Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman who has done so much extraordinary work in leading the Science Committee and bringing this forward.

Madam Speaker, I rise with great enthusiasm in support of this legislation because it is so highly consequential for our country. If anyone is concerned about supply chains, this legislation is for you. If we are concerned about inflation as a result of supply chain issues, we have policies in this that are going to speak to it.

I am very proud that four of my bills are included in the underlying bill. They deal with chip material and equipment production to the API that is used for drugs that are manufactured overseas and that we need to bring back to the United States. We have created a comprehensive study so that we can really study wireless network cybersecurity and also to educate the public on best cyber recommendations.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues. This is really nonpartisan legislation. It is about keeping America competitive, moving our greatness ahead, making sure we address where we are lagging. It will be good for our entire country, for its workers, and our economy.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, critical legislation to ensure America maintains its leadership in science and technology on the global stage and invests where we are lagging.

The legislation includes $52 billion to fund the CHIPS for America Act, authorizing legislation I was proud to cosponsor last Congress. Additionally, the America COMPETES Act, includes four of my bills:

(1) Section 10002(a)(1) is based on H.R. 6359, the Investing in Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation I introduced to bolster American semiconductor production and supply chains by expanding the eligibility of the programs authorized under the CHIPS for America Act to include manufacturers of semiconductor materials and equipment. I thank Rep. Trent Kelly, along with Senators Gary Peters, Rob Portman, Marsha Blackburn, and Mark Kelly for partnering with me on this important legislation.

(2) Section 20403 is based on H.R. 6483, the Improved Transparency of Foreign Drug Manufacturing Act, which is a bill I introduced that directs the Food and Drug Administration to collect additional information on drugs and the active pharmaceutical ingredients that are manufactured overseas every three months instead of annually. This will help to better identify the drugs that are most dependent on foreign supply chains. This is legislation that the FDA testified is needed during a House Health Subcommittee hearing.

(3) Section 20102 is based on H.R. 2685, the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act, bipartisan legislation which requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct a comprehensive study on the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of our 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. There have been many one-off reports from agencies, universities, companies, and think tanks, but we need a comprehensive study on what vulnerabilities exist and what has been addressed, so that policymakers have the full picture. I thank Rep. Adam Kinzinger for partnering with me on this legislation which passed the House on December 1, 2021, as a standalone bill.

(4) Section 20107 is based on H.R. 4055, the American Cybersecurity Literacy Act, bipartisan legislation I co-led with Rep. Kinzinger, along with Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Thune, that requires the Department of Commerce to conduct a public education campaign to improve cyber literacy among the American populace. H.R. 4055 passed the House on December 1, 2021.

I thank Chairman Frank Pallone and Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for including an update to the bill in the manager's amendment based on Rules Amendment No. 57 that I authored.

In addition to the above provisions, I thank the Rules Committee for making in order three of my amendments for consideration by the House, and I ask my colleagues to vote for them:

Amendment No. 75, which appears as the new Paragraph (4) of Section 10002(b), amends a requirement in the CHIPS for America Act for an existing GAO study to include an evaluation of demand-side incentives (i.e., role of government as a buyer of technology) for alleviating semiconductor shortages in the information communications and technology industry and in other industries.

Amendment No. 76 creates a new Section 50105 based on H.R. 6541, the Improving Cybersecurity of Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Local Governments Act, which is my bipartisan and bicameral bill that directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to publish an annual report to promote evidence-based policies and controls that small entities (i.e., small businesses, nonprofits, local governments) may employ to improve cybersecurity. The provision also requires a Commerce Department annual report on barriers that small entities face in implementing cybersecurity policies and controls. I thank Reps. William Timmons, Jamie Raskin, and Ed Case for cosponsoring my amendment and bill, and I thank Senators Jacky Rosen and John Cornyn for their leadership on this bill in the Senate.

Amendment No. 77 creates a new Section 3 that directs the President to ensure that the provisions of the America COMPETES Act which are aimed at countering the influence of the Chinese Communist Party are implemented in a manner that does not result in discrimination against people of Asian descent. I thank Rep. Judy Chu, Chairwoman of

the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, for partnering with me on this highly important amendment.

The legislation before us is critical for our national security and economic competitiveness, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the rich life and distinguished career of Leonard Ware. Leonard was born on January 19, 1928, in Everett, Washington, and died at his Palo Alto home on December 19, 2021. With him at his death bed were his wife Jeanne, and his dog Jake.

Leonard Ware earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from Syracuse University in 1953. He was a member of the honorary legal society Phi Delta Phi.

Leo served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Washington from 1953 to 1955, and was a member of the Palo Alto Planning Commission from 1965 to 1968. He was a member of the Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, Washington State and American Bar Associations. He was also a member of the State Bar of California and the California Trial Lawyers Association, as well as the Palo Alto Club and the Bohemian Club.

Based on a handshake in 1969, Leo and his friend John Freidenrich established their law firm which became known as Ware Fletcher and Freidenrich. The firm prospered, merged several times and was eventually acquired by the global firm of DLA Piper.

Leo went to Mississippi in the `60s to register Black voters and was a staunch supporter of civil rights laws. He was an original investor in Embarcadero Media, on the original board of University National Bank and Trust, and with his wife, was a strong supporter of many non-profit organizations.

Leo loved spending time at his ranch in Morgan Hill where he raised animals and grew grapes, and he will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege to know him.

Leo leaves his wife of 62 years, Jeanne, and his daughters Laura and Pamela, his son Lincoln, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. His daughter Jennifer predeceased him.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our condolences to Leonard Ware's family, and in honoring Leo for the excellence of his life, his work and his countless contributions. We are a better community and a stronger country because of him.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Maloney for her special leadership. I am so proud of my classmate.

Madam Speaker, as we gather here on the floor, it really is a somber day here at the Capitol with the remains of the former majority leader of the Senate, Senator Robert Dole. He was a man who fought for our democracy, paid for it in terms of the injuries that he sustained during the war, and came to Congress to defend our democracy.

That is what we are doing here on the floor of the House. We are working to protect our democracy. I am proud that my legislation is included in this. Let me say a few words about it.

Since Watergate, Presidential candidates and Vice Presidential candidates voluntarily put their tax returns out to the public. In 2016, there were two that were running, one on each side, that did not do that. I observed it. I was upset about it. I wrote legislation on it.

Madam Speaker, what this legislation does is make it a requirement for those who seek the Presidency and the Vice Presidency to put out to the public their tax returns. Why? Tax returns contain vital information: whether a candidate has paid any taxes, what assets they own, how much they have borrowed, who they borrowed it from, have they taken advantage of tax loopholes of offshore tax shelters, whether they have foreign bank accounts, and if they have made charitable contributions.

Truth and transparency need to be a part of the democratic process. I am very proud and grateful that my legislation is contained in a bill that overall is called the Protecting Our Democracy Act.

Madam Speaker, all colleagues should vote for this because we raised our hands and pledged to protect our democracy and defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of seven bills that originated in the Health Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce which I have the privilege to chair. These bipartisan bills address the following: health threats to newborns including stillbirth, newborn hearing loss, and birth defects; improving cardiac care and oral health literacy; providing needed mental health support to doctors and other health care professionals; and improving diversity in the allied health workforce.

H.R. 5487, the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021 seeks to reduce the impact of stillbirth by increasing research and data collection to address the tragedy of the 24,000 babies who are stillborn in the U.S. every year. I thank my colleagues Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Markwayne Mullin, and Kathy Castor for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021 reauthorizes programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to address hearing loss in newborns. I thank my colleagues Reps. Brett Guthrie and Doris Matsui for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 5551, the Improving the Health of Children Act reauthorizes the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. This critical center at the CDC helps advance the health of babies born with birth defects, developmental disabilities, blood disorders and other disabilities. I thank my colleagues Reps. Buddy Carter and Lori Trahan for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act funds NIH and CDC research and public education for valvular heart disease. The bill is named in honor of Carol Leavell Barr, the wife of Rep. Andy Barr, who died last year of sudden cardiac arrest, and I thank him for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 1667, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is named after Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency department doctor who died by suicide last year. Physicians have the highest suicide rate of any profession, and this legislation provides grant funding for suicide- prevention and peer-support at healthcare facilities. It also helps ensure healthcare professionals can ask for mental health help without facing negative consequences in their careers. I thank Reps. Susan Wild and David McKinley for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 3320, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021 establishes a grant program to improve diversity in the physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions. I thank Reps. Bobby Rush and Markwayne Mullin for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021 directs the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct a public education campaign to improve awareness of oral health. I thank Reps. Tony Cardenas and Gus Bilirakis for authoring this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to vote for these bills and I thank the members of the House Health Subcommittee and the bipartisan sponsors of each bill for their good work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the strongest support of this legislation, Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS. It is called the ACT for ALS.

As chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, I am so proud to have advanced this legislation which enjoys 331 bipartisan cosponsors, more than any other bill pending in the House. This legislation establishes grant programs to advance treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, allowing more patients to receive critical medicines through compassionate care programs.

Jamie Berry, one of my constituents, wrote a poignant letter to me, and said the following: ``With ALS, a piece of you dies every day. We are simply asking for a fighting chance to live the lives we were meant to live.'' As we gather here to pass this bill, Jamie is a patient in the neuro ICU unit at Stanford University Hospital.

Jamie, if you are listening, stay tuned, because your wish is going to come true today. To you, Jamie, and all your fellow ALS patients, I am proud that the United States House of Representatives will vote for this legislation to support your fighting chance against this deadly disease.

This is a transformational bill to make sure that people with ALS are given treatment options, and something they all deserve--it is spelled H-O-P-E, hope.

I salute Representatives Quigley and Fortenberry, for the phenomenal job they have done on this legislation, both in introducing it and building it up to be the most cosponsored legislation in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the bill, ACT for

Madam Speaker, I was unable to be present during roll call vote number 397. I would like the record to reflect how I would have voted:

On rollcall vote number 397, I would have voted ``yes.''

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Adams (Brown (MD))

Cardenas (Soto)

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

Curtis (Meijer)

DeFazio (Carbajal)

Frankel, Lois (Kuster)

Fulcher (Johnson (OH))

Garcia (TX) (Jeffries)

Green (TX) (Cuellar)

Hagedorn (Moolenaar)

Kildee (Ryan)

Lawrence (Johnson (GA))

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Lesko (Miller (WV))

Meng (Kuster)

Moore (UT) (Owens)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Payne (Pallone)

Porter (Wexton)

Posey (Cammack)

Reed (Kelly (PA))

Reschenthaler (Meuser)

Ruiz (Aguilar)

Rush (Quigley)

Sires (Pallone)

Stewart (Owens)

Swalwell (Gomez)

Takano (Chu)

Tiffany (Arrington)

Underwood (Casten)

Vela (Gomez)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3743, the ``Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act,'' bipartisan legislation I'm proud to co-lead with Rep. Hudson.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of seven bills that originated in the Health Subcommittee of Energy & Commerce. I'm proud of my Subcommittee's bipartisan work on these critical bills which tackle hard problems, including substance use treatment, vaccine access, and the social inequities that result in poor health outcomes, especially for mothers and people of color.

Two of the bills we're considering help address the overdose crisis our nation currently faces. According to the CDC, overdose deaths spiked after the start of the pandemic. There were 93,000 overdose deaths in 2020, a 30 percent increase from the year prior, making 2020 the deadliest year for overdoses on record, with synthetic opioids the primary driver of the overall increase in overdose deaths across America.

H.R. 2355, the ``Opioid Prescription Verification Act of 2021,'' enables HHS and the CDC to help combat this urgent overdose epidemic by facilitating responsible, informed dispensing of controlled substances. I thank my colleagues Reps. Rodney Davis, Gus Bilirakis, and Ann Wagner for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 2364, the ``Synthetic Opioid Danger Awareness Act,'' directs the CDC to conduct a public awareness campaign on the dangers of synthetic opioids and available treatments. It also requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to make educational materials for first responders about synthetic opioid exposure prevention. I thank my colleagues Reps. Andy Kim and Chris Pappas for authoring this legislation.

The next three bills aim to ensure that every American, no matter their age. race, or income, are empowered to receive the ``dose of hope'' from vaccine protection. As we've seen during the pandemic, there are lifesaving benefits of safe, effective, and free vaccines.

H.R. 951, the ``Maternal Vaccination Act,'' helps to enhance maternal health care quality and outcomes. It authorizes $2 million annually for the next four years to increase awareness of the importance of combatting vaccine-preventable infection diseases during pregnancy. In the United States, pregnant women and infants are disproportionately susceptible to complications of infectious diseases such as influenza and whooping cough. Available vaccine data shows that vaccinations against these diseases confer protection to both mothers and newborns with no increased risk of adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes, and they are highly recommended by the CDC. I thank my colleague Rep. Terri Sewell for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 550, the ``Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021,'' will create a national policy framework and provide resources to improve immunization information systems allowing for better management of routine vaccinations and enhancing our public health response to future pandemics. I thank my colleagues Reps. Ann Kuster and Larry Bucshon for their leadership authoring this legislation.

H.R. 1550, the ``PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021,'' will create a national CDC public awareness campaign targeted to communities with the lowest HPV vaccination rates to increase vaccinations and prevent HPV cancers. I thank my colleague Rep. Kathy Castor for her leadership authoring this legislation.

The final two bills address social inequities that result in poor health outcomes and hurt the most vulnerable amongst us.

H.R. 4026, the ``Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021,'' calls for a GAO report on the HHS Secretary's actions to help inform Congress' next steps in addressing the factors that are at the heart of the health disparities across the country. I thank my colleagues Reps. Michael Burgess and Lisa Blunt Rochester for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 3894, the ``CARING for Social Determinants Act of 2021,'' directs the HHS to provide guidance to states on how to address social determinants of health through Medicaid and CHIP. I thank my colleagues Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Gus Bilirakis for authoring this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to vote for these bills and I thank the members of the House Health Subcommittee and the bipartisan sponsors of each bill for their good work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Robert James Hanson, a resident of La Honda, California, a beloved Menlo Park merchant and a longtime friend.

Bob Hanson was born in Kansas on November 17, 1953, to Vivian and Robert Hanson, and died on October 4, 2021, in Palo Alto, California. He is survived by his wife, Katie and his three children, Maddie, R.J. and Mathew. He is also survived by his mother, 3 siblings, his beloved granddaughter Agnes and many nephews and nieces.

Bob was a graduate of the University of Kansas and while in college worked at Mister Guys, a job that led him to a successful career in the clothing business. Bob and his wife Katie met while they were both working at the Ralph Lauren store in the Stanford Shopping Center. Bob said they were ``struck by the entrepreneurial spirit'' and in 1990 they founded Afterwards, a pioneering clothing consignment shop located in the heart of the Menlo Park business district. They later expanded into an adjacent property to sell home furnishings.

Those who knew Bob describe him as warm, friendly, engaging and classy, a wonderful man who always made time to chat. He had exceptional taste, a gentle smile, charm and was always ready with a quick witticism. He was the consummate businessman who always made his clients feel welcome and appreciated. He was all of this and more.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in expressing our deepest condolences to the entire Hanson family. It is my hope that these words and those of so many others will bring solace to them as they grieve the loss of this wonderful man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4055, the ``American Cybersecurity Literacy Act,'' bipartisan legislation I co- led to educate the American public about basic cybersecurity issues.

Cyberattacks and data breaches are increasingly common, costing private companies and consumers billions of dollars and exposing the private information of countless Americans. As attackers become more sophisticated, Americans must have the tools to identify risks and protect themselves from attacks.

This bipartisan legislation requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency within the Department of Commerce, to conduct a public education campaign to improve cyber literacy of the American populace by providing information about common cybersecurity risks and best practices that can mitigate those risks.

During the Energy and Commerce Committee markup of the legislation, I offered an amendment to make several technical and minor edits to the legislation to ensure the language is as effective as possible. One of those changes ensures that the cyber literacy campaign required by the bill also encourages Americans to install cybersecurity patches associated with software and apps they use. Installing patches is one of the most effective tools consumers can use to protect themselves. When companies offer updates to their software and apps, they often include code that ``patches'' recently identified vulnerabilities. Cyberattacks are often conducted by exploiting known vulnerabilities and consumers can avoid their systems being exploited by installing patches as soon as they're available.

I thank Rep. Kinzinger, Chairman Pallone, and Ranking Member McMorris Rodgers for their partnership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2685, the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act, bipartisan legislation I'm proud to have authored.

While all of us are inundated by advertisements for 5G, nearly all of our calls, texts, and mobile data traverse through 2G, 3G, and 4G networks today. We're moving toward a 5G world, but for the foreseeable future these older networks will handle most of our wireless communications.

Since cellphones became common in the 1990s, government agencies, academics, think tanks, industry associations, and independent researchers have discovered various cybersecurity vulnerabilities in our wireless networks. Wireless network companies, mobile devices manufacturers, and other companies have responded to many of these vulnerabilities, but recent cybersecurity developments depict that vulnerabilities continue to exit in mobile cybersecurity. For example, Stingray's cell site simulators continue to intercept calls, texts, and mobile data of unwitting victims; SIM swaps are increasing as a means of identity fraud; and mobile spyware made by NSO Group and others has threatened the safety of journalists, activists, dissidents, and government officials around the globe. ln each of these instances companies have taken certain actions to mitigate threats, but we lack a sophisticated, comprehensive, and independent assessment of what vulnerabilities persist, what issues have been resolved, and where mobile cybersecurity policymaking should be focused.

H.R 2685 solves this lack of information. The legislation requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to conduct a comprehensive study on the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of our 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.

Specifically, the study will include an assessment of responses to known vulnerabilities and deployment of best practices; an estimate of the prevalence of effective encryption and authentication techniques,

along with a discussion of barriers to adopting more efficacious techniques; a discussion of the prevalence, costs, availability, and usage of cell site simulators and other surveillance and interception technologies.

In addition to coordinating with DHS, the NTIA is required to consult the various federal agencies with relevant expertise, academic and independent researchers, multistakeholder and international organizations, and industry groups. While the report will be public, it will include a classified annex so details about vulnerabilities that could aid our adversaries are not publicized.

I first introduced the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act last Congress with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and I thank him for his continued partnership on the legislation, and I thank Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Doyle and Ranking Member Latta and the Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Rodgers, for their support of this legislation

I ask my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 2685

Madam Speaker, I rise in full support of the Build Back Better Act.

This is a historic day for the American people and for the future of our country because this legislation is the most transformative investment in our people in more than half a century.

As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, I'm proud that the bill allows Medicare to negotiate the prices it pays for prescription drugs, just as the VA has for many years. Our bill also caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors at $2,000 annually, caps the monthly price of insulin for patients with diabetes at $35, expands the Affordable Care Act to lower insurance premiums by an average of $600 per person per year, and brings health insurance coverage to four million uninsured Americans.

We're voting to tackle the climate crisis with the largest clean energy investment in our country's history. Climate change poses an existential threat to our country and our planet, and this bill recognizes the scale of these problems by putting the U.S. on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and meet our climate goals under the Paris Agreement.

This legislation dramatically lowers the cost of childcare and makes pre-K universal for all three and four year olds in our country. Under the bill, the vast majority of American families will pay no more than seven percent of their income on childcare. We also improve elder care by investing $150 billion to provide quality home-based care for seniors and people with disabilities.

Every American family with an income of less than $150,000 will continue to receive monthly payments from the expanded Child Tax Credit for another year. This tax credit has already lifted three million children out of poverty.

Very importantly, the bill restores deductibility of state and local taxes (SALT). Prior to the harmful $10,000 cap that was put into place in the 2017 Trump tax cut law, my constituents claimed an average SALT deduction of $63,083. This bill raises the cap to $80,000 until 2030, without adding a cent to the deficit.

All of these policies are fully paid for without raising taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 per year. Revenue is raised through a new 15 percent minimum tax on businesses that report more than $1 billion in profits to shareholders. This ends the shameful practice of large, profitable businesses paying zero in income taxes. It also raises taxes on the wealthiest 0.02 percent of Americans with a five percent surtax on incomes of more than $ 10 million and a further three percent on incomes over $25 million. Finally, the bill provides robust funding for IRS tax enforcement to crack down on tax cheats which the Treasury Department estimates will raise $400 billion in revenue.

I came to Congress to solve problems and better the lives of the American people. The Build Back Better Act is an economic launching pad for the middle class and working families. Let history record that House Democrats came together to pass legislation to drastically improve the lives of the American people and that sadly, not one Republican chose to join us.

Madam Speaker, I wish to raise the need for congressional action in two areas that are critical for the privacy rights of Americans and the economic competitiveness of American companies and startups. We need a comprehensive privacy law to protect Americans in commercial contexts, and we need to reform surveillance laws relating to government collection of personal information.

As a Representative of Silicon Valley, I'm proud of the countless innovations my constituents have brought forward that improve the lives of billions of people, but I also recognize that our country needs a comprehensive privacy law. In November 2019, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and I first introduced the Online Privacy Act to protect individuals, encourage innovation, and take a major step towards restoring trust in technology. We are preparing to reintroduce this bill in the coming days. Our legislation creates privacy rights for users, places clear privacy obligations on companies, establishes a Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) to enforce privacy protections and investigate abuses, and strengthens enforcement by empowering state attorneys general to enforce privacy violations and allowing individuals to appoint nonprofits to represent them in private class-action lawsuits. Importantly, the U.S. is the only industrialized country that lacks an agency focused on privacy law. Our legislation fixes that issue.

We must also reconsider laws that authorize the Intelligence Community to collect and process personal information. Having served for nearly a decade on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have a deep regard for our national security needs. However, I also recognize how our needs have evolved and how authorizations Congress enacted two decades ago have been abused. Specifically, we must limit the collection and retention of surveillance data under Executive Order 12333 regarding intelligence surveillance and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I've joined proposals to reform these laws in the past and I believe Congress must prioritize these issues, not only to protect privacy but also because they directly impact our economy.

In 2015, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) struck down an agreement between the U.S. and EU known as Safe Harbor. In explaining its decision to invalidate the agreement, the Court cited concerns with lack of judicial redress and EU citizens' fundamental rights to privacy, codified in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. In response to the invalidation of this agreement, the U.S. and EU came to another data agreement known as Privacy Shield with stronger privacy protections. In July 2020 the ECJ struck down this agreement too, again due to the breadth of U.S. surveillance laws. Plainly put, the ECJ ruling highlights that EU citizens--and Americans--cannot easily challenge the uses of their data by our Intelligence Community using our judicial system. The decision harms U.S. companies by creating uncertainty in the market and restricting access to data that many small businesses, startups, and other companies rely on to remain competitive.

I have joined efforts by Representatives Lofgren and Massie to reform Section 702 of FISA to prohibit the warrantless search of online communications and prohibit the federal government from pressuring companies to build encryption ``backdoors,'' and I intend to keep fighting for these needed reforms.

I urge my colleagues to pass legislative reforms to surveillance laws that respect privacy and enable American economic competitiveness, while also respecting our national security needs. We must devote our energies to achieving these objectives.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to be present during Roll Call vote number 341. On Roll Call vote number 341, I would have voted YES.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Steve Blank, an entrepreneur who has inspired thousands of innovators to solve some of the world's most pressing problems.

Steve Blank was born in New York City to immigrant parents and attended the University of Michigan for one semester. He then served his country for four years in the U.S. Air Force, repairing fighter planes in Thailand.

Steve Blank was fortunate to return to Silicon Valley in the exciting 1970s. He worked for 21 years in high tech, and founded many companies, including Zilog, MIPS Computers, Convergent Technologies, E.piphany (now Epiphany) and retired in 1999. In the mid-1990s, he created the Customer Development model that focused on distinguishing between companies that execute business models as opposed to startups that search for them, thus launching the LeanStartup movement.

In 2011, Mr. Blank created the LeanLaunchPad experiential entrepreneurship class at Stanford University, Columbia Business School, and UC Berkeley. The LeanLaunchPad changed the way entrepreneurship is taught by giving students hands-on experience in what it takes to start a company instead of having them write business plans. Also in 2011, the National Science Foundation adopted Mr. Blank's LeanLaunchPad curriculum for its Innovation Corps (I-Corps), in order to help the nation's leading scientists and engineers learn how to take their tech ideas from the lab to the marketplace. The NSF I- Corps is now the standard for how scientific research is commercialized in the U.S. It has been adopted by other federal research agencies (including NIH, DOE, HHS, and NSA), and has trained 1,900 teams, and launched over 1,000 startups.

In 2016, Mr. Blank, Joe Felter, and Pete Newell created Hacking for Defense (H4D) at Stanford University--the first in a series of mission- driven entrepreneurship courses to provide a new platform for national service and change the way critical national security problems are solved. H4D is supported by

Congress and taught at 48 universities in the U.S. and at universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. H4D also gave rise to several sister courses that are accelerating mission-driven entrepreneurship in other sectors and policy arenas. These courses include: Hacking for Diplomacy, Hacking for Oceans, Hacking for Cities, Hacking for Energy, Hacking for Homeland Security, Hacking for Recovery, and Hacking for Climate and Sustainability.

As a result of Mr. Blank's work, hundreds of students at universities across the U.S. are engaged right now in a new form of national service, helping to create a pipeline of innovation for our nation as they solve real problems at startup speed. As a result of their experience in a LeanLaunchPad or ``Hacking for X'' courses, many of these students are choosing careers in the public sector.

Steve Blank has written many books, teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford and other distinguished institutions, and has earned numerous accolades for his innovative work. He was listed as one of the Masters of Innovation by the Harvard Business Review and one of the 30 Most Influential People in Tech by Forbes. He won the 2013 Silicon Valley Visionary Forum award, and with his wife was honored with the 2013 Environmental Leadership Award. He has often been a commencement speaker and his speech at Philadelphia University was ranked one of 300 best commencement speeches in the last 300 years by NPR.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring Steve Blank on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the LeanLaunchPad and the 5th Anniversary of H4D. Steve Blank has made our students wiser, our environment cleaner and our country stronger. He is a national treasure.