Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 2809, the ``American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017''. Before turning to my substantive concerns with the bill, I must note my disappointment with the process followed by the Majority--a process that led to the Majority's putting this bill on today's suspension calendar without any attempt to engage with the Minority to address our concerns in the ten months since the bill was marked up in the Science Committee. That is not the way we should be legislating in this House.

However, here we are. I would anticipate that very few Members have had any opportunity to review this legislation or to examine the issues it raises. So in my remaining time, I will attempt to identify a few of the concerns I have with this bill.

First, H.R. 2809 proposes a significant realignment of governmental space organizations, and a very significant increase in the responsibilities and authorities to be given the Department of Commerce's Office of Space Commerce--an office that currently has only a handful of employees. These would include the authorization and supervision of nongovernmental space activities. At the same time, the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA AST), which has built up significant expertise and staff over the years in the areas of licensing commercial space launches and reentries and which has coordinated authorization of a non-traditional space mission, would have no significant role in any of the commercial space activities covered in this bill beyond launch and reentry licenses. As a result, DoC will have to build a new bureaucracy to carry out its new duties, and in the process have to duplicate the skills that already reside in FAA's AST. All of this would be set in motion without a single House hearing on the proposal or any other substantive review of it.

At the same time that the Department of Commerce is given those significant new responsibilities, including ensuring compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, something that has been and is a core responsibility of the State Department, the bill would significantly limit DoC's ability to disapprove a certification application as long as the paperwork is complete, regardless of any non-Outer Space Treaty- related concerns involving U.S. international obligations that the application might raise. Again, all of these measures are included in the bill without any substantive prior congressional review of the proposals. I could go on and cite other examples, but in the interests of time I will just note that the bill also would significantly weaken the enforcement of the international standards and guidelines covering ``planetary protection'', i.e., the prevention of contamination of scientifically important sites on planetary surfaces or moons that might accrue from commercial space activities. These standards and guidelines were largely shaped by NASA through years of engagement in relevant international bodies, but the bill would replace them with a largely laissez-faire approach to the problem of potential contamination by commercial space activities.

Mr. Speaker, I will stop with that example. I could cite concerns raised by a number of agencies, including NASA, but the reality is that none of them are going to be resolved by today's House debate on the suspension bill H.R. 2809. The potential for unintended negative consequences from provisions that have not been thoroughly vetted should give all of us pause, as should the pages and pages of comments from agencies such as NASA that warrant attention before the Congress finalizes legislation. For example, NASA's has raised a concern about the bill's ambiguity as to whether its activities will be subject to the oversight of another federal agency, especially those that involve the use of commercial services as part of a NASA mission, which could adversely impact its ability to carry out its challenging initiatives.

In closing, the bill before us attempts to address important issues that need our attention if we are to appropriately balance the needs of the emerging commercial space industry and the government's responsibility to protect the interests of America's citizens and honor our international obligations. It makes a positive contribution to the debate on how best to proceed in undertaking future commercial and governmental space endeavors. However, for the reasons I have already discussed, I think the bill is only partially successful in that attempt. In any event, many of these complex issues are not going to be resolved by a single piece of legislation and will likely require legislative efforts over multiple Congresses. That said, the bill before us does represent a useful starting point for discussion and debate. As a result, I do not intend to oppose this bill moving out of the House today. Instead, if after this bill leaves the House, the Senate decides to engage on this legislation or its own legislative approach, I hope and expect that the issues I have flagged today--along with others--will receive the bicameral scrutiny that they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Lipinski for his leadership on this issue and for introducing this legislation.

Scientific research conducted at our nation's universities and national laboratories has had an undeniable impact on our daily lives. The societal impacts of research have been varied. Scientific advances have improved public health and safety, increased our national security, enhanced our quality of life, and advanced our economic competitiveness.

The societal benefit of research is only realized if the science successfully makes it out of the laboratory. This does not always happen, and in fact, the successful commercialization of scientific advances is largely the exception, rather than the rule.

The path from the laboratory to the market is difficult to navigate. Many promising ideas are never considered for commercialization, while some researchers invest significant time and money into launching a startup only to realize that there is no market for their innovation.

The commercialization of scientific research is an important driver of economic growth. Now, more than ever, global competition is pushing companies to innovate and incorporate new technologies into their business models. At the same time, researchers are generating innovative products, processes, and services with the potential to transform entire industries.

To maintain our position as the global leader in technological innovation, we must ensure that we are realizing the full economic potential of federal investment in research. Other countries have caught on to research as one of the secrets to our success, and they are nipping at our heels.

To accelerate and streamline the process of maximizing the impact of research beyond the laboratory, the National Science Foundation launched its Innovation Corps, or I-Corps, program in 2011. The NSF I- Corps program leverages existing curriculum, tools, and educational resources to prepare grantees to identify and pursue commercial opportunities with their NSF-funded research.

Since it was established, the I-Corps program has successfully provided entrepreneurship training to nearly 3,000 individuals at over 200 universities. Combined, I-Corps grantees have raised over $100 million, with $30 million coming from private investors. Grantees have used the skills and networks they gained from their I-Corps training to start over 360 companies.

The success of I-Corps has generated significant interest from individuals outside of academia. The Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2018 expands the reach of I-Corps by extending eligibility to SBIR grantees and other outside entities. The bill also builds upon the existing I-Corps curriculum by adding a course to help research ventures that are ready to be brought to market.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, a major responsibility of the farm bill is intended to address the growing issue of food insecurity in America. As a matter of fact, roughly one out of every six individuals in Dallas County will go to sleep each night not knowing where their next meal will come from.

Hunger is not just a major issue within any one district, but it is one that affects Americans in virtually every district in every part of the country. It is an important issue. It is one on which Congress needs to focus.

Sadly, the farm bill introduced last week will hurt far more Americans than it will help. The proposed changes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program within the farm bill are downright draconian. SNAP was intended to help the poor so they can find meaningful work on a full stomach. The new proposed work requirements would starve individuals who are unable to find sustainable employment due to economic, medical, or family-related issues.

Organizations such as Feeding America and the Food Research & Action Center have come out opposing these changes because they would lead to an increase in hungry Americans and is counterproductive to solving America's hunger problem. It is much harder to climb out of poverty and onto a path of independence when you must devote much of your energy in wondering where your next meal may come from.

Instead of throwing people off SNAP, Congress should be focused on giving greater access to nutritional meals so that these individuals are able to go on living their lives and trying to find employment that will get them out of poverty and into the middle class.

SNAP was intended to assist the working poor to ensure they are able to put food on the table for their children. These changes would throw many children off the program and subsequently deny access for them to get food from school breakfast and lunch programs. The cuts in SNAP benefits for these students would force them to face the challenges of hunger in addition to the rigors of school.

Countless studies show that students retain more information when their focus is on school in front of them and not on the fear that they will go to bed hungry.

Making certain that the next generation of Americans have every opportunity to grow up with a healthy diet and learn on a full stomach is not just an investment in the fight against hunger; it is also an investment in this country's future.

Mr. Speaker, I speak not just for African Americans. The majority of the ones who are utilizing this program are non-African American, and the majority are Anglo Americans. So Congress should be working together to strengthen the program so that it fulfills its original goal: ensuring that all Americans, regardless of ethnic origin or status, have the dignity of a day's work and a day's worth of food.

Mr. Speaker, many districts' voices have been muted through the intentional gerrymandering so that they don't have to address the poorest people.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to address all of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of the second annual March for Science which took place this past weekend on Saturday, April 14, 2018, in Washington and at locations across the globe. I want to voice my strong support for it. While it is somewhat disheartening that there is a need for this march, I am proud to see the public celebrating the role science plays in our daily lives, supporting the future of evidence-based science, and promoting it as the foundation of our policies.

Over the past year, we have seen a troubling increase in anti-science attitudes by some in government. We have also seen assaults on policies underpinned by widely supported and verified scientific findings. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy remains leaderless. Polarizing individuals have been nominated for key science agencies, breaking with the tradition of nominees who can garner bipartisan support. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency is being dismantled from within and restructured to cater to the needs of industry rather than the American public, and the role of science has been severely undercut.

This assault on science has done great harm to policy makers' ability to develop appropriate and sustainable solutions to our Nation's challenges. Our research and development enterprise plays a crucial role in protecting the public's health and our nation's environment, expanding our knowledge of the universe, and inspiring a diverse new generation of scientists.

Mr. Speaker, it's time to restore the public trust and ensure the integrity of science in the policymaking process. I want to thank all of those who continue to stand up in support of the toll science can and should play in addressing the serious issues facing our Nation, and I want to extend our best wishes to all the marchers.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the great work of the Deep Ellum Foundation. Deep Ellum is the beating heart of Dallas, and the individuals behind this non-profit organization work hard to rejuvenate a district of great historical and cultural importance.

True to the name, Deep Ellum boasts a deep-rooted history of business and culture, but also of inclusion. As undertakings such as the Continental Gin Company and the Ford Factory expanded the area, what started off as a small stop on the old Dallas railroad line, blossomed into a bustling community of industry and growth. As the neighborhood made its ascent, it attracted people from all walks of life, etching Deep Ellum as one of Dallas' first commercial districts to welcome African-Americans and European immigrants. Deep Ellum's population grew together as a community because of its rich diversity and unique culture, which still thrive today.

The rise of music became a part of the culture that defines Deep Ellum to this day. It is in Deep Ellum that the ``Father of Texas Blues'' Blind Lemon Jefferson spent time crafting the sound that would inspire generations to come. Other musicians such as Robert Johnson and Alex Moore are also part of the legacy that found its birth in the 1920s. This tradition is one we're proud to continue, as Deep Ellum is still one of the biggest entertainment districts in the state. It features 30 live music venues, and much of the local art, inspired by this culture, is reflected in murals and public buildings that decorate the City of Dallas.

The Good-Latimer tunnel once welcomed local aspiring artists, and though it gave way for the city to expand with the building of the DART system, the Deep Ellum Foundation works tirelessly to ensure that influential paintings are displayed and artists are still welcomed. Every year, through the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, the foundation and the city highlight the district's vibrant culture by hosting over 100 musical artists, 200 visual artists, and countless street performances.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Deep Ellum Foundation for recognizing the neighborhood's continuing importance. The Deep Ellum Foundation represents a community determined to build on its historical and cultural legacy. This organization is committed to allowing locals to grow together and to hosting Deep Ellum's Bark Park, Bike Friendly Deep Ellum, and projects like Foundation 45. All of these projects emerge from a neighborhood that lives its commitment to encouraging individuals to be active participants in their area and to determining, as one community, what defines Deep Ellum.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the career of an outstanding civil servant who has dedicated his professional life to furthering our nation's goals in space exploration at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr., Acting Administrator of NASA will retire on April 20, 2018 after 29 years of service at NASA.

Mr. Lightfoot's NASA career, which began in 1989 as a test engineer and program manager for the space shuttle engine technology testbed program at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is marked by numerous leadership roles, including as: assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program at NASA Headquarters from 2003 to 2005 where he worked on space shuttle Return to Flight activities following the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew in 2003; deputy director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from 2007 to 2009, and director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from 2009 to 2012.

In 2012, Mr. Lightfoot, became associate administrator of NASA, the highest ranking civil servant position in the agency.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2017, following the departure of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the end of the Obama Administration, Mr. Lightfoot became the Acting Administrator of NASA.

Since the date he assumed the Acting Administrator role, Mr. Lightfoot has led NASA through the transition to the current Administration, through the Fiscal Year 2018 and Fiscal Year 2019 budget submissions, through Congressional budget hearings, and through the reestablishment of the National Space Council and NASA's participation therein.

Perhaps, most importantly, Mr. Lightfoot has provided steadfast leadership of NASA's programs, including the development of the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle, the commercial crew program that will reestablish U.S. human spaceflight capability to low-Earth orbit, the development of the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars 2020 flagship science projects, the commencement of the aeronautics x-plane project, and the continued advancements in space technologies that will enable future NASA missions.

The nation is fortunate to have had such a committed, experienced, and technically-knowledgeable leader at the helm of NASA for what has become the longest Acting Administrator period in the agency's history.

Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising that Robert Lightfoot has received numerous prestigious awards and accolades for his service to NASA, engineering, and civil space, including the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executives, the highest honor for Federal government work. However, like the NASA workforce he leads, Mr. Lightfoot never forgets that he is part of a team.

In an interview with NASA Tech Briefs in May, 2010, Mr. Lightfoot said, ``Spaceflight is very much a team sport, and being part of these teams, whether it was running engine tests, whether it was return to flight, whether it's working through problems associated with anything we're working on, if I can do that, that's what an engineer does. But you rarely do it by yourself. I have been very fortunate to be part of some tremendous teams, and the higher up I've moved, there are still teams there . . . they're just different.''

For his excellence in engineering contributions to NASA, for his 29 years of dedication to furthering the nation's goals in civil space, and for his outstanding leadership of NASA through an extended period as Acting Administrator, I extend my deepest thanks and appreciation, and send my best wishes to Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. as he retires from Federal government service and embarks on the next chapter of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Former State Senator, current Harris County Commissioner, and my dear friend, Rodney Ellis for receiving an Alumni Award from Texas Southern University. The award is given to outstanding alumni who typify the TSU tradition of excellence through personal and professional accomplishment and/or community service. This is the second year the award is given.

Rodney holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree from Texas Southern University, a Master's Degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and a Law Degree from the University of Texas School of Law. Commissioner Ellis also studied at Xavier University in New Orleans and the London School of Economics. Before his election to the Texas Senate in 1990, Rodney Ellis served three terms on the Houston City Council as well as Chief of Staff to the late United States Congressman Mickey Leland.

He, then, went on to serve in the Texas State Senate for more than 25 consecutive years and earned the respect of his colleagues and constituents for his dedicated leadership on civil rights, criminal justice, economic development, education, environmental policy, and workforce development. On November 8, 2016, Rodney Ellis was elected Harris County Commissioner for Precinct One, where he serves approximately 1.1 million people on a daily basis.

Commissioner Ellis is a strong supporter and graduate of Texas Southern University. For 25 years, Commissioner Ellis represented Texas Senate District 13, which TSU resides in. Recently, Commissioner Ellis has contributed over $15 million in a partnership with the City of Houston to improve the roads around the University.

At his core, Commissioner Ellis believes that our government should ensure that all people, regardless of who they are, have equitable opportunity and ability to build a better future for themselves and for their family. As Harris County Commissioner, he is committed to this ideal by providing quality and accessible services and programs that enrich the lives of people in Precinct One and fighting for reforms that will benefit all Harris County residents.

Amidst all of his many accolades and achievements, he attributes being a husband to Mrs. Licia Green-Ellis and father to his four children as his greatest honor.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to again formally congratulate Commissioner Ellis for receiving the Alumni Award and recognize all who organize and contribute to Texas Southern University's commitment to excellent education. I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating Commissioner Ellis on his many years of service and honor his legacy and inspiration he has given to the people he has had the privilege of serving.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man who has dedicated his life in service to humanity. It is my pleasure to welcome His Highness the Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the world's 20 million Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, to my home state of Texas in celebration of his Diamond Jubilee.

The ethics of compassion and care, tolerance and equality, selflessness and service center His Highness' deeply held belief in and practice of the Muslim faith. Particularly in recent years, the Aga Khan has pledged his voice to articulate the values of peace, generosity and brotherhood that unquestionably compose the core of Islam. He often says his obligations to his community and to humankind are inseparable. This has driven the Aga Khan to call on us to celebrate our differences of religion, culture, language and ethnicity as evidence of humanity's great beauty. Our inherent diversity, he says, should propel humankind to embrace pluralism.

Ismaili Muslims have a deep connection to Texas, the DFW Metroplex and myself. For more than a decade, I have partnered with the Ismaili Muslim community to host the Youth Summit and Diversity Dialogue, which we held first in 2007 during the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee. It brings together students from my district with youth of all backgrounds to think critically about the challenges we can address through global citizenship. The program brings to light the positive impact young Ismaili Muslims make on the world around them.

Alongside his role as Imam, the Aga Khan has established many global humanitarian organizations, one of which is the Aga Khan Development Network. The AKDN promotes human dignity and self-sustaining growth by administering education and healthcare in many of the most impoverished and isolated parts of the developing world. Three of the most distinguished AKDN projects are the Aga Khan Academies, which offer world-class educations to children in remote, school-deprived regions. When I visited the Aga Khan Academy in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015, I was emotionally struck by the undeniable love of humankind evident in the AKDN's work to help those children reach their full potential. It became clear to me that the driving force behind each of the Aga Khan's endeavors is his desire to foster progress and peace through hope. For hope, he says, is the most powerful source of human motivation.

It is this spirit, born of the example of the Aga Khan, which led 2,500 Ismaili Muslim volunteers to help their neighbors in Houston recover from the devastation triggered by Hurricane Harvey last August. For this selfless generosity, they were presented one of the five Points of Light awards by the flve living former presidents. The Ismaili Muslim community's response to the unsounded call of duty exemplifies their unrelenting effort to serve humanity at large.

Mr. Speaker, His Highness the Aga Khan--through his work, rooted in the Muslim faith--is a testament to Islam being a religion of both the intellect and humility, of both tradition and progress. The celebration of the Aga Khan's Diamond Jubilee is a monumental occasion for Ismaili Muslims across the world. I wish to congratulate the American Ismaili Muslim community and convey to His Highness the Aga Khan that he and the values of tolerance, diversity and pluralism that Ismaili Muslims uphold will always be welcome in the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, we stand today in honor and in awe of the many accomplishments of black women in America. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, black women have led iconic movements that have come to define the standard of equality and fairness throughout our society.

Every black woman stands on the shoulders of those who have paved the way for the continued freedom we enjoy, drawing their inspiration from the strength of our ancestors and our peers. The accomplishments of black women are part of a storied legacy of achievement made all the more meaningful by the challenges that we've had to overcome. As black women, the heavy burden of both systemic racism and sexism are not new realities, just circumstances that we have long worked to dismantle through civil rights movements, equal pay rallies, and organized civic engagement.

Black women and girls possess a unique understanding of the trials and adversities unique to our own experiences. Black women have always made do with less than their fair share, earning only 63 cents for every dollar a white man makes for the same work. More than 80 percent of black mothers are the breadwinners in their households, tasked with raising our future generations with just scarcely enough to pay for essentials while earning a fraction of what other segments of the population earn.

Black women are also sorely underrepresented in one the fastest growing and highest paying career fields in America--engineering. Black women make up less than 1 percent of American engineers. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are fields that black women are being excluded from through cultural exclusion, lack of role models, and pay inequities. STEM fields offer incredible opportunities for the African American community, and we must do more to ensure that we encourage more women of color to pursue these opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, America needs black women to fulfill the roles as chemists, engineers, physicists, and engineers. Black women have and continue to engineer solutions to many of the problems we face in the 21st Century. The coming age presents unique technological challenges that must be met with unique perspectives capable of grand problem solving. Supporting funding for STEM after school programs, workshops, and boot camps is an investment in the future faces of computer science, engineering, and the continued leadership of the black woman. Historically, when the Black woman succeeds, our nation succeeds. This year, let us do more for black women in America so that they can continue to do more for our country.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the life of a man of staunch faith, Reverend Dr. Bertrand Bailey, Sr. Reverend Bailey was born to the late Reverend Dr. Mauual Lee Bailey and Dr. Bertha Mae Bailey in McKinney, Texas. At the age of 16, Rev. Bailey answered the call to commit his life to preaching and serving his community through ministry. Pastor Bailey went on to not only receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in philosophy and religion from Bishop College; but also two honorary degrees from Short College and Jackson's Theological Seminary.

For over 30 years, Rev. Bailey served as pastor at St. Andrew Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Under his leadership and spiritual guidance, the congregation grew both in numbers and in Spirit. Rev. Bailey has served as a guest revivalist for citywide and local church revivals in Douglassville, Texas and across the nation. A published author, Rev. Bailey has released several books along with recorded music and preaching CD's. During his tenure, Rev. Bailey oversaw renovations to the sanctuary and fellowship hall to better serve the needs of the congregation. This included increasing accessibility through building handicap bathrooms. Additionally, many ministries have grown from his leadership and passion for the Lord.

From the very beginning, he dedicated his 11 children to God, four of which went on to become ordained reverends themselves, including my pastor Dr. Bertrand M. Bailey, Jr. He is survived by his wife, of over 41 years, Mrs. Juandalyn J. Bailey and their children: Bertricia, Bertrand Jr., Bertrain, Bertheophilus, Bertshalyn, Bertjuanette, Bertholomew, BerTabitha, Bertrick, and BerThaddaeus, Bertrina (deceased) and his brother, Samuel L. Bailey; 17 grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews. Although he has returned to his Heavenly Home, the works and seeds he planted on Earth continue to grow and prosper. And we are all better people having known him and stood in his light.

Mr. Speaker, there are no words in the English language to fully capture the pain and suffering that a parent will endure in the face of losing a child. Imagine then the immense pain that the families of the 17 Americans who were murdered during a mass shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida must be experiencing at this moment. Even worse, imagine how they must feel as our nation remains crippled by inaction in the wake of the senseless gun violence that continues to tear apart countless families and communities throughout our country. That is our reality today as Congress fails to act, once again, on commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence.

We cannot allow the violence that we have witnessed at the Stoneman Douglas High School to become our new norm. More importantly, we cannot allow our inaction in the face of such tragic violence to also define what we can and cannot accept as a society. We are all too familiar with gun violence in the United States. There have already been over 8,200 incidents of gun violence in 2018 alone. This violence has claimed the lives of 2,200 individuals, upending the lives of countless friends and families who are impacted by these deaths. I am here to join my colleagues and countless Americans across our nation by declaring in one voice, ``Enough is enough.''

Our children deserve the right to an education without a cloud of fear in their hearts

and the sound of gunshots ringing in their ears. The people of the United States deserve representation that works in the face of senseless violence to deliver real solutions that work for millions of Americans. We need solutions that include stronger background checks, while also providing the resources for states to contribute complete and timely records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). We need solutions that reduce the proliferation of assault weapons on our streets, including high-capacity magazines, flash suppressors, and other accessories that enhance the lethality of firearms. More importantly, we need everyone to come to the table in a meaningful way that is not driven by fear or emotion so that we can deliver on the promises that we made when we took the oath of office.

Mr. Speaker, I am calling for action. I am calling for action that is already long overdue, and I call for others to find the compassion in their hearts to also get this done. I call for the courage to make the difficult choices that we finally need to make. Our failure to act now is a failure of our leaders to do what is right, notwithstanding political affiliation or preference. I am calling for action and I am calling for action now. Enough is enough.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize this month of February as Black History Month. Black History Month is an important celebration of the achievements and sacrifices of African-Americans in building our nation.

Black History Month has a rich history itself, from its humble beginnings as `Negro Awareness Week', celebrated in February to coincide with the birth months of both Frederick Douglass and President Lincoln, the expansion to a month was first celebrated at Kent State University in 1970, before being officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976, who said that it was a `seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history'. February has

been officially designated as Black History Month by every President since, and while the month is not itself sufficient to honor the legacies of African-Americans, it makes a good start.

This year is especially important, as is this day, as we honor the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass, a towering presence in African- American history. Born into slavery, secretly teaching himself to read and write, Frederick Douglass would become a powerful voice for abolition, and for the equality of all people.

But during this month, we must honor not only Frederick Douglass and the other leading figures of our movement, but also the thousands of ordinary African-Americans who formed the tide that swept slavery from our nation, the many people who continue in the effort to eradicate racism today, and all those who will do so in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Al Green for convening this special order session, so that we can appropriately honor Black History Month, and recognize the sacrifice and courage of African-Americans throughout our nation's history.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4675, the Low-Dose Radiation Research Act of 2018.

The Department of Energy funds cutting-edge research across a variety of disciplines. For many years, DOE stewarded research into low-dose radiation exposure. This included studies into the effects of radiation exposure in higher risk populations and the examination of the changes that a cell undergoes when exposed to low-dose radiation. These research investments resulted in notable advancements in this field and significantly expanded our understanding of radiation exposure.

Over the past several years, this research program was ramped up and eventually eliminated--or ramped down. However, there is much more that should be explored, and the Department of Energy is best positioned to lead this effort in coordination with other Federal agencies that have a stake in this work.

Expanding our understanding of low-dose radiation could improve how we utilize medical diagnostic tools or change how we regulate nuclear power plants. Radiation is all around us every day. When we fly on a plane or walk into a building made of limestone, much like the one we are in now, we experience a small increase in our radiation exposure, but we still don't have an answer to the fundamental question of what that means for our health.

Are there healthy levels of radiation exposure or are they all directly tied to an increased risk of cancer?

What is an acceptable level for long-term human health?

The answers to these fundamental questions can only be found by properly investing in the research field. I am hopeful that reconstituting this program at DOE will lead to more scientific advancements and will expand humankind's understanding of radiation exposure. DOE is the right place to do this work, and the benefits should be numerous and invaluable.

I want to thank Mr. Marshall for introducing this bill, and I strongly support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of the bill. I have no further 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. 4377, Accelerating American Leadership in Science Act of 2018.

The Department of Energy is the home to the most advanced research facilities in the world. For decades, we have been able to provide scientists with the tools and resources to push the frontiers of innovation and answer the fundamental questions of science because we invested in our national laboratories, universities, and public-private partnerships in science and technology.

Unfortunately, we face budget proposals from this administration that seem to be completely out of touch with that rich history and the realities of our global competition.

This bill will put statutory requirements in place mandating that the Department of Energy fund crucial updates to use the facilities. The Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee recommended many of these upgrades to the DOE in a 2016 report.

In this bill, the Argonne National Laboratory would be authorized to upgrade the capabilities of the Advanced Photon Source. This upgrade will greatly advance our ability to determine the atomic and electronic structure of materials, molecular systems, and their chemical reactions.

The insight gained in these important experiments can be transformative for science and for our economy and for our well-being.

The bill also includes upgrades to the Spallation Neutron Source of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The suite will soon be home to the most advanced neutron source in the world.

If we hope to maintain our leadership in neutron science, these two upgrades are critical.

Finally, this bill authorizes the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, the centerpiece of the international collaboration on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.

U.S. leadership on this project is vital to maintaining our reputation as the world's leader in fundamental physical sciences research. Funding these facilities is planting the seeds of innovation and knowledge for future generations. The fruit from these investments will benefit our society for years to come.

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

Mr. Speaker, 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. 4378, the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act, and I am pleased to cosponsor this bill. Mr. Speaker, this legislation marks another accomplishment in our committee's strong bipartisan effort to support the development of advanced nuclear energy technologies.

Today, nuclear power plays a vital role in providing our country with clean, reliable energy; but there are currently technical, economic, and policy challenges that prevent this resource from playing a larger role in enabling our clean energy future. This bill, the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act, would help address these challenges.

It expands on a provision included in another bill that I cosponsored with Mr. Weber and the chairman, H.R. 431, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, which passed the House early last year on a voice vote as part of yet another bill that I cosponsored with these two gentlemen, H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act.

The bill before us today would provide the Department of Energy with the direction and funding it needs to create a national user facility with critical capabilities to enable the development of a wide range of advanced nuclear energy concepts here in the United States.

I am hopeful that, if we provide our scientists and industry leaders with the right tools, they can fulfill the promise of clean nuclear energy that is significantly safer, less expensive, more efficient, and produces less waste than the current fleet of reactors.

Mr. Speaker, I also strongly support the inclusion of explicit funding levels as part of this authorization. Providing the Department and congressional appropriators with a funding profile for research activities and projects is a crucial responsibility in our role as the authorizing committee.

In particular, it helps ensure that the construction of cutting-edge research facilities like this one have the resources they need to be completed on time and on budget, thus, making sure that the U.S. taxpayers who are footing these bills are getting the most value of their hard-earned dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we strive to strengthen America's research enterprise across the board.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.