Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Cheryl Cook-Kallio for her long service to the East Bay.

Cheryl is a dedicated teacher, with credentials in social science, English, and a supplemental credential in Spanish, in addition to her BA degree in history from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and her MA degree in history from San Jose State University. Currently teaching classes in Advanced Placement history and government at Irvington High School, Cheryl has taught for over 30 years in the Fremont Unified School District.

For her teaching, Cheryl has received numerous awards. These include the 1997 Teacher of the Year from the Sons of the American Revolution and 2005 Irvington High School Teacher of the Year.

Cheryl's work has gone beyond the classroom as well. She has coached the Irvington High School We the People team since 2000, and her annually successful team won the California State Championship in 2005. She has volunteered as a leader in Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts as well as served on the board of the Amador Friends of Music.

Cheryl also has given back to her community as an elected official; since 2006 she has been a member of the Pleasanton City Council. She has served in a variety of roles in that position, including vice mayor and as a member of the Audit Committee and School District Liaison Committee.

As Cheryl prepares to leave the city council after her current term expires, I want to thank her for all she has done and continues to do for the East Bay. We are a better community because of her tireless efforts.

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

I rise in strong support of H.R. 3438, the National Laboratories Mean National Security Act, legislation that I have introduced that would expand the way in which national laboratories can help protect our homeland.

I want to thank the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. McCaul, and the ranking member, Mr. Thompson, for allowing this bipartisan bill to move to the floor.

I also want to thank my colleague on the committee, a fellow freshman, Mrs. Brooks, for working with me on this bill. Mrs. Brooks, I understand, is leaving the committee and will be going to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. We are going to miss her.

I have enjoyed working with you also as a fellow prosecutor and as someone who has been an active participant in the United Solutions Caucus, trying to find ways that freshmen, Republican and Democrat, can work together.

We are fortunate in this country to have a system of Department of Energy national laboratories, at which some of the brightest scientists in our country can work on some of the most complex issues of our time.

They are keeping our national nuclear defense secure, advancing clean energy sources, and changing ways to protect us from the threat of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist attacks. Now it is time to make sure that we maximize the way that our national laboratories and the gifted minds who work there can protect and secure the homeland.

I am honored to represent two of these national laboratories, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories, and I look forward to representing them again in the 114th Congress.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of employees at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and our laboratories across the country for their commitment to country and their faithfulness to science and advancing human progress.

Lawrence Livermore, Sandia, and the remaining DOE labs are truly unique institutions. One part of their uniqueness is their operating structure. This structure has caused an issue, and that is what this bill is designed to fix. It is to maximize and utilize the national laboratories in every way possible to keep us safe and secure at home.

Now, to maximize efficiency and agility at our national laboratories, almost all the laboratories are what is called government-owned, contractor-operated--GOCO. While the Federal government owns the labs, they are operated by private sector organizations. Only one is government-owned and government-operated.

Here is the issue. The Department of Homeland Security issues millions of dollars in grants every year to State and local agencies.

Some State and local homeland security grant recipients have expressed uncertainty about whether or not they can work with Department of Energy national laboratories on homeland security issues with these grant funding sources.

As Members know, FEMA offers grant programs, like the Urban Area Security Initiative, to help States, local governments, and other public servant entities to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks.

In fact, in my district, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Greg Ahern, uses this grant, the UASI grant, to support Urban Shield, which is a comprehensive, region-wide preparedness exercise that prepares first responders in the case of a natural or manmade disaster.

The confusion for some recipients may have been caused by the fact that they believe that they cannot use government-owned, contractor- operated laboratories with Federal funds. FEMA may have been under a similar impression or been unclear to recipients on this point as well.

These concerns are misplaced. There is no prohibition against using these funds. My bill will make sure, once and for all, that we use and we fully maximize our national laboratories and make sure that every recipient knows these dollars can be used there.

My bill would clarify the issue by explicitly including in law DOE national labs as entities with which FEMA homeland security grant recipients could work.

Providing this clarification would allow our DOE national labs to fully use their knowledge and experience to improve our homeland security. For example, at Sandia National Laboratories, they are providing modeling and simulations to help jurisdictions develop threat hazard identification risk assessments.

Lawrence Livermore houses the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, which provides tools that help us predict and map how chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats might spread in the atmosphere.

H.R. 3438 is an important clarification in the law which will allow our scientists at Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and across the country to more fully contribute to homeland security.

As Mrs. Brooks pointed out, it is also a bipartisan idea, and it is a measure that was sponsored by former Republican Congressman and former prosecutor Dan Lungren, so I think it is fitting that it takes two prosecutors to bring it back to the floor here today to fix this. It passed in the last Congress by a voice vote.

Some of the best and brightest minds in the world are toiling away right now at our national laboratories. Today, let's make sure that nothing stands in the way of maximizing these public servants' ability to keep our country safe.

I urge all Members to support H.R. 3438.

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

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Tim Sbranti as he completes his term tomorrow as mayor of our hometown, Dublin, California.

I have worked with Tim in many roles. He has been my high school teacher, coach, friend, and mentor. I have learned a lot from him over the years, but I felt most honored when I worked with him as his colleague on the Dublin City Council.

Tim served as mayor from 2008 to 2014. He presided over Dublin during some of our city's most trying and troubling economic times, but even during tough times, Tim's steady leadership led Dublin not just to a balanced budget, but a surplus, and enabled the city to open new parks and provide affordable housing to its residents.

Tim did all of this while working collaboratively with his colleagues. He always shared the successes and put Dublin first in every decision. Due in large part to Tim, Dublin was recognized as an All-America City by the National Civic League in 2011.

Thank you, Tim, for your years of leadership in Dublin. Our All- America City was lucky to have an all-American mayor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the week of November 15-23 as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and to honor the distinguished work and advocacy of Adobe Services, a non-profit working in the 15th Congressional District and throughout the Bay Area to end homelessness.

The week before Thanksgiving has been designated as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to bring about community awareness and to help those in need. Throughout the year, but especially during the holiday season, we must always remember how hunger and homelessness remain serious problems in our communities across the United States. I am proud to have Adobe Services as a strong community partner in the Bay Area working to end homelessness and advocating on behalf of the hungry.

Throughout National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Adobe Services has planned several events to engage community members in the Bay Area and raise awareness regarding homelessness and hunger. For example, today, Adobe Services is hosting the ``Feed Your Soul'' performance night at Mission Coffee in Fremont. At this performance night, guests will have the chance to understand more about the impact homelessness has on families and the wider community through artistic renditions. Additionally, tomorrow, Adobe Services will host a candlelight vigil at St. James' Episcopal Church to remember Alameda County residents who died last year while homeless. To combat hunger in the East Bay, Adobe Services also is organizing a food drive to provide festive holiday meals to those in need.

Adobe Services not only works to fight homelessness and hunger during this national awareness week, but also serves more than 4,000 Bay Area residents throughout the year. Its mission is to end homelessness by assisting low-income, un-housed people and secure stable and supportive housing. I am grateful for the assistance Adobe Services provides, and I applaud its continued dedication to the homeless community.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to remember retired Alameda County Fire Chief Bill McCammon, who passed away on October 13.

Bill lived to serve, and he served all who lived in Alameda County. He devoted his life to keeping our community, State, and Nation safe.

After serving the Dublin-San Ramon and San Leandro fire departments, Bill took over as the first fire chief of the

Alameda County Fire Department in 1993. With Bill at the helm, the fire department took on new responsibilities and doubled in size. He added new divisions, too, including a hazardous response team and a water rescue program.

When Bill tragically passed away, he was still working to protect his community, as executive director of the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority. It is this organization that provides for the interoperable communications for dozens of agencies within Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

We should all be thankful for Bill's many years of dedicated service to the East Bay. My deepest condolences go out to his wife, children, family, and friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Union City City Manager Larry Cheeves on his retirement.

Larry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University in 1975 and then a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University at Fullerton in 1977. Since then he has devoted his 38 year career to serving California cities.

Following jobs with the City of Cerritos, City of Pico Rivera, City of Buena Park, and City of Norwalk, Larry took over as Director of Public Works for the City of Union City in 1989. Union City was in a period of growth at this time, and in his role Larry saw the creation of many new streets, parks, and fire stations. He helped Union City win two Helen Putnam Awards from the League of California Cities and the 1999 All-America City Award.

Larry served twice as interim city manager of Union City before earning the position permanently in 2004. Since assuming this role Larry has put together balanced budgets in each year for the city council, despite very difficult economic circumstances. During this time Union City also developed the Intermodal Station District and the Mark Green Sports Center.

Larry is an active contributor to our community. He is a member of the Alameda County City Management Association, a board member of the California Redevelopment Association, and a founding member of the Board of Directors of the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority.

On behalf of the citizens of Union City and the entire East Bay, I want to thank Larry Cheeves for his years of dedicated service. I wish him good luck in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, due to operational difficulties of the flight I intended to take, I was unable to be present for the vote taken on Wednesday, November 12. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote number 516, regarding H.R. 4194.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the construction of a new community health clinic in Pleasanton, which is set to break ground in October. Axis Community Health is the sole provider of health services for indigent and low income families in Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore.

For over 42 years, Axis has ensured access to primary and preventative care to residents of the Tri-Valley. The rapid growth of the area's population coupled with changes in family income and changes made by the Affordable Care Act have left the Tri-Valley in need of additional facilities to accommodate residents in need of accessible health services.

Fourteen thousand residents rely on Axis Community Health and it is projected that by 2015, 20,000 residents will turn to Axis for medical and behavioral health services. The new clinic, slated to open next summer, will be critical to answering the growing needs of the community.

The new 24,000 square foot clinic will house 27 exam rooms, seven mental health counseling rooms, a health education classroom, an on- site patient pharmacy and a laboratory draw station.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the expansion of the Axis Community Health Center and honoring its commitment to ensuring that every Tri-Valley resident, regardless of income, can achieve and maintain good health.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the construction of Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center's (TVHC) state-of-the- art community health center in San Leandro. September 20, 2014, marks the grand opening of this new facility and the center's first health fair.

For over 41 years since its founding in 1971, TVHC has delivered culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services to residents of southern Alameda County. The need is undeniable, and in 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that over 195,000 Alameda County residents were uninsured.

The unincorporated areas of Ashland and Cherryland, where the new TVHC facility

stands, has the lowest life expectancy rate and the highest rates of teen pregnancy, diabetes, stroke and cancer in Alameda County.

The new TVHC facility answers the evident need for affordable medical and social services in the area. TVHC is now uniquely positioned to ensure every resident has access to quality service, advocacy, and community empowerment.

The new health center continues the TVHC tradition of delivering free and low-cost care with the dignity and respect that every patient deserves. The two-story, 20,000 square foot healthcare facility is equipped to serve 7,200 new patients and will employ 81 professional and administrative staff. This all-inclusive site will serve patients in family practice, women's health and pediatric specialties, dental and health education services.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me celebrating the grand opening of this new community health center, and honoring Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center for promoting good health and well-being in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Union City Police Chief Brian Foley as he retires at the end of September after almost 30 years of service.

Brian grew up in California before graduating from California State University, Chico, with a degree in business administration. In 1986, Brian joined the Union City Police Department, fulfilling a dream of becoming a police officer.

He worked for the Union City Police Department in a variety of areas, including crime scene investigator, homicide detective, and SWAT team member. His hard work and skills propelled him into leadership roles such as SWAT team leader, sergeant, captain, and--since January 2012-- chief.

On behalf of the residents of Union City and the 15th Congressional District, I want to thank Chief Foley for his years of dedicated and courageous service. He has played a key role in helping to keep the streets of Union City safe, and he will be sorely missed.

I also wish Brian well as he enters the next phase of his life. I am sure he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife and children. After so many years of hard work for the people of Union City, this opportunity is well-deserved.

When it comes to climate change, we are facing a stark choice in America. We can do nothing and see if it happens or we can do something, protect our children, and actually grow jobs and our economy.

If you believe climate change is not happening, if you are a denier of climate change, you do not need to listen any further.

But I do have a wall that I would like to put your name on. I call it the Wall of Climate Denial. Heck, let's put this wall on the National Mall. And I would like to invite all my colleagues across the aisle to put their names on it. And that way our children and grandchildren can visit this wall decades from now and see for themselves who acted on climate change and who stood in the way.

If we act, we can start to change course, and that wall would only be a monument to a way of thinking that was on the wrong side of science.

If we do not act, it will be a monument to those responsible for the massive loss of human life and economic productivity. It will also be, if we do not act, likely, a wall that is underwater.

Global climate change is one of the greatest challenges that we face. And I agree with the previous speaker: there is no question one of the most immediate threats that we face in our country right now is defeating and wiping from this Earth ISIL.

But one of the longest-term threats to our own energy security and our existence is global climate change.

Last September, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report which states with a 95 percent certainty that human activities are responsible for climate change.

This report was based on a rigorous review of thousands of scientific papers published by over 800 of the world's leading scientists making it clear that if we do not act on climate change, if we don't take the necessary steps to halt this change, the repercussions for humans across this globe and the environment will be catastrophic.

We need to move forward now at this moment to take the necessary steps to combat the warming of our planet before these impacts become inevitable.

I represent the East Bay in California, where people understand the effects of climate change and are willing to do whatever is necessary to take the big steps, do the big things, take some risk to address this and grow our economy.

We are facing big energy challenges in this country and around the world. But we know that our old, dirty methods are not sustainable.

We know that the dynamics of the energy marketplace are shifting. Far from being stagnant and hopeless, we are now seeing an unprecedented amount and an unprecedented pace of change that was unpredictable even a few years ago.

For instance, renewables are penetrating at a remarkable rate, with growth in wind alone outpacing natural gas in 2012.

Our responsibility is to make sure that our country is prepared for whatever changes the markets may experience.

Overreliance on a limited range of technologies and finite resources is unreasonable. We know that the United States consumes 25 percent of the world's oil. But, at best, we only have 3 percent of the U.S. oil reserves. This is not a problem that we can drill our way out of. That is only a short-term bridge.

Our strength will lay in our ability to transition to new, cleaner, more sustainable resource energy future.

We must be competitive and not let ourselves get behind. As Washington bickers, our competitors are pulling out every imaginable stop to capitalize on the booming clean-energy economy.

It is time for us to get serious about creating green energy policy to enable us to compete more globally.

A recent article in The New York Times over the weekend pointed out how far ahead our European friends are. Germany will soon be getting 30 percent, 30 percent of their power, from renewable sources. By contrast, in 2013, renewable sources of energy accounted for only about 10 percent of the United States' energy consumption and 13 percent of electricity generation.

Are we any less capable than Germany of harnessing the energy from the wind and the sun?

I believe, Madam Speaker, we are not. We are not less capable. But right now, we might be less willing.

Step one in addressing climate change is admitting that it is a problem. Too often in Washington we see this false choice, this debate that if we accept climate change as a problem, then it is going to kill jobs, and we should do, therefore, nothing about it.

But if we don't accept climate change as a problem, we will never be singing off the same sheet of music. Once we sing off the same sheet of music, we can start to take the steps necessary to address that climate change is indeed a problem.

There is overwhelming consensus among scientists across our globe that it is a problem.

Here is what we know: the current warming trend is a particular concern because it is very likely that it is based on human-induced activities.

The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century. Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth's climate responds to changes in solar output, and the Earth's orbit, and in greenhouse gas levels. They also show that in the past, large changes in climate happened very quickly, geologically speaking--in tens of years, not millions or thousands.

How about sea-level rise? Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters, that is just under 7 inches, in the last century.

As far as global temperature rise, all three major levels of global surface temperatures showed that the Earth has warmed since 1880. Most of this warming occurred since 1970, with 20 of the warmest years having occurred since 1981, and with 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12.

The oceans are also rising and warming. The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters of ocean showing a warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.

Extreme events, the number of record high temperature events in the United States, have been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense windfall events.

So once we can address and accept that climate change is occurring, we can end this false debate of, do we do anything or do we do something?

And I submit to America that if we do something, not only can we address climate change, save the world, protect our children, we can actually create jobs.

My district is home to several businesses and initiatives that are fighting to green our economy and combat global warming but that are also economically successful.

In my district, we have a program called i-GATE, or the Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence. I-GATE is a regional incubator in the Tri-Valley specializing in growing green technology startups. With a network that includes two national laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, with over 7,000 scientists, investors, and advisers, and leading universities and corporate partners, i-GATE has created a unique ecosystem for growing the startups that are working to address our biggest energy challenges.

The startups that i-GATE incubates are working to create better lithium ion batteries, provide region- and crop-specific information to farmers on how climate change could change and affect their crop revenue, and create low-cost diagnostics to screen for life-threatening diseases.

We also have an interesting company that I had the opportunity to visit at their ribbon-cutting called Siluria Technologies. It is in Hayward, California. And they are pioneering the commercial production of fuels and chemicals made from clean, abundant natural gas and renewable methane.

Since its opening in 2013, Siluria has already demonstrated how their technology can be employed to produce gasoline, an achievement that paves the way for the first such commercial facilities producing liquid fuels in 2017.

This year, Siluria unveiled a first-of-its-kind development for producing cleaner fuels from natural gas and renewable methane.

This accomplishment is an important milestone in moving forward. It represents the last scale upstep prior to full commercialization of Siluria platform technology.

Then there is UltraCell. James Kaschmitter, a former employee of Lawrence Livermore National Lab, founded the company UltraCell in Livermore, California. They are designated as a veteran-owned small business, making compact high power, long endurance, off-grid portable power.

I also want to tell you the story of a small business in Dublin, California. I visited this small business when they put solar panels on their rooftop just a few weeks ago.

Now, their business owner is admittedly a pretty conservative guy. And so I asked him, I said: ``You're putting solar on your rooftop. You know, solar is often affiliated with addressing climate change and investing in renewables, and sometimes conservatives don't always agree with that.''

Well, the business owner told me: ``Eric, this is going to reduce my energy bill, which is about the equivalent cost of a supermarket, by hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the passing and recognize the life of Tom McCormick: loving husband, father, marine, man of great faith, and dedicated public servant to the city of Dublin, California.

Following graduation from high school, he joined the U.S. Marines and served honorably in the Korean war, where he received a Purple Heart.

Tom loved Dublin deeply, serving 17 years as an elected representative for the Dublin-San Ramon Services District, where he pushed, and was one of the first in the State to push, for water recycling systems. We can also thank Tom for his role in helping to create and establish the Dublin Heritage Park.

Tom also had a big heart. In 1975, he and his wife, Claudia, took in some of the last South Vietnamese refugees.

Tom will be missed.

I send my condolences to his wife, Claudia, of 42 years, who also served as a Dublin City Council member; his sons, Marshall and Thomas; and stepchildren, Melinda, Desiree, and Kathy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the free concert on August 1 organized by the Jenny Lin Foundation.

The Jenny Lin Foundation was founded 20 years ago, in 1994, following the tragic murder of Jenny Lin of Castro Valley at just 14 years old. Thanks to her parents, John and Mei-lian, Jenny's talents and spirit will never be forgotten through the work of this wonderful organization.

In recognition of Jenny's love of music, the Jenny Lin Foundation sponsors a free summer music program. It culminates in a free community concert each year.

Not only have thousands of East Bay students benefited from this music education, but they have gained leadership skills too. That is because the Foundation's programs are student led.

The Foundation also supports music education through two scholarships to help with private music lessons. These are annual awards given to a Castro Valley Unified School District Music Program participant chosen as the ``Most Promising Musician'' and a Castro Valley middle school student for ``Academic and Musical Achievement.''

Another focus of the Jenny Lin Foundation is to help protect our children. It has done this through fairs to educate parents and children on how to stay safe, self-defense classes, and art contests.

Thank you to John and Mei-lian, the Foundation, and everyone involved in it for making a tremendous contribution to the East Bay. I want to wish everyone involved in this year's concert the very best.

It is moving to see that such a positive benefit can come out of such a terrible crime. May the Jenny Lin Foundation continue to help our East Bay community for many years to come.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 1022, the Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2014.

I want to thank Chairman Smith for working with me on this bill for over a year. We introduced this in March 2013. We have talked a number of times about this bill, and I appreciate the attention the majority staff has shown to get this bill to the floor. I also appreciate the work of our ranking member, Ms. Johnson, on the minority side, and that of Congressman Hultgren, as well as the work of Mrs. Lummis, the chair of the Energy Subcommittee. We have truly worked in a bipartisan manner to move this bill to the floor.

Did you know, Mr. Speaker, that energy critical elements are crucial to powering our cell phones? to powering our airplanes and to producing renewable energy?

They include elements, many of which I never learned about in my chemistry class in high school, like cobalt, lanthanum, and helium. These elements are critical to the innovation economy and to our national defense, but here is the problem. Today, almost entirely all of them are imported from other countries like China. It is time to get America into the game.

I introduced this bill to help ensure that the United States continues to have access to materials that are essential to technologies we rely upon every day. These materials are also crucial to developing new technologies that will help make us leaders in the clean energy economy of the future, helping to create good jobs here in America.

I also want to note an important distinction from this bill and a bill that passed in the House in the 111th Congress in 2010. There are three big differences: one, this bill does not have any loan guarantees; two, this bill does not spend a single new dollar; and three, this bill does not create a new program. Those are important distinctions from the bill that passed in the 111th Congress.

Many Americans may not realize just how dependent we are upon energy critical elements. One of these elements, No. 3 on the periodic table and represented here on this poster, is lithium. The cell phones, laptops, and other mobile devices upon which we all greatly rely and use--not to mention the energy storage systems for many commercial aircraft--all require lithium to function effectively. To make

these products here in America and not cede leadership across the world, we need to have access to lithium.

We also can't lose sight of how important these elements are in enabling a new era of energy production and use. From advanced solar energy technologies to natural gas and wind turbines, nuclear reactors, and state-of-the-art batteries for electrical and hybrid vehicles, a series of specific elements in limited supply are currently irreplaceable, and we need to ensure continued access to them even as we work to develop substitute materials wherever possible.

It is not just about commercial products and explicit energy production. Rhenium, No. 75 on the periodic table, which is represented here on this poster, is used to make parts for jet engines, including the jets that provide America's air superiority for our Air Force and Navy. Having access to this metal, thus, has an important national security component.

A subset of these critical elements, with names like neodymium and terbium, is what are considered rare earth elements. Incidentally, there is nothing rare about these elements in the sense that they are only found in one or two places in the world but, rather, that, in many instances, they aren't found in sufficient quantities to make them minable and, where they are, doing so would be cost prohibitive and a very long-term endeavor.

As one example, I have a poster here representing terbium, No. 65 on the periodic table. It is a silvery metal. Most people probably have never heard of it, but it is used in high-efficiency lighting and, as exemplified on this poster, in wind turbines, among many other energy uses.

One country, China, has recognized the importance of these rare earth elements, and it has put vast amounts of resources into becoming the world's leading supplier of them. As a result, China is currently responsible for the mining and distribution of 97 percent of rare earth elements. Predictably, China hasn't been shy about using this monopoly as leverage against its international competitors. In fact, just a few years ago, China temporarily cut off rare earth supplies to Japan, the European Union, and the United States, further highlighting the potential consequences of relying so heavily upon a single nation for rare earth production and driving up the costs for American manufacturers.

The bipartisan version that we are discussing here today, H.R. 1022, provides a strong and sustainable path forward for helping ensure that the United States maintains a sufficient, reliable supply of energy critical elements. It explicitly authorizes in law the Critical Materials Energy Innovation Hub--a collaboration among national laboratories, universities, research institutes, and private companies that has been up and running since early last year--and subjects this hub to a rigorous merit review process prior to renewal for an additional 5 years. Essentially, there are tight controls in place to make sure we always have the oversight of this hub.

Let me pause here and emphasize this point as there seems to be some confusion. There are tight controls that will be in place in authorizing this hub. Again, I want to remind the Speaker that there are no new programs, no loan guarantees, and not a new dollar spent.

My bill requires the Department of Energy to develop and regularly update a strategic plan in this area, and it authorizes the hub to maintain a critical materials information center to aid in the collection and dissemination of data to ensure that all of our Nation's researchers in the public and private sectors have access to the most up-to-date information. Finally, my bill charges the National Science and Technology Council with ensuring the appropriate interagency coordination with research activities.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. Speaker I will include an article from The Wall Street Journal in support of H.R. 1022 in the Record. This is a December 5, 2013, Wall Street Journal article titled, ``China Still Dominates Rare-Earth Processing.''

[From the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 5, 2013]

China Still Dominates Rare-Earth Processing

(By James T. Areddy)

Shenzhen, China.--When U.S. Rare Earths Inc. begins mining

on the border of Montana and Idaho about two years from now,

the U.S. will gain a new domestic, non-Chinese source of

minerals essential to making electronic devices and weaponry

components.

But at the moment, there's virtually no place for these

minerals to be processed into something useful--except China.

China's share of global rare-earth output has been

shrinking recently as miners elsewhere capitalized on fears

the country controls too much global supply. Even so, China

still dominates the complex--and often polluting--middle

steps that turn mined material into useful ingredients,

including metals and magnets. For example, China supplies

about 80% of the specialized magnets produced with rare-earth

ingredients like neodymium that are used in everything from

elevators to cruise missiles.

``It's amazing people haven't connected these dots,'' said

U.S. Rare Earths Chief Executive Kevin Cassidy. His company

plans to build facilities in the U.S. to handle difficult

middle-stage processes, but that will be expensive and

require numerous regulatory approvals.

Three years ago China shocked high-technology industries by

tightening export controls on a group of 17 elements called

rare earths that sent their prices rising as much as tenfold,

prompting then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to dub

the scare a ``wake up call.''

Miners responded by racing to find new rare-earth sources

in the U.S. and elsewhere. Industry authority Dudley

Kingsnorth says those new sources already cut China's share

of global supply to 86% from 93% between 2011 and 2012.

China's export policies are the subject of a continuing

dispute between Beijing, Washington and others before the

World Trade Organization. The WTO in October ruled illegal

certain restrictions on Chinese rare-earth exports, though

Beijing is expected to appeal the largely symbolic decision.

But when it comes to processing rare earths, China faces

little competition--and Wang Qin's greasy hands illustrate

why. The 45-year-old machinist for Feller Magnets Corp. in

the southern city of Shenzhen runs dozens of machines that

slice magnetic blocks made with rare earth into razor-thin

discs that his company says will be installed in mobile

phones.

While his computerized saws can meet precision

specifications for Feller's high-technology customers, the

machines also slick its factory floors with oil. Basins of

acids and extreme heat feature in other parts of the

facility. The company, which says half its output is sold in

China compared with only 30% in recent years, didn't respond

to a request for comment on factory conditions.

China's dominance in a field with a poor environmental

record illustrates one way it plays key roles more generally

in global manufacturing. China tops world output of chemicals

and fertilizers, as well as making lead-acid batteries and

harvesting of scrap computer parts for metal. Business

executives say that China's backbone in intermediate

industries, including rare-earth processing, allows it to

draw in related businesses that depend on the products and

thereby deepening its importance to production supply chains

from computers to automobiles.

In 2010 Beijing significantly crimped exports of rare-earth

minerals citing environmental reasons to clean up a chaotic

industry. Seeing prices of the elements soar, investors

funded dozens of mine exploration projects around the world.

Since then, a California mine and one in Australia have

ramped up, with others in South Africa, Vietnam, India and

Kazakhstan now in the construction phase, according to Gareth

Hatch, an industry investor and principal at Illinois-based

Technology Metals Research LLC. But he said many prospectors

who rushed after 2010 to bring new supplies to market wrongly

assumed, ``if you build the mine, the downstream supply chain

will magically appear outside of China.''

A number of U.S. defense contractors declined to comment on

industry trends. Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin

Corp. referred questions to the Aerospace Industries

Association, which pointed to a September report from the

U.S. Congressional Research Service that said ``most rare

earth materials' processing is performed in China, giving it

a dominant position that could affect world-wide supply and

prices.''

A Defense Department spokesman said the military

continually monitors the situation while citing an

``increasingly diverse and robust domestic and global supply

chain for rare earth materials.'' A March 2012 military

report highlighted positive trends ``for a market capable of

meeting future U.S. Government demand.''

While Mr. Kingsnorth, executive director of Industrial

Minerals Company of Australia, estimates China's share of

world production could slide to 63% by 2016, he points out

that China continues to dominate the nine steps between

mining rare earths and producing something with the material.

After ore is pried from the ground and unwanted minerals

are sifted away to make a concentrate of minerals, complex

acid and chemical treatments are required to separate

individual rare earths into quantities that are useful. Many

of the 17 rare earths share such similar physical properties

that separating individual elements can require several

months and 1,000 chemical treatments.

Outside China, few places have the industrial capacity to

separate the elements. Companies in the U.S., Russia, France,

Japan and elsewhere handle some of these steps, but China is

the only place that has the industrial capacity to do them

all.

Among those producing fresh output is U.S.-based Molycorp

Inc. Yet Molycorp exports some of the neodymium and samarium

from its giant deposit in California's Mojave Desert to its

processing facilities in China.

``The downstream does take longer to develop,'' says

Constantine Karayannopoulos, who until this month was

Molycorp's interim chief executive officer and is now vice

chairman.

Molycorp said it spent $1.5 billion to build a separation

facility in California, and Mr. Karayannopoulos estimates a

quarter to a third of that cost is related to ensuring the

plant operates to high environmental standards, which include

recycling wastewater. Still, Molycorp says it is cheaper to

make some of its materials at its facilities in China. Mr.

Karayannopoulos also estimates around 60% of that output is

sold to multinational companies already in China.

``I can't overemphasize how complex supply chains are,''

said Mr. Karayannopoulos.

A big effort to reduce China's role in the intermediate

steps of processing rare earths is being undertaken by

Australia's Lynas Corp. with a plant opened last year in

Malaysia to handle separation processes. But local

environmentalists decry the facility as dangerous, and Lynas

says it has processed only a fraction of its output there

this year. Lynas says none of its material is being sent to

China for separation.

Increasingly, China is taking steps to expand into more

profitable aspects of the rare-earth business that follow the

separation processes, instead of exporting those raw

materials. Mr. Kingsnorth likens such efforts to European

winemakers: ``France doesn't sell any grapes,'' he said.

Mr. Speaker, efforts that went into bringing this bill to the floor reflect what our constituents at home want to see from us here in Washington, a bill that was introduced in March of 2013, a bill where revisions were made, compromises were made. The loan guarantee part of the bill was taken out at the request of the majority staff so that we could bring this bill to the floor in a bipartisan way.

I am proud that I can go home and tell my constituents I was able to work with my colleagues on a bill that will advance American innovation, American energy security, and national security.

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. If you want to go home and tell your constituents that you were part of a bipartisan bill that protects American innovation, manufacturing, energy security, and national security, vote for this bill.

If you want to go home and tell your constituents that you are a part of seeing jobs go over to China and ceding leadership in energy, critical elements, then you should vote against this bill.

But I think this Congress wants to take back leadership when it comes to where we get our energy. That is why I am supporting this bill. That is why I am grateful that the chairman brought this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan H.R. 1022.

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. 5035, legislation that would reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, also known as NIST.

NIST, founded in 1901, is a nonregulatory Federal agency within the Department of Commerce. Its mission is to promote U.S. innovation and competitiveness by advancing measurement science.

H.R. 5035 makes important changes and updates to NIST programs, including the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, or MEP, program. MEP centers work with small- and medium-sized U.S. manufacturers and help them create and retain jobs, increase profits, and save money.

In my district, the 15th Congressional District of California, the California MEP center helped Plastikon, a plastic and contract manufacturing company that provides service to medical, automotive, and electronics industries, revisit its business model after one of its largest customers shut down. The MEP center supported market research, strategic planning and training, and lean manufacturing for Plastikon. The project increased the company sales by 20 percent.

The MEP program has proven to be a very successful public-private partnership for districts across the country. For every dollar of investment, the MEP program generates almost $19 in new sales and $21 in new client investment. This totals more than $2 billion in new sales every year.

H.R. 5035 helps ensure that the MEP program will continue partnering with the full range of small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies, helping them to innovate and create jobs here in America.

I was pleased that when this bill was considered as a section of the FIRST Act in the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, we worked in a bipartisan manner to make improvements to it. That section, as improved, is what we are considering today as a stand-alone bill. I appreciate the majority working with us in this new way.

Although I support the important policy provisions contained in this bill, I am also a little disappointed by the low authorization level. NIST is the one of our Nation's most important, yet least known, agencies. Because of its unrivaled expertise in measurement science, its unique research facilities, and its strong industry partnerships, NIST has been asked by Congress and by one administration after another to take on leadership roles in a number of crosscutting Federal efforts, from cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing.

To adequately support their mission and work in these critical areas, the authorization level for NIST should be closer to the President's fiscal year 2015 budget request and the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations fiscal year 2015 bill. My hope is that when this bill goes to conference with the Senate we can work on a higher authorization level for NIST.

That said, H.R. 5035 is an important bill that contains sound policy provisions that were developed, again, on a bipartisan basis and that will help ensure NIST's ability to promote U.S. innovation and competitiveness.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.

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