Bronze Star Awarded to Daniel Holihan

Floor Speech

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Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize one of my constituents, 100-year-old World War II veteran Daniel Lawrence Holihan of Staten Island, New York, who tomorrow will be awarded the Bronze Star from Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro for his heroic achievement.

In January, the members of the VFW Post 7172 on Staten Island, led by Captain Timothy Forsyth, contacted my office about a veteran who they believed should be recognized for his achievements on Iwo Jima in February of 1945 as a member of the Underwater Demolition Team Thirteen.

Five days before the historic battle of Iwo Jima, the USS Barr was ordered to the eastern side of the island where Team Thirteen was ordered to erect a navigational light on Higashi Iwa, an islet about 4,000 yards offshore.

Despite the heavy artillery fire of the enemy, 3 officers and 15 men assigned to the task, including Petty Officer Daniel Holihan, were miraculously successful in carrying out their mission without a single casualty. These men worked tirelessly for 5 days to clear the water's edge and make way for the historic battle of Iwo Jima.

Petty Officer Holihan, along with several other enlisted members of his team, was initially recommended for the award of the Bronze Star Medal; however, because Mr. Holihan was transferred to the East Coast at the end of the war, he was not able to participate in the presentation of this prestigious award.

Earlier this year, I wrote to the Secretary of the Navy highlighting Mr. Holihan's contributions and asked that his service receive the honor it deserves from our grateful nation. In response to my request, tomorrow, Secretary of the Navy Del Toro will award Mr. Holihan the Bronze Star for Valor for his heroic actions and his selflessness.

I, like those who I represent in New York's 11th Congressional District, am very proud and grateful for Mr. Holihan's service to our great nation and the bravery that he displayed nearly 80 years ago.

As we head into Memorial Day weekend to honor those who did not return from war, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, I also want to give thanks to our servicemembers like Daniel Holihan who were willing to give their lives, but thankfully returned home. Deadly Fentanyl Must be Controlled

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Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the HALT Fentanyl Act. This is the Drug Enforcement Administration's top legislative priority.

If we do not take action to permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances, we will see many fentanyl-related substances becoming street legal, we will see law enforcement lose their authority to seize these extremely lethal drugs, we will see drug traffickers continue to be empowered to push these deadly drugs on our children, and we will see our U.S. Customs and Border Protection lose their authority to seize these substances crossing the border.

In 2022, last year, more than 109,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses, with the majority coming from illicit fentanyl and fentanyl- related substances. It is the number one killer of young Americans aged 18-49.

In addition to that, it is important to note that the DEA has announced results of a years-long national operation, Operation Last Mile, which specifically targeted fentanyl traffickers run by the drug cartels operating right here in the United States.

According to the Department of Justice, there are two cartels who use multicity distribution networks, violent local street gangs, and individual dealers across the U.S. to drive addiction.

The DEA's operation led to the arrest of over 3,300 individuals and the seizure of nearly 44 million fentanyl pills, more than 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, more than 91,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 8,500 firearms, and more than $100 million. The fentanyl powder and pills seized alone equate to nearly 193 million deadly doses of fentanyl removed from our communities across the United States.

It is so incredibly important that we not only pass the HALT Fentanyl Act to keep DEA having the tools they need to do their job, but we also pass House Republicans' border security package. We know that the drug traffickers are raking in $13 billion a year from human trafficking and drug trafficking over our southern border.

According to the DEA, the Mexican criminal organizations are now the most prominent wholesale-level heroin traffickers in the DEA Chicago, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington field division areas of responsibility; and they have greatly expanded their presence in New York City.

We must pass our border security bill in the Senate, and we must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act here in the House and in the Senate, as well.

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