I am so glad to see that he has already become such an effective and caring leader at such a young age. When I was his age, I was a school patrol officer myself at Piedmont Elementary. It brings me great joy to see that, decades later, this program is still encouraging and developing young leaders with a passion to serve. Congratulations, again, to Eli Ruth on this amazing honor. I wish him nothing but success and happiness as he continues down his path of leadership.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the life of Renee Van Nett from Duluth, Minnesota, who bravely battled her diagnosis of terminal cancer and recently passed away. Renee was well-known and well-loved across the northland. She was a dedicated mother, city council member, and active community member. Her tragic passing has affected many, showing the countless lives she touched and made a difference in. Though the loss leaves a hole in the lives of many, the work Renee accomplished has left a legacy that will live on beyond any of us. As the first Native American person to have been elected to the Duluth City Council, Renee will always be remembered as an inspiration to her fellow Red Lake Nation members and to the entire Native American community. I am grateful for Renee sharing her compassion, dedication, and love for Duluth and all its people. May we all continue to help carry on her legacy.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, the vote closed prior to me being able to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 270. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Amodei (Balderson) Brooks (Weber (TX)) Bustos (Mrvan) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Connolly (Beyer) Crist (Wasserman Schultz) Davids (KS) (Neguse) Davis, Danny K. (Beyer) Evans (Beyer) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gonzalez (OH) (Meijer) Green (TN) (Fleischmann) Johnson (GA) (Manning) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kahele (Mrvan) Katko (Moore (UT)) Kelly (IL) (Neguse) Lamb (Blunt Rochester) Lawrence (Stevens) Lawson (FL) (Wasserman Schultz) Lowenthal (Beyer) Mace (Carter (GA)) McEachin (Beyer) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Newman (Beyer) O'Halleran (Schrader) Palazzo (Fleischmann) Peters (Jeffries) Pingree (Wasserman Schultz) Price (NC) (Manning) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Stanton (Huffman) Suozzi (Beyer) Taylor (Van Duyne) Tenney (Jackson) Titus (Pallone) Walorski (Bucshon) Waters (Takano) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Amendments En Bloc No. 2 Offered by Mr. Green of Texas

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 6858, the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, which I am proud to cosponsor with my colleagues, Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Westerman. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline today is $5 and climbing. Let that sink in. It is $5 and going up. Diesel fuel is skyrocketing at an even scarier rate. This is a self-imposed crisis on the American people. As a candidate, Joe Biden pledged again and again to ban development on America's Federal lands and waters. He followed through on that promise, with the House Democrats following suit no matter the pain they cause Americans at the pump, no matter the costs they impose on businesses reliant on shipping, trucking, and more. In contrast, we Republicans are here offering solutions. H.R. 6858 takes away Joe Biden's power to ruin our energy security and our economy by prohibiting harmful drilling bans. The bill creates a minimum number of annual lease sales, both onshore and offshore. It reauthorizes the Keystone XL pipeline so we can resume moving energy throughout our country. Democrats here are calculating that, to reduce emissions, it is a necessary evil to make gas expensive for Americans and punish the middle class. Madam Speaker, let me tell you why that is dead wrong. Under President Trump, when we were net exporters of American energy, we averaged emission reductions of 2.5 percent every year. Under President Biden, his first year in office, we saw a 6 percent jump in domestic emissions. These policies Democrats push every day, again, are punishing the American families, the American workers, and the American middle class. It makes it harder for businesses to turn a profit. It is the leading cause of why our economy officially became a bear market just yesterday. Biden's solution? Trips to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, pleading with communists and human rights violators to bail him out of a problem that he caused. Let that sink in. He is going to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, pleading with communists and human rights violators to bail him out of a problem that he caused.

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, it does not have to be this way. We can bring gas prices down with Republican solutions. As the ranking member of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, I call on my colleagues in this body today to do the right thing and vote for H.R. 6858 to bring relief to the American people. Let's produce our energy right here in America. We have the resources, technology, and the workforce, and we absolutely have the need. Madam Speaker, I urge defeat of the previous question.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today opposed to the underlying bill. Americans are living in paralyzing fear, watching all of their household income get eaten up by the price of gas and household needs and watching their retirement security disappear in our new bear market. The Biden and House Democrat approach has been to spend their way out of every problem, and look where it has gotten us. The Recovering America's Wildlife Act is well intended. Of course, we conservationists support investments in our species. But there is still no pay-for. This is $1.4 billion in perpetuity, with no pay-for or offset. During committee markup, Republicans on the Natural Resources Committee simply asked to offset the spending that continues to punish Americans. But Democrats declined to negotiate in good faith and are choosing to aggravate inflation instead. However, I offer legislation that will actually help fix the problem. The Endangered Species Act Flexibility Act will give the Interior Secretary options to help endangered species without crippling our economy. Too often, the ESA is abused. Science is ignored, and the law is used as a weapon to stop much-needed development. Take, for example, the northern long-eared bat. The bat's massive range runs from Maine to Texas to Montana, with everything in between. You can see it on the map right here. Northern long-eared bats are, sadly, afflicted with white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a fungus that interrupts hibernation, leading to their death. The science is clear: This disease has nothing to do with human activity. But because of declining population, the Fish and Wildlife Service is deciding whether to uplist the species, which would severely restrict logging, mining, and infrastructure building, like roads, bridges, ports, and more. Would you like to spend that infrastructure money on upgrading projects anywhere on this map? Good luck if the northern long-eared bat is listed as endangered. My ESA Flexibility Act will give the Interior Department the latitude to make species-specific habitat plans for endangered species, so we don't punish Americans who need a transmission line to get reliable power or need a bridge upgrade to drive to work. I don't think a single Member of Congress here, across both aisles, would disagree that the Endangered Species Act is an imperfect law in desperate need of tweaks.

Mr. STAUBER. Therefore, I regret that my ESA Flexibility Act was not accepted as an amendment, but I look forward to the eventual passage of the ESA Flexibility Act into law.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, thanks to this administration's bad policies, small businesses are struggling with skyrocketing inflation, record-high gas prices, and supply chain and labor crises. It is imperative that Congress help our small businesses find success despite this economic landscape. One way we can do this is by improving the Federal contract marketplace. A common theme we have heard in the contracting space is that prime contracting opportunities for small businesses are dwindling at an alarming rate. This means that subcontracting opportunities are more important than ever for our small businesses. While large prime contractors are statutorily required to have subcontracting plans, there is little incentive for prime contractors to comply with their own goals. Further, there is no requirement that a contracting officer take into consideration a contractor's past performance in subcontracting with small businesses when deliberating new awards. While it is laudable that prime contractors have subcontracting plans, these plans seem to have minimal influence on a contractor's motivation to award work to small businesses. This bill, the Strengthening Subcontracting for Small Businesses Act, addresses this problem in a few ways: First, the legislation will require the consideration of a contractor's proposed utilization of small businesses in its subcontracting plans. Second, the legislation will require the consideration of the contractor's past performance in meeting its previous goals. In short, this bill creates a strong incentive for large prime contractors to comply with their own goals since it will now impact their ability to win new work. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Mfume, for his collaboration on this bill. Together, I believe we have created a meaningful piece of legislation that will make a real and significant impact on small businesses, and I look forward to continuing our relationship.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, as a law enforcement officer for over 23 years, I have had to make the devastating visit to unsuspecting family members to tell them that their loved one has died because a driver was driving under the influence. We can all sit here and pretend that marijuana is a harmless drug, but it is not. It clouds your judgment and inhibits your reaction time. The unfortunate reality is if we take steps to legalize marijuana, we will, without question, increase the number of people who will drive under the influence of marijuana on our roads. As we know all too well, there are many angel families in this country who have lost their sons and daughters to people who are unlawfully in this country and drove under the influence. My amendment would have ensured the MORE Act does not prohibit the deportation of illegal immigrants who are convicted of driving under the influence of marijuana. Unfortunately, Democrats blocked my commonsense and potentially lifesaving amendment. Mr. Speaker, shouldn't we, at a minimum, ensure this legislation is not weaponized and used as a tool to get criminals who are in this country illegally out of trouble and out of deportation proceedings? It seems to me that the safety of the American people continues to be a low priority for this Democrat majority. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule.