DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, hopefully, our friends and colleagues in the other Chamber are listening because we are moving once again to pass an incredible piece of legislation, H.R. 1350, the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act, that I and Dr. Jim Baird have introduced yet again to see it, hopefully, pass in the House, and we eagerly await the Senate to take it up.

Simply put, H.R. 1350 authorizes collaborative research between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation in areas that are essential to our national competitiveness. This legislation will build on the longstanding partnership between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to leverage the unique investments and expertise in a wide range of fields, including quantum science, artificial intelligence, fusion energy, and, of course, advanced manufacturing.

Alongside these research partnerships, this legislation also authorizes collaborative initiatives in education, training, and development to build a stronger workforce in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Lastly, this legislation promotes secure data and information transfer capabilities between these agencies so that we are not working in silos but are working together in a safe and secure environment to develop a shared, agile data ecosystem.

In August 2024, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute updated its dataset, exposing a dramatic shift in U.S. technology leadership. Once dominant in 60 of the 64 critical technologies, according to this policy institute, the U.S. now leads in just 7. China has surged from 3 to 57 since the start of the century.

This is not to put a wet blanket on our incredible country and our innovation capabilities. We want to be measuring, coordinating, and strategic, and we want to be effective stewards of any taxpayer dollars, which is why this bill is not appropriating any such thing.

We are in a wake-up call moment, but this isn't over. To reclaim our edge, we have to empower our top

science agencies to unite, to collaborate, and to drive the innovation necessary to lead before any of our competitors seek to leave us behind. That is why we have this bill. As the chair said, this has passed the House. Our colleagues in the Senate just need to do their jobs.

This collaboration between NSF and the DOE is not new. In fact, they have an extensive history of joint activities, such as support for the development of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a world-class tool for scientific discovery and astronomy located in Chile. We are proud of that partnership.

A testament to the power of these collaborations, this observatory just reached a major milestone with the installation of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the LSST, the largest digital camera ever built. This facility will soon be ready to scan the sky for the next 10 years, creating an ultrahigh definition, time-lapsed record of our universe.

The DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act strengthens the legislative foundation of our beloved CHIPS and Science Act, a landmark bill that enables both agencies to foster a more collaborative research environment to maximize their collective impacts for our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, for all of these reasons, this bipartisan legislation falls upon us, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), my dear friend and one of my favorite colleagues--if that is okay and germane to say--for his collaboration on this bill. We are both midwesterners. He is an incredibly accomplished academic, veteran, and businessman from an important part of our Nation. I have had the sincere privilege of collaborating on legislation with the gentleman since we were first sworn into Congress.

Mr. Speaker, we are again partnering on H.R. 1350, and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill, as I have done in other sessions, so that we can implore the Senate to do their part. We are introducing this bill early in the 119th session. We will pass it through the House and, hopefully, see this become law.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1350) to provide for Department of Energy and National Science Foundation research and development coordination, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1350, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1350, the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act, which passed the House in the 118th Congress. This bill supports the longstanding partnership between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, allowing these agencies to work on cutting-edge research and technological challenges.

As this body is aware, our adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, are quickly closing the gap on innovative technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and advanced manufacturing.

The CCP's efforts to outspend, out-educate, and outpace the the United States in these critical areas are increasingly concerning and something that we cannot ignore.

This legislation will bolster U.S. leadership on the global stage in emerging technologies, ensuring that our competitors do not eclipse us. Additionally, by authorizing this interagency collaboration, we maximize our investments to maintain our competitive edge.

DOE is our Nation's largest supporter of basic research in physical sciences, while NSF is the backbone of the collaborative research environment between government and academia. Together, these agencies can fuel innovation across multiple disciplines, including physics, quantum information sciences, artificial intelligence, and materials science.

This bill enhances the capabilities of DOE and NSF, leveraging their research and development investments to maximize the impact of taxpayer dollars. By authorizing collaboration between DOE and NSF, we maximize our return on investment and ensure that we remain at the forefront of technological progress.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Stevens and Baird and the members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for reintroducing this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1350, the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act, will support U.S. competitiveness in emerging technologies and key economic sectors while leveraging taxpayer dollars, enabling more to be accomplished with fewer resources.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the good work of my colleagues, Representatives Stevens and Baird. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation Interagency Research Act, and I thank Congresswoman Haley Stevens for working with me on this bipartisan bill.

The Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation are vehicles for some of our nation's cutting-edge scientific research. Combined, these agencies tackle the modern challenges of physics, quantum information sciences, Artificial Intelligence, and beyond. However, there is no clear directive for these organizations to work together.

This LegisLation explicitly directs the Secretary of Energy and the Director of the NSF to coordinate their activities to accelerate research and unlock new opportunities.

Operating in a silo is never the best practice when it comes to conducting scientific research, especially as our country looks to maximize the use of Americans' taxpayer dollars AND bolster our science and technology sectors to combat the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party.

With this bill, the Department of Energy and the NSF can maximize their impact through coordination and leveraging each other's investments in research and development. The United States has earned its reputation as a world leader in scientific research and innovation, and now more than ever, we must reinforce critical partnerships that promote these advancements.

As we face increased competition from Communist China, we must ensure WE lead the world in research and development, including in areas like Artificial Intelligence, so that our country--not Communist China-- continues to set the rules of the road.

Thank you again to Congresswoman Stevens for working with me on this commonsense, bipartisan approach that empowers American innovation. This legislation unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023, and I hope we see this bill across the finish line this Congress.