Jefferson Van Drew

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, Michael John Donohue was born in Cape May Court House, New Jersey. He was the senior class president at Middle Township High School, where he earned seven varsity letters for football and track and field. In 1989, Mike graduated from the Catholic University of America with a degree in World Politics. After college, he graduated Cum Laude from Stetson University College of Law and served as a volunteer teacher at St. Joseph Catholic High School in the Virgin Islands, where he coached the mock trial team. Mike then went on to open his own firm, the Donohue Law Firm. In 2015, he was appointed to Judge on the New Jersey Superior Court. Mike served as Judge in the Criminal and Family Courts until 2020, before deciding to return to practicing law. In addition to these career accomplishments, he was also Chairman of the Cape May County Regular Republican Organization and won Irishman of the year. I am very proud of Mike for his extensive career as a lawyer, judge, and chairman in the South Jersey community. God Bless Mike, and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I want to honor Gerald Thornton, also known as Gerry, who started his career in 1974 as a District Committeeman in Lower Township, Cape May County. He was then appointed to Cape May County Freeholder in 1976. Later on, Gerry became the Chairman of the Board of Elections for six years and eventually was appointed as the Director of the Board. He was placed in the New Jersey Association of Counties Hall of Fame and was recognized as Freeholder of the Year for all 21 counties in New Jersey. Over the years, Gerry has directly participated in developing many South Jersey projects including building the Cape May County Special Services School, building the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery, and helped to bring a Veterans Clinic to Cape May County. After 44 years serving Cape May County, he has decided to retire. Gerry should be very proud of his lifelong service in South Jersey, and it was my honor to have had the opportunity to recognize him for all his accomplishments. God Bless Gerry, and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I recently had the pleasure of attending Pat Witt's 95th birthday celebration in Vineland, South Jersey. As a lifelong native of Millville, Pat has played an integral role in encouraging the appreciation and participation of the fine arts throughout the South Jersey community. Pat's artistic talents have been honored through private and public collections across the globe. The Barn Studio of Art, founded by Pat in 1962, is one of her largest accomplishments. Throughout the years, The Barn has been a hub for the New Jersey Art community. Through Pat's work at the Barn Studio, she has taught and inspired thousands of students with her enthusiasm for the arts. Pat should be proud of her hard work and dedication, which has truly touched the lives of many, and it was an honor to be able to attend her birthday celebration. God bless Pat, and God Bless our America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022. Congressman Young brought a distinct candor and a character to Congress. This body and our country are better off thanks to his service, and he will be dearly missed. I am proud to note that this legislation authorizes $120 million for the construction of new barracks at the United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in New Jersey. The barracks project will expand opportunities for women to serve in the Coast Guard as well as expand the training center's recruitment capacity by 25 percent. The United States must project strength, and this legislation will ensure that the United States is ready to address the challenges presented by adversaries such as Russia and China.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I am honored by your yielding and the work that you are doing in this area. We are in the midst of perhaps the widest array of crises this country has ever seen. A global pandemic, inflation, and an unstable world stage that could erupt at any moment. Yet, COVID-19 and these uncertainties aren't the only things slowly infecting every corner of this country. Fentanyl. Fentanyl. That word. It takes just two milligrams of this substance, which is 100 times more potent than morphine, to kill a full-grown adult. In fact, Border Patrol has already seized more than 2,700 pounds at the southern border this year, 2,700 pounds, enough to kill every single American twice over. The massive inflow of this deadly substance is a direct result of our weakening southern border and policies designed to entice illegal immigrants to flow into our Nation. Often sourced directly from China, our open-border policies have allowed the worst of humanity to sneak this drug into every community, small and large, rural, urban, or suburban across our great America. It has become so bad, in fact, that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death, as you have heard over and over again because it is so unbelievable, of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Imagine that. It is incomprehensible. Exacerbated by the stress of mandates and lockdowns, fentanyl-related overdoses across the board increased by more than 55 percent. I have seen it personally in my home district and across the great State of New Jersey, where thousands of families last year lost a loved one to a fentanyl overdose. It has to end. It has to stop. We must secure our southern border. We must provide the resources to get this drug off our streets, and we must permanently make fentanyl a schedule I drug. It is time to finish the wall, stop the relocating of illegal migrants across the country, and we must empower our law enforcement at the border to uphold the rule of law. If not, we will lose our America that we love.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, this month, I had the pleasure of visiting Casel's Marketplace, a family-owned market in Margate, South Jersey. Since opening its doors as a small grocery store in Atlantic City in 1929, Casel's has brought the finest quality ingredients to the South Jersey community. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Sieden family owning Casel's Marketplace. Throughout the years, Casel's has continued to turn new visitors into life-long customers. They are known for their signature meats, smoked fish department, grab-and-go salads, extensive cheese selection, and fresh produce section. Casel's Marketplace is always doing everything necessary to give their customers' the best shopping experience. God Bless the Sieden Family and Ceasel's Marketplace and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of presenting Jack Roscoe with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Jack has been a scout for eight years and is a member of Egg Harbor Township Scout Troop 94. For his Eagle Scout project, he built three garden beds for the Greater Egg Harbor Township Historical Society. The garden beds will be used for families who cannot afford to have their own gardens but wish to grow their own vegetables. In addition to this project, he has also volunteered 120 hours of community service, including the ALS walk, Salvation Army, and Dog Park and Beach Clean Up. Jack, with the help of his brother Scott, helped organize and sell flood-relief buckets to aid the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Jack should be proud of his accomplishments and I look forward to seeing him succeed in his future endeavors. God Bless Jack and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, this month, I had the pleasure of presenting Jeffrey ``Scott'' Ropiecki with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Scott began as a Tiger Scout when he was just six years old and has been a lifelong scout ever since. He graduated from Atlantic Cape Community College with an associate degree in applied science. He also earned his Federal Aviation Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rating. Scott currently attends Rutgers University where he is majoring in BioChemistry and competed as the only Freshman on the Ranger Challenge Team. For his Eagle Scout project, he revived the Chestnut Neck Road Conservation Trail. Scott cleared the vegetation and trash from the trail and added markers at critical points along the route. He also made a trailhead to signify the trail's starting point using split railings. Scott should be proud of his accomplishments and it was my honor to have had the opportunity to recognize him for his service to the South Jersey community. God Bless Scott and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, last week, I had the honor of presenting a flag to Chief of Police William Priole at his retirement event. Chief Priole's law enforcement career began with his attendance at the 52nd session of Atlantic County Police Academy. He served as a patrol officer until his promotion to Corporal in 2006. In 2007, Chief Priole earned the coveted David C. Douglass Officer of the Year award for his outstanding performance in the Patrol Division. He was then promoted to Sergeant in 2011, Lieutenant in 2015, Captain in 2019, and Chief of Police in 2021. For over 30 years, he has protected and served the citizens of Lower Township. Chief Priole should be proud of his accomplishments and it was my honor to have had the opportunity to recognize him for his service to the South Jersey community. God Bless Chief Priole and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, this month, I had the pleasure of presenting Eric Fetrow with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Eric started out in Cub Scout Pack when he was just 7 years old and then joined Boy Scout Troop 7 when he was 11 years old. For his Eagle Scout project, he made updates to the Gabriel Memorial Baseball Fields in Galloway, South Jersey, where he played baseball for 10 years. Eric replaced the sign at the field, as well as refurbished the flagpole. Currently, he attends Alderson Broaddus University, where he is majoring in business and earned a scholarship to play on the lacrosse team. Eric should be proud of his accomplishments and it was an honor to have had the opportunity to recognize him and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. God Bless Eric and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of presenting Bryanna Storck with her Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Bryanna made history in South Jersey, becoming the first female to earn the honor of Eagle Scout. When she was a 16-year-old girl scout, Bryanna went on a backpacking trip with her father. This is when she decided she wanted a more challenging program and decided to join Boy Scouts of America. In just 27 months, Bryanna earned 22 merit badges and completed the 325 requirements needed to earn the Eagle Scout honor. For her Eagle Scout project, she built a fire pit for events at Greentree Church in Egg Harbor Township, South Jersey. As the first woman in the region to earn this honor, Bryanna should be very proud of her accomplishments, and it was an honor to have had the opportunity to meet her and present her with this prestigious honor. God Bless Bryanna and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, in November, I had the opportunity to attend a Veterans Day Event in Upper Township where Doris Barnes was the guest speaker. Doris, who recently turned 100 years old, served in the Marine Corps from 1944 to 1945. In the Marines, she was a Sergeant on aviation duty and was also a stenographer. At the time of her discharge, Doris received an Honorable Service Label Pin and an Honorable Discharge Pin. Currently, she resides in Ocean City, New Jersey and is a member of the Moray-Miley American Legion Post No. 524. In her free time, Doris enjoys the camaraderie of the American Legion and the daily flag raising ceremony on the boardwalk. I thank Doris for her many years of service to her community. God Bless Doris and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of presenting Scott Roscoe with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Scott is a member of Egg Harbor Township Troop 94. For his Eagle Scout Project, he installed a wall-mounted shelving system in the offices of the Great Egg Harbor Township Historical Society. For this project, Scott arranged the material donations and volunteers, communicated with the historical society, and arranged meetings with groups and individuals to ensure the completion of the project. He also volunteered around 110 service hours at the ALS Walk, Food Bank, Salvation Army, Patcong Creek, Beach Cleanup, and more. Scott, along with his brother Jack, also helped organize and sell flood-relief buckets to aid Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey. This young man should be proud of his accomplishments, and it was my honor to have the opportunity to recognize him for his service to both the Historical Society and the entire South Jersey community. God Bless Scott and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for his leadership. The President's most important job is to lead, to lead and protect our country. Yet time and again, all we have seen from President Biden is a failure to lead. Biden's handling of Afghanistan led to the death of 13 American servicemembers and left hundreds more abandoned. This was a failure to lead. Biden's handling of the border has been a disaster with more than two million illegal immigrants being apprehended at our border. This was a failure to lead. Biden failed to shut down COVID-19 and has allowed more Americans to die from this disease, despite widespread access to vaccines. This was a failure to lead. Inflation is at a 40-year high; supply chains are crippled; and labor shortages have hindered an economic recovery. This has been a failure to lead. Soft-on-crime policy has resulted in 16 of America's largest cities suffering from new highs in homicide rates and a 115 percent increase in attacks against our law enforcement officials, all while President Biden and House Democrats demand to defund our police. This has been a failure to lead. This is not the America I know. The America I know is strong, and it deserves a strong leader, not the worst President in our history, not one that continues time and again to fail to lead.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, in October, I had the opportunity to attend the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Annual Hall of Fame Induction. The Sea Isle Beach Patrol was officially formed in 1919 to protect the beachgoers who vacationed in the popular resort town. It started as just two lifeguards and three volunteers and has now grown into a large group. At the induction I attended, Robert Herzog, Bill Feaster, Jr., Jim Guntle, Jordy Troyan, Danny Rodgers, and Pat Scannapieco were inducted into the Beach Patrol Hall of Fame. Robert has been a part of Sea Isle Beach Patrol for 8 years and was also the mascot for multiple Sea Isle City Beach Patrol surf bash competitors. Bill has been a part of Sea Isle Beach Patrol since 1980 and was a top 3 finisher multiple years in Sea Isle City Beach Patrol singles. Jim won the Avalon Beach 6-mile run and was also voted by beach patrol members to be the first President of the Sea Isle Beach Patrol lifeguards. Jordy was a full-time lifeguard from 2003 to 2010 and represented Sea Isle Beach Patrol on the Surf Dash Team, Swim Events, and Paddle board events. Danny won the singles row for the Sea Isle Beach Patrol for the first time in its history. Lastly, Pat has been a rowing legend on the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol for many years and has won the title of ``the most winningest doubles oarsman'' in the history of the Sea Isle Beach Patrol. These individuals should all be proud of their accomplishments and service to South Jersey, and it was my honor to watch them be inducted into the Hall of Fame. God Bless the Sea Isle Beach Patrol, and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, recently, I had the pleasure of attending Maria Procopio's 100th birthday party. Maria has been a Vineland resident for 62 years. She was born in November of 1921 in the town of Montauro, Italy. In 1938, Maria married Giovanni Procopio and they immigrated to the United States in March of 1959. Maria and Giovanni have eight children, eleven grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. On November 22, 2021, the Mayor of Vineland, Anthony Fanucci, recognized and celebrated the 100th birthday and longevity of Maria's life. I hope that Maria had a great birthday and it was an honor to be able to attend her birthday party. God Bless Maria, and God Bless our America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding and for the amazing example that she is in her leadership to our entire Congress. Madam Speaker, of particular concern to myself and many of my constituents in south Jersey is the Democrats' attempt to stuff their tax and spend reconciliation bill, or as I like to call it, the big, bad bill, with massive expansions to the IRS. In order to pay for this monstrosity of a bill, Democrats are looking to hire more than 87,000 IRS agents. This army of auditors have the singular goal of spying on private transactions of millions of Americans and our small businesses. And it isn't the ultra-rich that they are going to be going after. With a threshold of only $10,000 a year, nearly every American who has a job will be targeted. This is despicable at best and anti-American at its worst. Biden administration policies are already leading the way to rampant inflation and to job shortages. The last thing the American people need is to worry that their daily transactions will become the target of the IRS. Unsurprisingly, this policy received near unanimous support from House Democrats, despite the widespread backlash it received from the American public. Madam Speaker, I implore the Senate to strip this dangerous provision before it ever become laws.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize Albert Zona of Pleasantville, South Jersey. At the age of 18, Albert was drafted into the Army during World War II and was stationed in Japan. He was honorably discharged from the Army as a Sergeant in 1947. After he was discharged, Albert worked several full-time jobs as an auto mechanic until he was able to start his own business. He then opened his first service station at Edgewater Avenue and Main Street and was one of the eight original founding members of the Pleasantville Volunteer Fire Company, Station 2. Around 1952, Al moved his service station to Absecon and transferred from Pleasantville to Absecon Volunteer Fire Department. He then sold that service station in 1998, ending his career as a volunteer firefighter. Al should be proud of his accomplishments and service to the South Jersey community and to America. I thank Al for his service. God Bless Al and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, this month, I had the pleasure of presenting Dominic Jones with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Dominic joined the cub scouts Pack 10 at South Vineland Methodist Church at the age of 6. In the Pack 10, he earned the cub scouts highest honor, the Arrow of Light. Dominic, with his friend Tyler, then became the founding member of Troop 2. He served as Quartermaster for Troop 2 for three years and became a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow. In October of 2019, Dominic earned scouting's highest rank, the Eagle Scout. For his Eagle project, he built raised garden beds for the residents of Baker Place Senior living. Dominic obtained all the materials for the garden beds through donations and worked with volunteers to construct the beds. This young man should be very proud of his accomplishments. It was my honor to have had the opportunity to recognize him for his service to the South Jersey community. God Bless Dominic and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Women's Community Club of Cape May as they celebrate 100 years of volunteer and philanthropic service. The Club was officially formed in November of 1921 with 169 members who elected officers and became affiliated with the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs. These founders were women who advocated for women's suffrage. Over the past 100 years, the WCCM has enabled major projects like the Cape May Lewes Ferry, establishing a local hospital, and adding American G.I's and war victims during World War II. This Club truly has an incredible 100-year history of community activism, projects, good works, fun, and fellowship. I thank them for their work and dedication to our Cape May community, and congratulations on their 100-year milestone. God Bless the Women's Community Club of Cape May, and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize and honor the life of Richard Foster of Nutley, New Jersey. Richard graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954 and joined the Air Force reserves shortly after. After his time in the Air Force, he worked for Prudential Insurance company for almost 40 years until his retirement. In 1994, when in Ocean City, New Jersey, with his wife, Richard encountered a violent, horrific storm. The riptides and winds were unlike anything the city had ever seen. While near the beach, Richard noticed two women struggling to return to shore because of the storm. Without hesitation, Richard entered the water to help save them. Unfortunately, because of the severity of the storm and tides, Richard nearly drowned and suffered from cardiac arrest while trying to save the women, but never regained consciousness. Richard truly is a selfless hero. May he rest in peace. God Bless Richard and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, in October, I had the opportunity to attend the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Annual Hall of Fame Induction. The Sea Isle Beach Patrol was officially formed in 1919 to protect beachgoers who vacationed in the popular resort town. It started as just two lifeguards and three volunteers and has now grown into a large group. At the induction I attended, Robert Herzog, Bill Feaster, Jr., Jim Guntle, Jordy Troyan, Danny Rodgers, and Pat Scannapieco were inducted into the Beach Patrol Hall of Fame. These individuals should be proud of their accomplishments and service to South Jersey, and it was my honor to watch the ceremony. God Bless the Sea Isle Beach Patrol, and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, this month, I had the pleasure of presenting Tyler Wilson with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Tyler began as a Tiger Cub at a young age and proceeded through the Scout ranks up to Eagle Scout in October of 2019. Throughout his time as a Scout, Tyler became a member of The Order of the Arrow and is now a Vigil member. Additionally, with his friend Dominic, he founded Troop 2. For his Eagle Scout project, Tyler constructed a therapeutic riding arena for handicap kids at the Gloucester County 4H grounds. Scouting has had a major influence in Tyler's life, and it was my honor to have had the opportunity to recognize him for his service to the South Jersey community. God Bless Tyler and God Bless America.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I hereby remove myself as a cosponsor of H.R. 1440.

Mr. VAN DREW

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for doing this and for yielding and for all of his good work. Madam Speaker, I rise today, a week before one of America's oldest, most deeply rooted holidays, ashamed of what this administration is doing to our great United States of America. American families look forward to a Thanksgiving feast where they are finally able to see distant relatives, reflect on their lives and, of course, share a table covered in food made from old family recipes. Yet, this year, families aren't thinking about that. They are not thinking about what they will cook, but rather, how they will afford a Thanksgiving meal. Turkey prices are up 18 percent. Pumpkin pie is up 17 percent. Carrots, strangely enough, up 50 percent. Some families might not even have to worry about these rising food costs because they might not be able to travel to see their families due to soaring gas prices. A gallon of gas is up 61 percent, on average. If they are able to travel despite the price increases, they may enter a frigid home, as the cost to heat our homes has increased by 54 percent. The root cause of these price increases is no big secret to anyone. They are the direct result of failed Biden policies. Policies that have led to rampant inflation, a crippled supply chain, and labor shortages on a scale that we never would have ever imagined. Despite recent comments made by this administration and the media, inflation is a bad, bad thing. Buying a home? More expensive. Building a home? More expensive. Renting an apartment? More expensive. Gas, groceries, turkeys, and presents, more expensive. This is the Biden Thanksgiving tax. Americans deserve a joyous Thanksgiving after the suffering our Nation has endured over the past 2 years. And this administration is on track to be known as the grinch who not only stole Christmas, but the grinch that stole Thanksgiving as well.