Pro tempore on this day. Signed, paul d. Ryan, speaker of he house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 3, 2017, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. The chair will alternate recognition between the parties. All time shall be equally allocated between the parties and in no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a. M. Each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip shall be limited to five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. Blumenauer, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. An interesting column in the morning post about the congressional response to the Opioid Crisis. Both the administration and congress have been good at hyping the crisis when it comes time to actually crisis. When it comes to actually taking action, nothing happens. This is appalling since most of the Opioid Crisis is the result of failed public policies. Weve spent over a trillion dollars on a failed war on drugs that concentrates on prohibition and punishment instead of treatment which would help people break the cycle of addiction. The challenges that drove people to abuse opioids in the first place, like chronic pain, depression and laxed policies prescribing vast quantity its of ever more powerful opioids should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. It was a failure of government, industry and sadly unscrupulous practitioners that allowed this genie to gettle, a out of the bottle. People understandably turned to heroin and other damaging and addictive drugs because they were trapped by these powerful forces. Few people willingly damaged their bodies and destroyed their families and careers if not for powerful forces beyond their control. As appalling as this failure is, whats worse is we failed to take reasonable, commonsense steps to stop it. The easiest solution is to provide more access to medical marijuana, already available in 28 states. This availability, by the way, has been driven as a result of citizen action, not politicians whove been afraid to touch it. The evidence is powerful and overwhelming. Where theres access to medical marijuana to treat the problems that drove people on the path to addiction in the first place, there are fewer pills prescribed. And Overdose Deaths dropped. Its clear that using medical marijuana is as effective and perhaps even more effective than opioids to treat pain. They cause less damage to peoples health, and they are far less costly than pharmaceuticals. I provided the subcommittee with testimony with the facts and citations that would justify digging into this solution. Cannabis reduces Overdose Deaths. It reduces opioid consumption, and it can prevent dose escalation and the development of opioid tolerance which leads to that cycle and too often tragically opioid death. 175 people a day, as my friend greg walden pointed out in the subcommittee hearing yesterday, more people die in oregon from opioid overdose than traffic accidents. Well, more benefits, fewer side effects, lower costs. Mr. Speaker, id ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the evidence i gave to the subcommittee on commerce yesterday. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. Mr. Blumenauer theres a reason that up to 90 of the American Public favors greater access to medical marijuana. Voters in florida last year by over 70 approved their program. Mr. Speaker, the federal government continues to interfere, threatening medical marijuana programs, requiring congress to step in and shield it as weve done last year and for the previous two years. Unfortunately, the rules Committee Denied us a chance to vote on it. Last congress both houses approved measures for v. A. Doctors to be able to consult with veterans who have a serious overdose problem. Despite passing both chambers it was stripped out. The rules committee failed to allow us to vote on it. And most tragically, Congress Continues to allow the federal government to have a strangle hold on research to be conducted to be able to definitively answer these questions. I strongly urge my colleagues to join my friend, dr. Andy harris, and me on our research bill, h. B. 3391. Theres no reason that the federal government denies research to be able to definitively answer these questions. Im tired looking at the opioid damage in my state and around the country and have congress propose bandaids when theres a simple, commonsense, widely accepted and popular approach allow people access to medical marijuana. The time to do it is now, and lives are being lost as we dither. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. Lance, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise today in recognition of the academy of our lady of peace in me providence, new jersey, and the Woodland Elementary school in warren, new jersey, for being named blue ribbon schools by the United States department of education. New providence is in union county and warren is in somerset county, new jersey, both in the district i have the honor of representing. The National Blue ribbon schools award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in levels of achievement. R lady of peace and woodland were cites as exemplary highperforming schools as measured by state assessments and national tests. This recognition is a testament to the outstanding work and dedication of the faculty and staff in creating schools where students master challenging content. And these are among our youngest students. Infectious in their enthusiasm because of the Excellent Schools they attend. I also commend joel costello, principal of our lady of peace, and jeffrey haney, principal of woodland, for all of their hard work. I also commend the faculty, parents and the communities in general. This prestigious award is noted throughout the country, and certainly the United States department of education is to be commended for presenting these awards. The academy of our lady of peace and the Woodland School are proud examples of Academic Excellence and worthy of this national distinction. Mr. Speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Gutierrez, for five minutes. Mr. Gutierrez a little over a month ago, Hurricane Irma struck the caribbean island of st. Martin very, very hard. Within a couple of days i got a call from a loved one of a couple of constituents. They had family members trapped at a hotel in st. Martin with dozens of other americans. The power was out. They were running out of food and water and incidents of looting were reported so they called me, their congressman, and i called the state department to see what could be done. Within 36 hours of my call, our u. S. Citizens, nearly 150 of them, were evacuated from an island in the ocean surrounded by water. And do you know where they were taken to for safety . Puerto rico. Yes, puerto rico, where it has now been three weeks since Hurricane Maria and most people dont have power or clean Drinking Water and where the deterioration of the Health Care System is leaving people without critical treatments and causing the death toll to go up. Now, in st. Martin, this is what the state department said, according to nbc news. Quote, evacuation efforts were prioritized u. S. Citizens needing Urgent Medical care and within a few days they had evacuated 1,200 americans. So right now if 1,000 u. S. Citizens are facing danger in japan, ethiopia, finland, our state department would arrange to save them. But if we have millions of americans facing danger in puerto rico and we cant help them, not the military, not fema and not the state department because, well, they dont assist u. S. Citizens who are on u. S. Soil even if that soil is a colony in the ocean surrounded by water, as our president reminds us. 36 hours to get evacuated from st. Martin, three weeks in puerto rico and still no plan for evacuation. And this morning the president is tweeting that he wants to pull fema and the military out of puerto rico. How long do we have to stay in puerto rico, mr. President . Until every Puerto Ricans name is taken off the Vietnam Memorial wall or erased from the records of the korean war, afghanistan and iraq. As long as it takes. They gave their lives and died. Yesterday, a lot of us received military briefings from fema. The military and homeland security. I wanted to know whether fema and the military are prepared to take people off the island as we normally do in emergency situations. We did in in houston, in jacksonville, in new orleans. No. The governor hasnt asked for evacuating people, they told me. I asked how many bridges, even temporary ones, have been constructed on puerto rico to replace those destroyed by the hurricane to allow for the transportation of supplies and the evacuation of people . None, congressman, zero. We have not erected any bridges. Again, because the governor of puerto rico hasnt asked us to. When i was there, i flew over the town in the mountains, wellknown for coffee. There are six ways in and out of the town and five of those bridges are gone. Three weeks after dday in 1944, the allies liberated the deep water port, one of the most important objectives in france. It took 20 days. We built bridges and communication lines along the way. We made better progress in the three weeks after dday than we are making on puerto rico, and in puerto rico, to the best of my knowledge, there are no germans shooting at us. Now, when i asked the officials about evacuating people from the island, they had no real answer. But if i remember correctly, fema and the military comes to us to fund their budget every year. They are accountable to this congress. And we are accountable to our constituents. Constituents are coming to me, as they did in st. Martin, and theyre saying, help us get our families out of dangers way. Mr. Speaker, when will we be able to give these constituents an answer as to why their family members and loved ones arent being allowed to leave the island and evacuated from danger . This weekend, members of congress are going to puerto rico, and i spoke with a few of them and i was saying, hey, you know, at night you should go to this place and they stopped me. They cut me off. They said, congressman, were not staying overnight. So on an island where 85 of the power is out, members of congress are only going to see things during the day. Not during the pitch black darkness which is what Puerto Ricans are living with every single night for the last three weeks. Regardless of what my colleagues see during the day or what the president tweets in the morning, my friends who stand in line for hours for food, if they can find it, my constituents worried about their family members and five million Puerto Ricans have run out of patience. We want our people free to live in the United States of america wherever they can. Mr. Speaker, my constituents want the government to help get their families out of dangers way. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina, ms. Foxx, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to recognize North CarolinaFifth District constituent mr. Stuart eperson whose work has positively affected so many in North Carolina and so many across this great nation. Stuart, or stu, as his freppeds know him, is living friends know him, is living proof that not only is the American Dream possible, it is achievable. It is if youre simply willing to work hard for it. Stus story is a model one for all. Growing up on a small tobacco farm in virginia, stu learned hard work and perseverance. In the 1980s, stu and his brotherinlaw started as the Salem Media Group to minister to and report positive news to families across the country. Under his leadership Salem Radio Group and salem radio now host 120 radio stations, 67 of which are in top 25 markets and operates 2,400 affiliates. Time when many a americans opt to turn off the due to the negative content, his audience is turning in to be inspired and to be informed. The content put forth by the Salem Media Group serves as a beacon of hope to the many families seeking positive and instructive stories. Due to the content, his audience is turning in mr. Speaker, when i consider the body of his work, im reminded of the parable of the faithful servant in luke 12 48. The good book tells us that for unto whom over much is given, of him much shall be required. The lord has certainly gifted mr. Eperson with some amazing abilities and in return hes used these talents to give back to multiple community activities. Among those activities are the winstonsalem rescue mission, salem pregnancy support center, time mentoring program, and the Christian Association of youth mentoring which time mentoring he founded finally, mr. Speaker, im sure stu would agree that the adage behind every good man is a good woman is a true one for him. Stu married the love of his wife 54 years ago. This lovely couple has four children and 21 grandchildren. Stu stu not only for his many accomplishments but also for his dedication to ensuring that radio remains Family Friendly and value focused. Of stus life and work, im pleased to announce that soon stu will be receiving the highly coveted vision and Leadership Award from the Family Research council. This award is justly deserved by such an accomplished man and i add my salute to him. I know that the community in instonsalem, this nation, and the wider world have benefited from stus many efforts to make the world a better place. I commend mr. Eperson on his many accomplishments and service to our nation. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the the gentlewoman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. Brown, for five minutes. Mr. Brown mr. Speaker, its and in what here direction puerto rico and the Virgin Islands are heading today. Theres not enough food. Millions are struggling to live without Drinking Water. Electricity, and only 8 of the roads are opened to traffic. Containers with supplies, medical supplies, and food and other commodities are sitting in containers on the docks, in the port of san juan. And are not moving towards the people and the communities that need them the most. Struggles in the Virgin Islandses are less heard about but no less real. The question is whether we as a nation are doing all we can for the citizens of this nation. Lets compare. After an earthquake hit haiti in 10, where the infrastructure was severely damaged, the u. S. Military mobilized as if we were going to war. Was the very next morning after the earthquake hit, an army unit was airborne. Ithin two weeks 33 ships and 22,000 soldiers had arrived. Than 300 helicopters were delivering millions of pounds of food and water not just to the port but to the people of haiti. By contrast, today there are fewer than 14,000 military personnel assisting in relief efforts in puerto rico and the Virgin Islands. And there are only 88 helicopters and only than 300 h four naval ships, one of them the usns comfort, that are aiding 3. 5 million americans. 3. 4 million americans in puerto rico, 100,000 americans in the Virgin Islands. In haiti, mr. Speaker, we airlifted 15,000 u. S. Citizens in 2010 after the earthquake. But in puerto rico and the Virgin Islands, were unwilling to evacuate a single american, even those who have relatives and friends in the many communities across the 50 states of this great country. As americans are starving and americans are desperate, our response needs to be more vigorous. Now, lets be sure the military is doing what were asking them to do. This is not a criticism of the military not doing what were asking them to do. But the white house is not asking the military to do enough. Mr. Speaker, the president must lead on this issue. Weve got dedicated members of the army, air force, navy, marines, and coast guard who are willing, ready, and able to be in puerto rico and the Virgin Islands to deliver the relief to our neighbors and our citizens. We need to ask the department of defense to send more engineers, companies, tation and expeditionary sustainment battalions. Yesterday i asked a senior military leader companies, and, how many pontoon bridges have been erected in puerto rico to cross those washed out roads . Zero. How many miles of Power Transmission lines have been reestablished to get electricity out to more communities . The answer is zero. We have military engineers on the ground, but they have not been asked to do that. We need to direct our military to provide the direct services in military or parlance on the tactical level. Im not talking about longterm rebuilding of puerto rico and the Virgin Islands by the in mi parlance United States military. Im talking about directing the department of defense to establish the minimum infra