Congratulating David Price
Floor Speech
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my constituent, Mr. David Price of Fishersville, Virginia, who was named the grand champion of the 2024 Virginia Truck Driving Championship.
David has been a professional truck driver for 33 years. He has been employed with FedEx Freight for the last 18. He has logged 3.3 million miles without an accident, making him the perfect candidate to enter the competition.
The contest opened on day one with a written exam and concluded the following day with competitive scoring on a pre-trip inspection and driving course skills test.
David demonstrated his knowledge and expertise in all areas to take home the Virginia Straight Truck title. He also captured the best course score and best pre-trip inspection honors to qualify him for his fourth National Truck Driving Championship.
Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, delivering essential goods across the United States, but beyond the loads they carry, they carry an enormous responsibility, ensuring the safety of everyone and the commitment to sharing the road. David's grand champion status is a testament to his discipline, focus, and care for his fellow drivers.
Halting the Fentanyl Crisis and Protecting American Lives
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, the communities throughout the Sixth District of Virginia and across this entire Nation turned into border communities under the last administration.
This was the direct result of the failed leadership of President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, who allowed deadly fentanyl to pour through our open borders for 4 years.
In 2023, over 107,000 Americans tragically died from drug overdoses. Of those, 75,000 were due to synthetic opioids, primarily illicit fentanyl. Fentanyl has become the number one cause of death for adults aged 18 to 49. Even in my home State of Virginia, drug cartels were caught smuggling rainbow-colored fentanyl, specifically intended to target our children. Enough is enough.
That is why this week the House will vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act to address this crisis head on. Introduced by my colleague, Representative Griffith, the HALT Fentanyl Act will increase penalties for fentanyl traffickers, support research into the devastating mental health effects of fentanyl, and equip law enforcement with the authority and resources needed to keep the deadly drug off our streets.
Unlike the previous administration, House Republicans are stepping up to protect the American people. We are committed to fighting back against the fentanyl crisis, securing our borders, and saving lives. We must pass this important legislation to protect innocent lives and ensure the safety of our families and our communities. Congratulating Dale Meyerhoeffer
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend a resident of Verona, Virginia, who cares passionately about preserving the lands and cultures that epitomize our American heritage.
On December 11, 2024, in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., it was announced that Dale Meyerhoeffer received the National Park Service 2023 Director's Award for Excellence in Natural Resource Management.
Mr. Meyerhoeffer is a biological technician whose undaunted efforts to save Shenandoah National Park's remaining eastern hemlock trees preserved an ecologically important resource for the park.
After the death of 95 percent of the park's hemlocks from an invasive insect, Meyerhoeffer, with the help from volunteers and park staff, used insecticide treatment to protect more than 30,000 hemlocks.
To reduce the park's reliance on pesticide treatments, Meyerhoeffer worked with researchers from Virginia Tech to procure and release host- specific, predatory beetles and flies in hopes of controlling the invasive insect.
This effort culminated in major success for Shenandoah National Park and the Sixth District of Virginia. We thank him for his persistence and contribution to our great Nation. Recognizing the Restoration Community Development Corporation
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Restoration Community Development Corporation in Luray, Virginia, and its selfless founder, Pastor Audre King. Pastor King grew up in Page County and has made a difference in the community since he moved back 8 years ago.
Pastor King founded Living Legacy, a community nonprofit that serves as an umbrella organization, focused on underprivileged youth. Its most recent initiative is the Restoration Community Development Corporation, which aims to restore houses and give unhoused mothers and their children a place to live.
A house in the heart of Luray was rehabilitated in December and is now home to 4 moms and 11 children who are grateful to live together as a family. The moms attend church service and life skills classes and are offered recovery sessions as needed.
They also pay a portion of the upkeep and save for the future. Pastor King hopes to finish a second house for fathers by the end of February and eventually hopes to expand across the county.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the Restoration Community Development Corporation and Pastor King for their exceptional work in the Sixth District of Virginia.
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