    [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.