David Trone

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 7375.

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7375, introduced by Representative Mikie Sherrill. This legislation directs VA to finally update its student payment systems to allow for educational assistance funds to be transmitted electronically to a foreign institution of higher education, as long as the institution is providing an approved course of study. Our committee has heard from students and schools about the impact of VA's inability to modernize its systems for student payments. The bill has bipartisan support as well from Disabled American Veterans, Student Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Madam Speaker, Representative Sherrill's legislation is a response to strong advocacy for our student veterans studying abroad who are often unsure how their benefits will translate overseas. Madam Speaker, I thank her for offering this legislation, I urge support and passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7153, as amended, the Department of Veterans Affairs Principles of Benefits Automation Act, introduced by Ranking Member Bost. This bill provides clarification on the sense of Congress on the automation of benefits claims and requires the VA to submit to Congress a plan for modernization of the information technology systems of the Veterans Benefits Administration. As the VA moves toward greater automation, we must ensure that the VA does automation the right way for all stakeholders, including both veterans and the workforce. It is also important for the VA to identify systems in need of modernization to support successful implementation of bills, such as the PACT Act, and important initiatives such as the Secretary's announcement of several new presumptions. I will reinforce that. On the topic of automation, it is not the intent of Congress or the VA to use automation on claims to eliminate, reduce, or contract out the duties of the VBA workforce. We intend to conduct close oversight of the use of automation and potential expansion. This bill is part of those efforts. When implemented in the right way, automation has the potential to reduce the day-to-day burden of employees by diminishing menial tasks and allowing the dedicated VA staff to focus on the kind of work that truly needs a human touch. Such an approach stands to benefit the ultimate consumer of the VA: our veterans. Madam Speaker, I support this bill and encourage my colleagues to support it as well, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 7153, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the service of Sergeant Roy ``Buddy'' Charles DeLauter, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during the Korean War. A resident of Smithsburg, Maryland, Sgt. DeLauter bravely answered the call to defend the values of democracy and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948. On December 1, 1950, Sgt. DeLauter was tragically killed in action. Like many fallen service members of foreign wars, his remains could not be easily recovered and returned. For over 70 years, his family was deprived of the closure America's Gold Star families so rightly deserve. Credit to the tireless efforts of his loved ones, Sgt. DeLauter was finally brought home this week to Hagerstown. Friday, he was given a proper burial with full military honors. By all accounts, Sgt. DeLauter was an exemplar of the Army's core values: loyalty, duty, respect, personal courage, honor, integrity, and selfless service. To his family, the same. We are forever indebted to Sgt. DeLauter and his family for their service to this Nation.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our bill, the REMOTE Learning Act, to protect veterans' education benefits. Last year, Congress prevented cuts to veterans' tuition payments as students transitioned to online learning. This helped folks stay in school during the pandemic, which remains one of the most challenging times to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, these benefits are at risk once again. By law, the Department of Veterans Affairs is required to cut housing benefits for student veterans who are taking classes remotely. This doesn't make sense during a global pandemic. While some colleges and professors have chosen to keep classes remote, many student veterans have opted to live on campus. We need to act now to ensure our veterans receive the necessary flexibility to achieve academic success. The REMOTE Learning Act will extend remote learning waivers, ensure veterans receive full housing benefits, allow universities to continue recruiting foreign students so that student bodies can remain diverse, and minimize paperwork for tuition reimbursement. Our veterans deserve a world-class education. They deserve to earn their degrees on time. Some of these brave servicemembers have waited their whole lives to get their degrees. The negative effects of the pandemic shouldn't hinder them from doing that. We have a responsibility to help. I want to thank Chairman Takano and Chairman Levin for their leadership on this bill and for all the hard work they have done to protect our veterans. It is time to pass this bill and give the veterans the benefits they have earned.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act. This bipartisan bill directly addresses the worsening opioid crisis by authorizing $10.5 billion over 6 years in grants to States and Tribes. This funding will prevent and treat those suffering from addiction. During Recovery Month last month, I met with several healthcare providers to discuss the challenges faced by those in recovery. We hear time and time again how individuals in recovery often struggle to access the resources they need. This bill meets the moment by giving States and Tribes the consistent, necessary funding they need to meet their specific needs. I want to thank Energy and Commerce Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member McMorris Rodgers, and Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Eshoo, and my friend, Subcommittee Ranking Member Guthrie, for considering this bill. I thank our bipartisan sponsors. In particular, I want to thank Congresswoman Sherrill, Congressman Baird, and Congressman Armstrong for their advocacy. I am so grateful to the members of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force for helping us get this over the finish line. When we put aside partisan politics and focus on the real issues and work hard, we can make a difference. For these reasons, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of myself and my colleagues from Maryland, Representatives Hoyer and Raskin. Our State of Maryland has a proud history of innovation in satellite technology and space exploration. Greenbelt, Maryland is home to Goddard, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's first Space Flight Center. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which operates a fleet of weather satellites, has its headquarters in Silver Spring. Additionally, the largest provider of residential satellite broadband service, Hughes Network Systems, is headquartered in Germantown. Hughes serves consumers in some of the most rural, hard-to- reach areas of the country. As the House considers the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we join our colleague, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) in expressing our support for satellite technology, which offers an opportunity for helping achieve our broadband deployment goals. Satellite innovators in Maryland and elsewhere have designed measures to reduce latency by using a mix of communications platforms, including low-earth orbit satellites and fixed wireless networks. The infrastructure bill provides broadband grants for service providers that meet a ``real-time, interactive'' standard for permissible latency. We believe that residential satellite broadband service providers could potentially meet this standard by using a mix of geostationary and non-geostationary satellite networks or fixed wireless networks. Satellite broadband service providers that are able to meet the standard for permissible latency should be considered for broadband grants provided in the infrastructure bill. We look forward to working with our colleagues and the Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration staff on this important issue.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Wild very much for her kind words. I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass my bill to extend the work of the National Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking so, together, we can complete the Commission's important work in a timely manner. As many of you know, my mission in Congress is to end the opioid epidemic in this country. This bipartisan Commission will help us do just that. Thanks to the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and our former congressional colleague, Max Rose, this bipartisan Commission was established by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020. I was honored that Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed me to the Commission, and that my colleagues on the Commission voted to elect me co-chair, along with Senator Tom Cotton. The goal of the Commission is to develop a strategic approach to combating the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States, but my goal for the Commission is much more simple. It is simply to save lives--save lives, period. Last year, we saw more than 93,000 people die of a drug overdose in this country. We set a new record, a record we never wanted to set. In Maryland alone, we lost nearly 2,500 to opioids. After we made progress in the fight against overdoses in 2019, the numbers are continuing to rise due to the pandemic. As overdoses continue to rise in communities across the country, we have our work cut out for us in this fight against synthetic drug trafficking. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are among the deadliest illicit substances in the drug industry today. In my home State of Maryland, fentanyl was involved in 93 percent of all opioid deaths in 2020, and opioid-related deaths were up 46 percent in western Maryland in 2020, compared to the same time last year. We need to act now if we are going to put an end to these senseless deaths, and we cannot do it alone. That is why I am so grateful for the work of the bipartisan Commission. The Commission's membership includes the best of the best. From the administration, we have representatives from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, DEA, DHS, DOD, Treasury, State, and the Director of National Intelligence. In Congress, Republican Congressman Fred Upton and Democrat Senator Ed Markey, two champions in the fight against addiction, are working alongside Senator Cotton and me. We have a number of experts from outside government, including Karen Tandy, Sandy Winnefeld, and other distinguished individuals. We are grateful that Kemp Chester, from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, guides our work as executive director. We are lucky to have the expertise of the experts at RAND working to find solutions for this incredibly difficult challenge. Due to the pandemic, we were not able to begin our work as soon as we would have liked. For that reason, we must pass this simple but crucial bill to extend the work of the Commission until February of next year. This extension will allow us to continue our important work and produce a report with actionable steps that will combat the flow of synthetic opioids into our country and, most importantly, save lives. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman McGovern for yielding, and also for his leadership on the Rules Committee and, equally important, his relentless leadership in the House to help those that are unacceptably hungry in America. I rise today as a member of the House Appropriations Committee to urge support for the rule and the bill, which includes important investments to fight our Nation's substance use and mental health crisis, and significant funding for the National Institutes of Health. The COVID pandemic has only worsened our Nation's addiction and mental health epidemics. The data is alarming. Last year over 93,000 people died in America from an overdose. That is a 30 percent increase in our country. This year more people are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self-harm than ever before. Unlike COVID, there will be no vaccine for addiction, no vaccine for mental health. It is going to take consistent, increased funding to meet the needs of our most vulnerable Americans. I am happy to say this bill does that. I am also happy to have secured over $6 million in this bill for critical projects in Maryland's Sixth District that invest in important social services for the most vulnerable and job training in our community for those that need it the most. I want to thank Chair Rosa DeLauro for her work to lead this committee and invest long term in this important funding for our country. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a Member of the House Appropriations Committee in opposition to this mindless amendment which would gut the important investments this bill makes on our Nation's physical and social infrastructure. Our Nation faces an unprecedented housing crisis. This bill would ensure 4.8 million people remain stably housed by increasing investments by $8.7 billion. Our Nation's infrastructure is falling apart. This bill provides robust funding for highways, transit, rail, and aviation, and we must do better for our Nation's veterans when it comes to mental health. This bill almost doubles the funding for the Veterans Suicide Prevention and Outreach Program and for the Veterans Crisis Line. These investments benefit our constituents from Montgomery County to Garrett County. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chair DeLauro for caring so much for all Americans. I urge a ``no'' vote to this amendment and support the work of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, on June 25, 2021, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on Roll Call No. 185. I strongly support S.J. Res. 14 to invalidate the Trump Administration's 2020 Methane Recission Rule and restore methane pollution standards for new and modified oil and gas facilities. I am pleased this Joint Resolution was signed into law.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of our Nation's veterans struggling with PTSD and their family members anxious for help. This week, I spoke with the mother of a young man who joined the Marines out of patriotic duty following 9/11. He served four tours. His mother told me that when he came home, he was a changed man struggling with PTSD. She took him to the VA when he said he was contemplating suicide. She was told all the beds were full; they couldn't help. He was later denied extended treatment at an inpatient facility after he began self-medicating. A year-and-a-half ago, he died of an overdose. We have to do better. The VA needs more and better addiction and mental health resources. This young man's mother said to me, after losing her son, she is in the fight now. I am, too, and I hope you will join me.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 433, the Family Support Services and Addiction Services Act. I introduced this bill with my friend and fellow businessman, Dan Meuser, in order to show our support for the millions of families that are struggling to help their loved ones suffering from addiction. In 2016, my nephew Ian lost his life to an overdose after years of struggling with addiction. But he didn't fight this battle alone. My wife and I were with him every step of the way, working to support his recovery efforts. Getting him the help he needed was hard for us to do, even with the resources we had at our disposal. Our story is not unique. For most families, it is nearly impossible to navigate our behavioral healthcare system, and COVID-19 has made it even harder. While our country faced an addiction crisis prior to COVID-19, the pandemic has made this crisis a five-alarm fire. Last year, more Americans died from drug overdoses than ever before, nearly 90,000 Americans. That is a 29 percent increase in just one year. American families need help, and they need it now. This bipartisan bill provides the funding for nonprofits working with families struggling with addiction. The bill will provide grants to reach more families, create a more tailored approach, and save lives. I want to thank Congressman Meuser for his support and partnership. He has been an absolute champion on this issue. I also want to thank Chairman Pallone, Chairwoman Eshoo, and Ranking Member Rodgers for their laser-like focus on this issue. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, after spending most of my life in the business world, I have seen firsthand how immigrants bring immense contributions to American business. Whether it is a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or the frontline worker who has kept our workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrant workers, entrepreneurs, and leaders drive our economy. Immigrants bring revolutionary new ideas to our country. Immigrants create jobs. Immigrants inspire innovation that pushes us forward as a country, keeping us on the cutting edge of technology and medical advances. As the Speaker often says, ``diversity is our strength, unity is our power.'' Immigrants bring their diverse experiences and ideas to our country, to our economy, and make it better. Our Nation would be foolish to take them for granted.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my amendment, which addresses the barriers to finding a job that justice- impacted individuals face when they leave prison. Stable employment is one of the single biggest factors for determining whether Americans who have been incarcerated will return to prison or jail. Returning citizens face significant barriers to employment, with an unemployment rate five times higher than the national average. My amendment will help support the establishment and expansion of the apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship workforce training programs in all Federal correctional facilities. It will reduce recidivism and help formerly incarcerated individuals lead productive lives and build strong communities. The criminal justice system in the United States is anything but just. We can fix it. It is time to lead with compassion. It is time to focus on rehabilitation, not retribution. It is time to give those who serve their time, and are trying to start a new life, a second chance. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a communication from the Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance, and I urge bipartisan support.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I was not present in the House chamber for Roll Call vote no. 11. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown).

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume).

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Levin, I, too, rise today to honor the life and legacy of Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes. The magnitude of his loss can be felt throughout Maryland and the country. Senator Sarbanes spent his entire career fighting for the issues that Marylanders care the most about. He was a champion for justice, authoring the first article of impeachment against a corrupt President. He was a champion for fairness, tackling corporate regulatory reform and ensuring transparency for investors. He was a champion for the environment, spearheading efforts to protect Maryland's beloved Chesapeake Bay for generations to come. It is not just his long list of accomplishments that Senator Sarbanes will be remembered for, it is also his dedication to the people. Senator Sarbanes defined what it means to be a public servant. He showed up in the communities that felt left behind. He listened to the concerns of his constituents, and he worked hard to get things done for our State and the country. That type of leadership is hard to find here in Washington. We can all learn a lot from him. I know I have. My wife, June, and I extend our condolences to the friends and family of Senator Sarbanes, especially to his son, our friend, Congressman John Sarbanes. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, the FENTANYL Results Act, that will help increase global cooperation in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking. My nephew, Ian Trone, died 4 years ago of a fentanyl overdose at the age of 24, and since his passing, we have seen a dramatic and alarming increase in fentanyl and other synthetic opioid deaths across our country. In 2019, there were nearly 71,000 overdose deaths in the United States, the highest number ever recorded. Most disturbingly, this number reversed the promising decrease in deaths we saw in 2018. Why did we see a spike last year? Because fentanyl is showing up in more and more parts of the United States. Mixed in with heroin, meth, and cocaine, fentanyl is causing more accidental overdoses and more deaths. We know that fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Some synthetics, like carfentanil, are even deadlier, some 10,000 times stronger than morphine. In 2018, two-thirds of all opioid-related deaths involved synthetic opioids. This rise in opioid deaths is especially alarming because of the significant impact we know the COVID pandemic has had on the opioid epidemic. In Maryland, fentanyl was involved in 93 percent of all opioid- related deaths for the first 6 months of 2020, and fentanyl-involved deaths were up 12 percent in the second quarter compared to the same time last year. We need to act now if we are going to put an end to these senseless deaths. We cannot do it alone. The FENTANYL Results Act instructs the Secretary of State to: Support increased data collection by the U.S. and other countries on drug use and make sure we share that data, Increase consultation with international drug agencies and foreign regulatory agencies, Implement technical assistance programs to build partner capacity in forensic detection capabilities, And run international exchange programs among demand reduction experts and scientists. The U.S. can't fight its way out of this alone. We need to work together on demand reduction at home, and we are doing that with stronger prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. But we need to cooperate with international partners to stem the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States. This means working with them to detect fentanyl and its precursors before these drugs leave the borders. This means establishing best practices to reduce demand globally, so we have less of a market for these illicit substances. This means recognizing that greater cooperation serves us all. It is in no country's interest to fuel the opioid epidemic. I thank Ranking Member McCaul for coleading this bipartisan bill with me. Ranking Member McCaul has been a champion on this bipartisan issue long before I came to Congress, and I look forward to continuing our relationship. I also thank Chairman Engel for helping move the bill through the Foreign Affairs Committee and making sure we take every possible step to end the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs in the United States. We will miss your leadership here in Congress next year, and we know your service has a long way to go in the future. We need to tackle the opioid epidemic from every angle, and that includes working with our international partners to curb drug trafficking and save lives. This bill helps us do this. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. TRONE

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act. This bill directly addresses the country's worsening opioid crisis as we continue to see overdose deaths surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bipartisan bill authorizes $9 billion over 6 years in flexible funding through grants for States and Tribes to fight the opioid epidemic on the front lines. This bill helps provide States the steady, sustained, and consistent money they need for programs to: Prevent addiction through evidence- based programs; Increase access to outpatient and residential treatment, particularly through medication-assisted treatment; Prevent overdoses by expanding naloxone distribution; And support individuals in recovery with recovery housing and peer supports. Since 2000, there have been over 550,000 deaths from opioids, and the CDC estimates the cost to our country is $78.5 billion per year. There is no magic bullet to fix the opioid crisis. There will be no vaccine. We need consistent funding to help save these lives. Last year, nearly 71,000 people died from an overdose--the most ever. The COVID-19 pandemic will push these numbers even higher. In western Maryland, we have seen an increase of overdose deaths from the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019 by 46 percent up in Washington County, 50 percent up in Garrett County, and 54 percent up in Allegany County. Across the country, over 40 States have reported an increase in overdose deaths since the start of this pandemic. These numbers are absolutely tragic and unacceptable. We must act. Mr. Speaker, the opioid epidemic does not know the color of your skin, where you live, or your political party. The opioid epidemic destroys everything in its path. It hit my family, too. On December 31, 2016, my nephew, Ian Jacob Trone, died alone in a hotel room from a fentanyl overdose. Ian was in recovery for 13 of the last 16 months of his life, but it only took one moment to take him away from us forever. Mr. Speaker, when I came to Congress, I spoke to the Governor of our State, county and State leaders, hospital administrators, direct providers, and stakeholders across the country, from Georgia to Kentucky to North Dakota. I spoke to treatment services across my district: Awakenings Recovery in Hagerstown; Fort Recovery in Cumberland; Ideal Option in Frederick; Wells/Robertson House in Montgomery County; and Brooke's House in Hagerstown. The message I heard from everyone was loud and clear: State, local, and Tribal governments need the Federal Government to be a steady partner in the fight against addiction. I thank Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Energy Subcommittee on Health Chairwoman Eshoo and Ranking Member Burgess, for considering this bill. I also extend my sincere thanks to Freshmen Working Group on Addiction members Kelly Armstrong, Mikie Sherrill, and Denver Riggleman for helping me introduce this bill. I want to take a moment to call out and thank Congressman Riggleman, who has been a fantastic member of our working group and a champion on this issue. He will be greatly missed in this institution. Together, the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction has introduced over 50 bipartisan bills to address addiction and mental health in the last 2 years. We have shown what is possible if you put aside partisan politics, focus on an issue, and work hard to make real change. Investing in this bill's grants will save lives and save money. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.