Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6398) to authorize the Department of Energy to conduct collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs in order to improve healthcare services for veterans in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 6398, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.

This legislation authorizes the Department of Energy, DOE, to conduct collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA, in order to solve complex, big data challenges in order to improve veterans' healthcare and basic research in advanced computing and data analytics.

The VA hosts one of the world's largest and most valuable health datasets. Through its voluntary data collection program entitled the Million Veterans Program, MVP, the VA has collected detailed health information and

genomic data volunteered by over 600,000 veterans.

In order to better use this data to provide better healthcare for our veterans, the VA needs more advanced computing capabilities, infrastructure, and expertise than it has in-house.

As a world leader in high performance computing, DOE is well suited to meet this need. In its national laboratory system, DOE possesses a unique set of cutting-edge research capabilities.

It hosts six of the world's top 10 fastest supercomputers, including the Summit computer in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is the world's fastest supercomputer. DOE also funds robust research in computational sciences and data analytics, which can be used to solve a range of complex big data challenges in the physical sciences.

The interagency partnership authorized in my bill combines the VA's clinical and population science expertise with DOE's big data science in advanced computing expertise in order to solve critical health challenges for our veterans while creating another path forward for the advancement of big data science tools for the American researchers.

This partnership, called the Million Veterans Program-Computational Health Analytics for Medical Precision to Improve Outcomes Now, or the MVP-CHAMPION program, will use DOE supercomputers to analyze VA health data and look for patterns that will help inform and improve medical treatment for heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and cancer.

Ultimately, the goal of this legislation is for the DOE national laboratories to provide the VA with information it can use to improve healthcare services for veterans.

The bill also requires the Department to establish data storage facilities to securely transmit and store data that the VA provides. This will make certain that privacy and security are maintained for veterans who volunteer for the program.

In addition, this legislation establishes a pilot program within DOE to create a cross-cutting research initiative in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and computational research.

This program will help American scientists stay on the cutting-edge as the computing landscape changes and international competition increases, and will promote the development of the computing tools needed to address big data challenges.

These tools will both help improve the existing MVP-CHAMPION partnership and will advance key DOE mission goals in nuclear security, energy technology, and innovative science research.

Our veterans should have access to better healthcare services and our scientists should remain leaders in advanced computing. The Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act promises to deliver on both fronts.

Once again, I would like to thank Chairman Smith and the 15 other Science, Space, and Technology Committee members who cosponsored this legislation for supporting my bill.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

Washington, DC, September 20, 2018.

Hon. Lamar Smith,

Chairman, Committee on Space, Science, and Technology,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R.

6398, as amended, the ``Department of Energy Veterans' Health

Initiative Act.'' As you know, there are provisions in the

legislation that fall within the jurisdiction of the

Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration of this legislation, I

am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential

referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving

consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the

subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its

jurisdiction. I also request that you urge the Speaker to

name members of this committee to any conference committee

which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R.

6398, as amended, and into the Congressional Record during

consideration of this legislation on the House floor.

Sincerely,

David P. Roe, M.D.,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber), the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Smith, Representative Dunn, Representative Higgins, Representative Lucas, Representative Weber, Representative Knight, Representative Rohrabacher, Representative Hultgren, Representative Babin, Representative Comstock, Representative Abraham, Representative Biggs, Representative Marshall, Representative Lesko, Representative Lipinski, Representative Rosen, Representative Bilirakis, Representative Gallagher, Representative Bill Johnson, and Representative Walter Jones for their continued leadership in providing support for our veterans and enabling critical science research.

I would also like to thank the stakeholders and researchers who have provided valuable feedback as we develop this legislation.

H.R. 6398 supports a program that will encourage innovation in basic science and big data research at DOE, and ensure that we as a Nation are doing everything we can to improve healthcare for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this commonsense legislation and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5509) to direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related workforce, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5509, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act, was introduced by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and cosponsored by a number of Science, Space, and Technology Committee members and approved by the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

H.R. 5509 continues the bipartisan progress the Science Committee has made to expand and improve science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science education programs to create new pathways to STEM careers.

We can't overstate the value of a strong STEM workforce in America. STEM workers drive innovation, manufacturing, scientific discovery, and productivity across the economy. According to the National Science Board's most recent ``Science and Engineering Indicators'' report, the number of U.S. jobs that require STEM skills has grown by a third over the past decade.

STEM workforce demand is forecast to increase steadily for years to come. Unfortunately, we know that nearly 40 percent of students who embark on a STEM major do not complete it, and only half of STEM graduates are employed in STEM jobs. We also know that apprenticeship and mentoring initiatives can improve the rate of STEM degree completion at both 4-year universities and community colleges.

America's competitiveness in STEM fields requires a diverse and flexible workforce comprised of workers with educational backgrounds ranging from certificate-level technical occupations to Ph.D.s. To this end, H.R. 5509 directs the National Science Foundation to fund initiatives that support innovative partnerships between academic institutions and local industries.

The NSF will offer at least $5 million per year over the next 4 years in grants to community colleges to develop new STEM courses and degrees. These programs will combine formal education with on-the-job work experiences, such as apprenticeships and internships, by partnering with local employers.

Additionally, the pending legislation directs NSF to offer at least another $2.5 million per year for the next 4 years to 4-year universities to partner with local industry and offer apprenticeships and other applied learning experiences for STEM undergraduate students.

The bill also requires the National Science Foundation to award $2.5 million per year over the next 4 years for research grants to measure student outcomes and the effectiveness of computer-based and online courses for technical skills training.

Leader McCarthy's legislation further directs the NSF to research the difference between skilled technical workforce development in the United States and in other developed countries.

Lastly, H.R. 5509 requires the National Science Foundation to conduct research on labor market analysis innovations and America's skilled technical workforce in order to improve our understanding of this workforce's trends and needs.

The innovative initiatives in this legislation will leverage the hard work and ingenuity of women and men of all ages, education levels, and backgrounds to meet the demand for a STEM-capable workforce.

Much like the action the Trump administration has already taken to expand apprenticeships to help meet today's rapidly changing economy, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act takes significant steps to invest in new STEM education and workforce development programs. Such investments will ensure the United States remains competitive in the global economy both today and tomorrow.

The majority leader's bill will enhance America's STEM competitiveness and contribute to our future economic prosperity, so there are many good reasons to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), who is an active member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and a member of both the Research and Technology and Environment Subcommittees.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock), who is a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and is the chairwoman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee.

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

Mr. Speaker, just briefly, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) for working with us so well on so many bills for almost 2 years. I think he has been as active on the legislation as any other member of the committee, and as he pointed out or suggested, most of the bills that we passed under the Science, Space, and Technology Committee's jurisdiction are, in fact, bipartisan bills; and he has, as often as not, been an important player in the passage of those pieces of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, there are no other requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. I would like to thank Majority Leader McCarthy for introducing this bill.

Building a workforce with skills in the STEM fields--science, technology, engineering, and math--which can meet the demands of our continually evolving economy is one of the most pressing challenges that we face today.

Many companies are having difficulty recruiting and retaining workers with sufficient STEM skills for their needs. This STEM skills gap has existed for years and is continuing to widen. With companies across all economic sectors increasing their reliance on data, automation, and technology-driven business models, the need for STEM workers has never been greater.

Employers are increasingly concerned that their inability to hire employees with the technical skills they need will affect their capacity to innovate, increase production, and expand internationally. Make no mistake: America's future economic prosperity is on the line.

High schools, community colleges, and universities have been slow to respond, struggling to adapt their curriculum to keep pace with the rapidly evolving needs of industry. There is a need to innovate and encourage partnerships between educators in the private sector to better prepare the next generation of skilled technical workers.

Apprenticeships have garnered significant attention in recent years because of the potential to bridge the STEM skills gap. Apprenticeships offer workers practical hands-on training, nationally recognized credentials, and the potential to earn credit towards an associate's or bachelor's degree. At the completion of an apprenticeship, most workers are on the path to a long-term, well-paying career with little or no education-related debt.

By investing in education and on-the-job training for their workers, employers can develop a workforce equipped with a set of skills tailored to the specific needs of their businesses.

Despite the benefits for employers and employees, apprenticeships remain underutilized in the United States when compared with other developed nations. President Obama first called for expanded access to apprenticeships in his 2014 State of the Union Address. In 2016, Congress appropriated funding for the Department of Labor in support of expanding entrepreneurships.

H.R. 5509 builds on these efforts and ongoing activities at the National Science Foundation by providing support for the improvement of STEM degree programs and apprenticeship programs in partnership with universities and local employers. This legislation also supports research to find lessons learned from international approaches to skilled technical workforce development.

Mr. Speaker, we must prepare a workforce that keeps pace with needs of industry if we are to reach our full economic potential and remain the global leaders in innovation. H.R. 5509 is a good step in that direction.

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

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 5509 because it recognizes the great work under way in National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program. This program works to promote the development of our STEM technical workforce and ensures that it continues to be prioritized going forward.

As my colleagues are aware, I have two degrees in engineering. My wife also has a degree in math. This is part of the reason I am an ardent supporter of STEM education, especially education that is aligned with the requirements for in-demand careers.

One such program in my district is called the National Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance at Moraine Valley Community College. Since 2003, it has received Advanced Technological Education funding from NSF to be a national center of excellence in cybersecurity education. The college provides students with real-world learning experiences and provides curriculum, instructional materials, and professional development for cybersecurity educators around the world.

We all know that there is a massive nationwide need for cybersecurity professionals. According to the Department of Homeland Security's National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, there are currently over 301,000 open jobs in cybersecurity, including over 13,000 in the public sector.

To make progress in meeting this need as well as the need in other STEM fields, we will need many more innovative education programs like the one at Moraine Valley and those promoted by H.R. 5509. This type of education benefits students, employers, our economy, and our national security, and it is worthy of this Chamber's support.

I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson for their work on this bill. I thank Chairman Smith for his bipartisan work on the three bills that we are doing here tonight, and I am hopeful that perhaps there will be more to do before the end of this Congress.

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

Mr. Speaker, today we are considering three good bills from the Science Committee: H.R. 5509, the Innovation in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act; H.R. 6229, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Reauthorization Act of 2018; and, H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act. I support each of these bills, and look forward to their passage.

I want to thank Majority leader McCarthy for introducing H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. This legislation directs the National Science Foundation to support research to improve STEM degree programs and apprenticeships in partnership with the private sector. H.R. 5509 also supports labor market research to draw upon lessons learned in countries already benefitting from an emphasis on apprenticeships and skilled-based learning. This is a good bill that will help to bring the education and training our students receive more in line with the skills employers value most. This will benefit those preparing to enter an ever-changing job market, employers seeking to innovate and increase production, and our economy as a whole. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.

H.R. 6229, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Reauthorization Act of

2018, is a two-year, bipartisan reauthorization of programs and activities for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. I am glad to see that this bill increases funding levels for the agency's laboratory programs and funds research and standards facilitation for important issues such as advanced communications, cybersecurity and privacy, internet of things, quantum information science, artificial intelligence research, and infrastructure resilience. I am glad to support this bill today, and furthermore, urge my colleagues to support increased funding in the future for crucial laboratory infrastructure enhancements on the NIST campuses.

H.R. 6398, The Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act, authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to address complex, large data management challenges associated with veterans' health care issues. Specifically, it aims to leverage DOE's expertise in high performance computing in order to analyze VA-provided health and genomics data.

This bill also directs DOE to carry out a two-year research pilot program to advance research in artificial intelligence and data analytics for a broad range of potential applications. It provides the Secretary with the authority to establish user facilities capable of securely storing large data sets created by Federal agencies, academic institutions, or industry at DOE National Laboratories. I appreciate the need to utilize the entire resource base of the Federal government to address the needs of our veterans' health care. This bill provides an important tool to try and make our veterans lives better, and I strongly support the bill's passage.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentleman from South Carolina, Congressman Ralph Norman, for yielding me this time to speak in support of his bill, H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.

I also want to say, I appreciate his serving as vice chairman of the Environment Subcommittee on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

This important legislation was approved unanimously by the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and is cosponsored by 15 members of the committee.

H.R. 6398 authorizes the Department of Energy to conduct collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs to address complex challenges in veterans' healthcare by using advanced computational tools.

Currently, DOE and the VA collaborate through the MVP-CHAMPION initiative. The VA collects genomic and healthcare data from veterans who have volunteered for the program and then securely transfers it to DOE, where it is stored and analyzed in a secure site at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

This partnership and exchange of data benefits both DOE and the VA and provides valuable services to our veterans.

DOE is the Nation's largest Federal supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. It funds programs in applied mathematics and computer and computational science.

Under this program, authorized by Mr. Norman's bill, VA researchers gain access to DOE's high performance computing research facilities and significant resources, including DOE's extensive expertise in data analysis and complex modeling.

This could help the VA make discoveries about the causes and warning signs of various diseases. It will also speed up care for veterans' critical medical needs and help the VA develop more effective treatments in the future.

By giving DOE access to such a large database of information, the VA will help DOE researchers improve their ability to develop next- generation computing systems, algorithms, and models. These are capabilities that are critical to maintaining U.S. science and technology leadership.

H.R. 6398 also authorizes a 2-year research pilot program to advance basic research in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and computational science.

This pilot program supports DOE's efforts to improve the application of advanced data analysis techniques to big data challenges.

Congressman Norman's DOE Veterans' Health Initiative Act promotes improved healthcare for American servicemen and -women. It facilitates more high-yielding DOE collaborations, maximizes resources, and gives other Federal agencies, academia, and industry the opportunity to benefit from the Energy Department's R&D expertise.

We can thank Representatives Ralph Norman and Neal Dunn for championing collaboration and basic research to support our veterans and American innovation.

I also want to thank Chairman Roe of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for his help and cooperation in bringing this bill before the House this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will support this bill.