[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E160-E161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NEWSLETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN CHUCK EDWARDS
______
HON. CHUCK EDWARDS
of north carolina
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following
newsletter to give an update to my constituents on Hurricane Helene
recovery efforts and legislation to protect U.S. communities.
Dear Friend,
The 119th Congress is well underway, and I'm excited to
continue serving the people of Western North Carolina from my
seats on the House Appropriations and Budget committees.
In addition to serving on the Appropriations Committee's
Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, I am
honored to have been appointed to the role of vice chairman
of the National Security, Department of State, and Related
Programs Subcommittee.
Under a unified government, the new majority has a rare
opportunity to reverse America's spiraling debt and create a
safer and stronger future for our Nation. I'm eager to walk
with my colleagues to make real changes that will better the
lives of the American people, continue to bring federal
resources to aid in WNC's recovery, and fix how Washington
works.
The people of WNC are not forgotten
It was a privilege to welcome U.S. Transportation Secretary
Sean Duffy to our mountains and accompany him to see the
devastation brought by Hurricane Helene as well as our
efforts to clean up and rebuild,
During his time in Haywood County, we surveyed the damage
at I-40 near the Tennessee line, and it was confirmed that I-
40 is set to partially reopen on March with one lane
available in each direction.
The people of Western North Carolina continue to be
reminded that we are not forgotten, and I appreciate
Secretary Duffy for his attention to helping out mountain
folk rebuild.
Fixing a broken agency
It's an honor to be named by President Trump to the FEMA
task force to fix how this broken agency works.
After being on the ground throughout the Hurricane Helene
response, it's clear that an overhaul of FEMA is necessary to
more effectively and efficiently respond to natural
disasters.
I'll be lending the insights I've gained so that our Nation
will be fully prepared to prevent and respond to future
disasters, and to save lives.
Protecting U.S. communities from the fentanyl and border crisis
In the House, we have voted on and passed multiple bills--
including the HALT Fentanyl Act and the Agent Raul Gonzalez
Officer Safety Act--to make out communities safe again by
combatting the fentanyl and border crises wrought by the
previous administration's open border policies.
The temporary order designating fentanyl-related substances
(FRS) as a Schedule I drug is set to expire soon. If this
designation expires and is not made permanent, these
substances will become street-legal, taking away law
enforcement's authority to seize fentanyl and allowing drug
traffickers to continue funneling deadly drugs into our
country.
I voted in support of the HALT Fentanyl Act to permanently
classify FRS as Schedule I drugs as defined by the Controlled
Substances Act. Schedule I drugs have high potential for
abuse with no accepted medical uses, and this bill would make
sure that law enforcement has the resources to keep these
drugs off our streets and allow for further research of FRS.
In addition to the fentanyl epidemic, many Americans have
paid the price for illegal immigrants breaking our laws and
engaging in high-speed chases to avoid detention. The Agent
Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act would make it a criminal
offense to operate a vehicle within 100 miles of the southern
border while fleeing from Border Patrol agents or any law
enforcement officer assisting Border Patrol, including jail
time and being prohibited from ever receiving legal status in
the U.S.
Streamlining the FEMA application process for disaster victims
After Helene hit Western North Carolina, I saw how
complicated and difficult the disaster recovery assistance
applications were. Many folks had to apply to multiple
agencies, including FEMA, the SBA and USDA, for disaster
assistance, each of which had its own extensive applications.
That's why I introduced the Disaster Survivors Fairness
Act, which would streamline FEMA's application process and
improve coordination among federal agencies to more
effectively aid disaster victims.
[[Page E161]]
This bill would direct the FEMA administrator to develop a
universal application for federal disaster assistance to be
used across agencies and authorizes information sharing
across these agencies. This is an important step toward
making sure we are prioritizing the people and not the
bureaucracy after disaster strikes.
With my warmest regards,
Chuck Edwards,
Member of Congress.