Thanking Station 9 Firefighters

Floor Speech

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Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the firefighters of Station 9 in west Little Rock, Arkansas, for their selfless service during the horrific tornado that struck our city and region in March.

The firefighters of Station 9 were standing in their building when it was directly hit by the tornado, completely destroying it.

Despite their fire station being in ruins, they immediately got to work clearing debris, providing emergency assistance, and serving as an important beacon of hope for those in need in that neighborhood.

Their tremendous efforts were a critical component in helping my hometown recover from one of the worst storms in recent history.

I am proud to honor the brave firefighters for their dedicated work in the face of destruction and ruin. Their service stands as a model of resilience and strength for our entire State and Nation. Recognizing Heide Harrell

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Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good friend, Heide Harrell, on being a recipient of the Public Relations Society of America, Arkansas Chapter's 2023 Crystal Award.

Heide and I worked together at Arkansas-based Delta Trust and Banking Corporation, a Little Rock-based banking, trust, and investment company, where she was the communications and marketing officer.

Today, she serves as the vice president and communications director at Stephens, one of the largest privately held independent investment firms off Wall Street.

Just a few years ago, Heide was selected as an honoree in the 27th class of Arkansas Business 40 Under 40.

Heide is truly an inspiration to all through her hard work and leadership. Mr. Speaker, I thank Heide for being a great friend and a creative force for good across our community. Recognizing Madison Murphy

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Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a longtime friend and a terrific civic leader in our State, Madison Murphy, on the occasion of Highway 167 from El Dorado to Little Rock being dedicated in his honor.

Madison has been an inspiration to all Arkansans for many years and has received numerous awards and recognition for his work throughout the State.

He has been named to the Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 list and named Arkansas' Tourism Person of the Year for his financial support and inspiration in the creation of the Murphy Arts District in El Dorado.

Madison has also served as chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission from 2003 to 2013, where he championed the widening of the Highway 167 corridor to provide a four-lane connection between south and central Arkansas, improving roadway safety, mobility, and transit.

Throughout his leadership as chairman, a temporary half-cent sales tax was implemented that funded 31 highway widening projects to improve connectivity across the State.

I applaud Mr. Murphy for his leadership and service to the State of Arkansas and congratulate him on this recognition. Control Deficits and Spending

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Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, this House--all the Democrats and 31 Republicans--rejected a stopgap spending measure, which would have lowered spending for the 4 weeks of the continuing resolution period; secured the border with important needs, a critical element that every day we see and hear from our constituents; and established a commission to tackle the biggest challenge this House and this Nation has, which is that 70 percent of our spending, Mr. Speaker, is not voted on on this House floor. It is on autopilot--mandatory spending.

These mandatory spending programs require bipartisan attention to reform them. We can keep the promises made to the American people on Social Security and Medicare, but we need to get our fiscal house in order.

I support that commission, and I was so disappointed that 31 Republicans joined the Democrats to reject it.

Now, in this period of 45 days, as we continue to look for the most conservative spending policies that we can achieve across this House floor and in the Senate, let's be committed that we will have a bipartisan commission on debt and deficit and get this spending and these deficits under control.

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