Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate those comments by the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Common Cents Act. This bill has been over a year in the making with my colleagues Mrs. McClain and Mr. Garcia from California, and I am proud of the product that we put forward today.

The 1 cent piece, or the penny as it is commonly known, does indeed cost almost 4 cents to produce, and 2024 was the 19th consecutive year the U.S. Government lost money keeping the 1 cent piece in circulation.

That is why this year, the President rightly ordered the Department of the Treasury to stop wasting hard-earned taxpayer money to produce the coin and why we are excited to move forward in codifying this action.

The Common Cents Act also gives flexibility to the Mint to produce a nickel with cheaper materials. In 1866, Congress mandated the nickel be produced from an alloy of copper and nickel, and we haven't updated the composition since. This bill gives the Mint the flexibility to produce a cheaper coin, while retaining Congress' responsibility of coining money.

Finally, the bill provides certainty for businesses in their cash transactions with customers without mandating price controls from the government.

We are also proud to boast the endorsements of the National Retail Federation, the National Grocers Association, the United Steelworkers International Union, and the American Bankers Association, among many others.

I must take one moment and note with the passing of the 1 cent piece, it is a coin that was mandated in the 1792 Mint Act, a coin that when it was originally produced in 1793 by the United States Mint in that very fledgling facility in Philadelphia, represented 1 cent of pure copper.

Over time, with inflation and the changing consumer patterns, we went to the smaller 1-cent piece we now use in 1857. Now, all of this time later, the 1-cent piece has passed its prime and time.

Yet, it was a coin that was important to commerce from the founding of the country. It was an important coin because every American at least had a few cents in their pocket, even in the toughest times, over the last 200 years.

Now we move forward. Again, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Financial Services Committee for making these wise decisions in codifying it.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 629) to amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to remove barriers to agricultural producers in accessing funds to carry out emergency measures under the emergency conservation program, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 629, the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025, introduced by Senator Fischer of Nebraska.

The Emergency Conservation Program and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program are two critical cost-share programs available to landowners following a natural disaster. Given the natural disasters we have witnessed, including wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding, these programs have remained critically important.

Wildfires continue to present significant challenges, especially in the West, due to their increasing intensity and the extensive number of acres burned each year. Forest managers and wildfire experts have predicted that 2026 will be a particularly challenging fire year. So far this year, we have already witnessed approximately 2.7 million acres burned in over 34,000 fires, and it is only June.

Recently, devastating wildfires have occurred in the plains of Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, instead of just being confined to the forest and mountains of the West. This year, we saw approximately 300,000 acres burn after multiple wildfires ignited in Oklahoma and Kansas this past February.

In addition, due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we have observed significant needs for emergency assistance resulting from the devastation in southeastern States, including the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Natural disasters have inflicted great damage on private property across the country at no fault of the landowners.

Under ECP, landowners can receive both technical and financial assistance for repairs and restoration of land adversely affected by natural disasters, including floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts. Additionally, EFRP provides financial assistance to nonindustrial private forest landowners to support recovery efforts following similar natural disasters.

While these programs are critical, participants have reported ongoing issues with payment delays and insufficient upfront assistance to cover the costs of urgent conservation needs.

To address this issue, S. 629 allows for advanced payments of up to 75 percent of the total project cost for both programs, clarifies eligibility for cost-share payments, and allows for a longer period for the use of ECP payments.

In addition, since receiving recommendations from both the Government Accountability Office and the USDA Office of Inspector General, USDA has indicated that the Department is taking actions to improve the integrity and the administration of ECP. Given the significant challenges that our producers and forest landowners are facing in the aftermath of recent natural disasters, as well as the increased risk of extreme fire damage this year, it is my hope that we can enhance this program's integrity, while also providing timely assistance to those in great need.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to vote favorably.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I simply want to thank my colleague for her efforts on this piece of legislation and on the floor today.

The challenges that this bill is designed to address are real, and they are not just one particular locality, whether it is Hawaii, various States on the East or West Coasts, or across the country. We need to pass this legislation to make the process work more efficiently.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for this piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to stand here today to offer my enthusiastic support for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

As the former chairman of this committee, I have been down this road before, and while passing a comprehensive farm bill is never easy, the rewards can be seen in tangible ways in every facet of our communities.

They can be seen not just on the farms but in the grocery stores, the universities, the fire stations, the community facilities, and rural hospitals across this great Nation.

To my colleagues who will cast their vote tomorrow, whether you represent a top agricultural district, small town, or a booming metropolis, the policies in this bill will affect you.

This bill will ensure that American farmers can continue to raise the food and fiber that ultimately finds its way into your home, and it will ensure that the next generation can continue that legacy.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' with me on final passage, and I thank Chairman Thompson for bringing forth this bill today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn remembrance of something that happened 31 years ago in Oklahoma City at the Federal building that we refer to as the Murrah Building when an act of unimaginable horror took place and the lives of 168 of our fellow Americans were taken in almost an instant.

That was one of those experiences that forever reshaped my community and my neighbors. It reshaped the country at the time, and that is what I and my colleagues rise this evening to discuss those 31 years ago and how our communities responded and where we went from there.

I was an 11-month Member of Congress at the time. My district office was 1\1/2\ blocks away from the Murrah Building, and the force and the magnitude of the explosion that day were so incredible that not only did it blow the interior out of the Murrah Building, leaving just a shell, but it also damaged buildings blocks away, literally creating chaos and confusion all over central Oklahoma City.

Sometimes, in the chaos of the modern world, we forget that we are Americans, we are Oklahomans, we are fellow human beings, and we rise to the occasion. That response, beginning almost instantly and covering hours, days, and weeks, reflected that Oklahoma standard, that Oklahoma way of doing things--but not just Oklahoma, our great Nation.

This evening for a little bit, we together will discuss the things that we have dealt with since then, things we observed in those moments, and how it made a real difference in the lives of the survivors and those who were so critically injured.

My friend, Congressman Cole, was Secretary of State in the State of Oklahoma, a central member of Governor Keating's cabinet. When the emergency response programs were activated, he was a part of the State's response to help local government in interacting with FEMA.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman who represents the Second District of Oklahoma, Congressman Brecheen. Clearly, he, too, cares about all Oklahomans and all of our fellow citizens.

Mr. Speaker, my grandparents' generation could tell you where they were when they heard the news that Wiley Post and Will Rogers had been lost in that plane crash in Alaska in 1935. They could also tell you exactly what they were doing when the news came of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941.

My parents, who were young men, kids at the time, could tell you exactly where they were when that same news about Pearl Harbor came. They could tell you exactly what they were doing when they discovered that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

For my generation, there have been many things that imprint the mind that will mark the memory forever, but that day 31 years ago that took the lives of 168 of our fellow citizens is my equivalent to those earlier tragedies.

I and the Oklahoma delegation were all together in Dallas-Fort Worth for a meeting of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, BRAC, when the tragedy occurred at 9:02 a.m. I will never forget having a reporter from one of the Oklahoma City news radio stations tap me on the shoulder, and he said: Congressman, don't you have an office in the Federal Building?

I said: Chris, I do, but there are three Federal buildings. Are you talking about Murrah, the Federal Courthouse, or the United States Post Office?

He said: We have a report that there has been some kind of an explosion at the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and it is gone.

Now, at that moment, I jumped up and charged out of the auditorium, and in the lobby were the television screens even in that day with the live coverage. I immediately recognized the Murrah Building. My people were a block and a half away in the U.S. Post Office Building, but I immediately recognized the building. The core of this building had been blown out. It had been designed in the 1960s during the antiwar period to withstand an attack, but not the magnitude of this attack.

Senator Nickles, who led the delegation that day to the BRAC hearing, hurriedly went down and discussed with the leadership of the BRAC Commission and the two State delegations ahead of us, and they were able to accelerate our abbreviated testimony. We left Dallas and came back to Oklahoma City as fast as we could.

I will never forget walking up the street from the south, I believe Harvey, coming by what was then our old Sixth District office in the U.S. Post Office Building. This is a block and a half away on the opposite side of the blast, down the street. The shock wave was big enough that it blew all of our windows in and took down our ceilings.

Now, I had people buried under rubble, I had people thrown across rooms, but everyone was okay. We were lucky. In the delegation, we proceeded, J.C. and I and several staffers, on up the street and around the corner to behold what we saw, it was just the most amazing thing.

My colleagues are right, the response from almost the first instant was amazing. A lot of times people think that when you have a tragedy, a natural disaster, that the Federal Government is going to come in and save you. That is not the system.

The system is for local government to function and for local government to call upon county and State government to support them. If the need is great enough, they then turn to the Federal Government and FEMA to back them up. That is exactly the way it worked in Oklahoma City. The mayor, the police chief, and fire chief triaged the situation, knew they had more than they could handle, called upon county government, State government, the Governor, Secretary Cole, who then turned to FEMA and the President of the United States. It was a textbook example of how things were supposed to work in the most hideous and horrible of circumstances.

I don't ever want anyone to go through something of that nature or magnitude ever again. It took 5 years of the Federal delegation working with those Federal employees who had survived, many of whom had been physically or emotionally injured, and their families to sort out what were they going to do next, what did they want to do, and what were they capable of doing.

Mr. Speaker, call it compassionate work if you want, call it treating your fellow citizens in a decent way, but we worked for 5 years to work our way through that.

I will also say that Congressman Cole referenced the outflowing of love and support from across the country. The emergency management teams and all of the entities that came pouring in to help. It was amazing. However, about 3 or 4 months after the immediate tragedy was over, I got a call from one of our colleagues, a congressman in New Jersey by the name of Jim Saxton. Jim told me that his community had been raising money and they wanted to give it to Oklahoma City to help. Would I come to New Jersey with him and see his folks and accept their gift.

I didn't know what to expect, but I thought the world of Congressman Saxton, and if his people were trying to help my people, absolutely. We went up to New Jersey. In a high school auditorium near a military base, the bands and the cheerleaders and the school kids and the adults in the community--it was quite an event--they had done car washes and bake sales. They donated money. They raised cash, and they presented me with a huge check--now, this is 31 years ago--for $100,000.

That is a lot of money now, but that was an incredible amount of money in 1995 to give to people you had never met and that you didn't know but you knew you cared about. That is another one of those moments I will never forget, $100,000.

Bottom line is this: From that great tragedy came the foundation to educate people about these issues, from that tragedy came the memorial memorializing, honoring, and remembering those 168 lost people.

If you are ever even remotely close to Oklahoma City, you should go and walk through that somber memorial. You should go through all of the educational exhibits at the foundation. It is just the most amazing thing.

Am I different today still after all this time than I was before the moment the tragedy struck? I will always be different. I will always be different. When you have seen the worst of what humanity can do to itself, followed by the best of what humanity can do for itself, you can't help but be a changed person.

Mr. Speaker, again, to my friends, I thank them for everything that they did. I thank them for working so diligently for all those good folks in Oklahoma City and everybody across the country.

My grandparents could tell you when Wiley and Will had their tragedy. My father could quote you where he was standing in Elk City when they saw on the TV screen that President Kennedy has been assassinated. I will forever have burned in my memory that reporter tapping me on the shoulder, ``We have a report. There has been an explosion. The Federal building is gone. Where is your office?'' I will never forget that.

Mr. Speaker, one last time, I thank everyone who helped us in Oklahoma City. I express my sympathy for everyone who lost someone in Oklahoma City, but thank goodness, we are Oklahomans. Most importantly, we are Americans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the 91st anniversary of a solemn day for the people of Oklahoma: Black Sunday.

While perhaps there are not many Americans who know about that consequential Sunday on April 14, 1935, I want to take a few minutes to tell you about it, Mr. Speaker, based on what my ancestors told me and the hardships that came from that day.

I still remember my grandfather, Fred Lucas, telling me and my cousins about Black Sunday. You see, Mr. Speaker, in Crawford, Oklahoma, on

Sunday afternoon in those days in the 1930s, they would have a community baseball game which would last after church through the afternoon and into the early evening hours.

My grandfather described that particular Sunday because they had just finished a multi-night hellfire and brimstone revival, and the community was very fired up about the things going on in the world and their responsibilities. Remember, this is 1935. It was tough times, but if a community could afford a bat, a ball, and at least a glove for the catcher, they could play baseball, the American pastime.

My grandfather described that afternoon. In the course of the baseball game, this giant, dark cloud appeared in the northwest sky. It rolled in, and the closer it got, literally, it was a miles-tall cold front full of nothing but dust.

Finally, someone in the crowd said: Oh, my goodness, we have not repented. We have not followed the advice, and the Lord is going to take action against us.

The entire community scattered. They may have misgauged the dust storm, but the dust was so bad that literally for the next few days, the skies were dark, the Sun was clouded, and everyone stayed in to avoid that.

Now, that dust storm did not just come across Oklahoma. It came across the entire Plains. It worked its way across North America, and it made it all the way to Washington, D.C., where ironically, that next week, the House Agriculture Committee was in meetings to discuss how to address the conservation disasters of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

It was so bad that it brought it to the attention of my colleagues, our predecessors here in Congress, that not just were the Great Plains suffering, but so was the rest of the country.

The House Agriculture Committee, the United States House, and the United States Senate took action. Thirteen days later, on April 27, they passed the act, and it was signed into law by the President that created the Soil Conservation Service, what we now refer to as the

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an organization that has shaped much of my life and to recognize the young leaders who are the future of this great Nation.

This week marks National FFA Week, and as a product of FFA myself, I know firsthand the values, knowledge, and character it instilled in me.

This year, the over 1 million students enrolled in FFA are led by their National FFA Officer Team and the National FFA President, Mr. Trey Myers of Perkins, Oklahoma.

A native of Oklahoma's Third Congressional District and a student at Oklahoma State University, Mr. Myers is responsible for leading and shaping the future of FFA. Those who know Trey know his strong Oklahoma roots and his heart of service for those around him, as well as his dedication to his family, his country, and his faith.

We are all looking forward to the great things that Trey and his officer teammates will accomplish this year in that famous blue and gold jacket.

Happy National FFA Week.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 1531, the PROTECT Taiwan Act.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the President is required to notify Congress if China poses an immediate threat to Taiwan's security. If this notification is triggered, my bill states that it is U.S. policy to exclude Chinese representatives from key international organizations such as the G20, the Financial Stability Board, and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

This bill sends a clear message. If China intends to engage in conflict with Taiwan, then China should be prepared to withstand the consequences.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this body enacted a similar regime to demonstrate to the world that violating international order comes with swift and severe results.

We should have a proactive policy toward Beijing today. As China continues to show aggression in the South China Sea, the United States must show clear resolve that aggression will not be tolerated.

The United States' response to an invasion of Taiwan should be robust and include numerous sanctions and economic penalties. Exclusion from international bodies must be a part of that response.

If China seeks to disrupt the global order, then China cannot continue to be party to international organizations that seek to preserve that order.

China's position in multilateral economic institutions will be at risk should they engage in hostilities toward Taiwan. We simply cannot overlook the value of deterrence and preparedness.

China should understand the economic and diplomatic repercussions of threatening international financial stability and make its choices accordingly.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) for his work on this issue and for cosponsoring this legislation. We received unanimous support in the committee, and I hope that the body will continue that tradition today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 1713, the Agricultural Risk Review Act. My bill would make permanent the existing policy enacted under the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024 and bolster our food security against foreign adversaries.

H.R. 1713 would amend the Defense Production Act to add the Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, for any transactions related to the purchase of farmland, biotechnology, or any other transaction related to the agricultural industry.

My bill also includes the Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act authored last Congress by the former chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Mr. Luetkemeyer.

That section of the bill requires CFIUS to consider referrals from USDA for reportable agricultural land transactions prior to the interagency process that determines whether review of the transaction is warranted.

These bills received unanimous support when considered separately, and then when joined together were also reported favorably to the floor in a unanimous vote. These are commonsense measures in line with existing practices and current law.

CFIUS' mandate is to review transactions involving foreign investments in the United States to ensure such transactions do not threaten our national security. Agriculture is too important to our country's security to be left out.

Our geopolitical adversaries are eager to exploit vulnerabilities in critical supply chains, such as our food supply. The inclusion of the Secretary of Agriculture in reviews of agricultural transactions is just plain common sense.

Mr. Speaker, my bill has been bipartisan across administrations. Former Agriculture Secretary Perdue under the first Trump administration and former Agriculture Secretary Vilsack under the Biden administration agreed that having a permanent seat at the table is vital to the protection of our farmland and food supply.

I am also pleased to boast bipartisan support from the leadership of the House Financial Services Committee. This bill has passed unanimously out of the House Financial Services Committee for two Congresses now, and it is past time for it to become law.

From Hawaii and Washington to New York and Florida to my home State of Oklahoma, our Nation's agricultural land must be protected. That is why a bipartisan group of Members from over 20 States across the country have supported me in this effort.

I am grateful we took a positive step in the last Congress to include this language in our annual appropriations process, but we must cement this requirement in permanent law.

This legislation recognizes and supports the long-held understanding that food supply is a critical component of U.S. national security. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, as a lifelong Oklahoman, Jimmy Emmons has spent years working around the state and across the country promoting innovative and voluntary conservation practices.

Having someone like Jimmy in a position to lead farm policy isn't just beneficial for Oklahoma, but the entire country and the world.

I am proud of my longtime friend and fellow Oklahoman for his willingness to serve the Nation at the Natural Resources Conservation Service and his commitment to the American farmer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my friend and colleague, the great Oklahoma Congressman, Wes Watkins.

Wes originally took office as a Member of Congress in 1976 after serving 2 years in the Oklahoma Senate. He succeeded former Speaker Carl Albert, who notably endorsed Wes after retiring.

However, Wes' legacy of service started long before he made his way to Washington. As a young boy, Wes was involved in 4-H and FFA while working several jobs to help support his family. He then graduated high school at the top of his class before attending Oklahoma State University. He earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education and a master's degree in educational administration.

At Oklahoma State University, he served as the southeast district vice president for the Oklahoma FFA Association. He was so successful in that position that he would later be chosen to be the State president of the Oklahoma FFA Association. But he didn't stop there. He continued to prove himself to his peers and was also elected as the chair of the student senate.

Winning the student senate election would become a monumental moment for Wes because it was becoming quite clear to everyone that he had an ability to motivate and to lead his peers.

In a 2017 interview with the Oklahoma Historical Society, Wes reflected on the moment he won the student election. A friend asked him if he was going to run for office one day. This made Wes stop and think about a life in public service. He thought to himself: What is your mission? What are you all about? What is your passion?

It is evident that these questions guided Wes through his time in Congress. He was a strong public leader who advocated for Oklahomans above all else.

He was raised during a difficult time, where many families were leaving Oklahoma in search of jobs and a chance for economic prosperity. Instead of following suit, he ran for office to change this and help the State. When he arrived in Washington in 1976, he came with a clear mission: Make life better for the neighbors.

Wes knew that in order to do this, he needed to work on financial policy, so he made his case to join the Banking Committee. Like everything else Wes did, he was so successful that his peers chose to elevate him to the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most important committees in the United States House.

Later, during his second stint in Congress, based on that same track record of success, he secured his spot on the Ways and Means Committee, not only the longest standing committee of the United States House, but the committee of jurisdiction over all tax policy. This made Wes the first Member of Congress to serve on both the Ways and Means Committee and the Appropriations Committee.

Wes ultimately knew that these committee assignments would give him the opportunity to provide access to capital to Oklahomans, and he was right. While Wes Watkins' legacy in Congress cannot be overstated, to Oklahomans, his kindness, generosity, and love for his community might be what we remember most.

Now remember, Mr. Speaker, Wes received his degree in agricultural education, and he was certainly an educator and a mentor to his very core. In his later years, he spent time counseling young people who sought his guidance. He would ask these young people the same questions that he had once asked himself: What is your mission? What are you all about? What is your passion?

Oklahomans will remember Wes Watkins as a dedicated public servant who fought hard to bring abundant opportunities and true prosperity to his neighbors. He never forgot his original mission of serving Oklahoma, and the work of his lifetime will continue to benefit the State for literally centuries to come.

One last thought: When his time in D.C. was done, Wes went straight back to Oklahoma.

Mr. Speaker, I have to acknowledge this: I can't think of a better set of hands to have the chairmanship of this critically important committee of Science, Space, and Technology in than Chairman Babin and Ranking Member Lofgren and my good friend, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) over there. The committee that the chairman presides over represents the future of this great country. I always tell people that the Science, Space, and Technology Committee is not just about yesterday or tomorrow, but it is 5 years, it is 50 years, it is 250 years into the future, and that is just an amazing thing.

Today, I rise in support of H.R. 1325, the Commercial Remote Sensing Act. I have introduced this bipartisan legislation in the past two Congresses, and on both occasions, the measures passed the House by voice vote. I reintroduced the bill this Congress along with my colleague and friend, the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Ms. Lofgren.

It updates the reporting requirements for NOAA's Office of Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs so that Congress can monitor how regulations are impacting the growth and improvement of the commercial remote sensing industry.

Congress first authorized the licensing and regulation of commercial remote sensing space systems in 1992. Since then, the industry has become a crucial resource in a number of industries including agriculture, finance, trade, and energy.

Remote sensing uses data collected from satellites to produce images of Earth. This imagery and data has a number of important applications. It can allow farmers to improve crop production by more efficiently applying water and fertilizer. It can inform the future commodity prices by actively monitoring weather and crop health.

It can also improve our ability to prepare for and respond to natural disasters by instructing flood plain mapping, tornado tracking, and drought monitoring, topics that are all front-of-mind for all Americans, but especially those in my home State of Oklahoma.

Commercial remote sensing can also be helpful in humanitarian relief efforts and monitoring treaty compliance, among other national security and foreign affairs applications.

This technology provides us with critical information for a number of fields. As the industry is constantly evolving and growing, we must make sure that Congress is receiving timely and comprehensive reports to accurately evaluate how regulations are affecting the state of the industry.

The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 established a reporting requirement from the Department of Commerce on the status of commercial remote sensing licensing and regulation. That requirement expired in 2020.

H.R. 1325 will reinstate the reporting requirement and keep Congress informed of agency actions, their impact on licensees, and the state of the commercial remote sensing industry.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1325 is a simple, bipartisan bill that will help ensure that the United States remains the global leader in the commercial remote sensing industry.

I thank Ranking Member Lofgren for joining me in advancing this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1326, the DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act. This bill allows the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to work together to improve how we grow our food, fiber, and fuel in America.

I introduced this bill in the last Congress with the help of the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Ms. Lofgren. The measure passed with unanimous support through the committee and by voice vote on the House floor.

As a farmer and rancher myself, I am proud to sponsor this bill, which will help us address cross-cutting research challenges that will advance crop science, maximize carbon storage, enhance precision agriculture technologies, and much more.

DOE and USDA already have a successful track record of collaboration to mitigate invasive species, modernize the grid, address the energy- water nexus, develop biofuels, and improve agriculture operations.

DOE has some of our country's most advanced computing capacities, as well as world-class research facilities and a depth of scientific expertise.

These resources can be used to support the work being done by America's farmers and ranchers, ultimately strengthening our agricultural production.

This bill before us today is a smart, bipartisan legislation that codifies the partnership between DOE and USDA, ensuring that they can continue to work together on these interindustry challenges.

I thank Ms. Lofgren for working with me these past two Congresses on this bill, and I deeply appreciate her support of agricultural research. It is always a pleasure to be on the floor with Ms. Stevens from Michigan.

I urge all my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Weber for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion this evening.

I can't think of a person who I have interacted with for the last 22 years that I have enjoyed any more than Dr. Burgess.

Sitting in that general area back there, occasionally he would veer away from ``The Texas Row'' and interact with the Okies, where we analyzed the

leadership, analyzed the committees, and analyzed the work product.

His insights were just as amazing as his personality. Let's be honest. If you have toiled through the Budget Committee, as Dr. Burgess did, as a good Member; if you worked diligently for decades almost on the Energy and Commerce Committee; and then had enough patience and grit and willpower to be a Rules Committee member for a number of years and chairman of the Rules Committee, that says something about your commitment to this body, this country, this Constitution, and, yes, Doc--I will admit it as an Okie--your commitment to the Republic of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2228) to amend the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 to clarify the scope of a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to certain projects relating to the production of semiconductors, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2228, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2228, the Building Chips in America Act. This is a companion to H.R. 4549, which was introduced in the House by Representative Kiggans along with Representatives Peters, Williams, Allred, and McCaul.

The Building Chips in America Act is fundamentally about our competitiveness and national security.

Semiconductor chips have become essential to the way we live and work. They power our phones, medical devices, cars, and computers. They are not only essential to our economic security but our national security, as well. Yet, the U.S. is dependent on foreign countries for access to chips.

The Chinese Communist Party has made it clear that it wants to dominate the globe in key technology areas, and part of their strategy is to increase China's share of the semiconductor market through both investment and acquisition.

U.S. technology companies obtain as much as 90 percent of their semiconductor chips from Taiwan, which is a huge risk given the geopolitical situation in the region.

When Congress passed the CHIPS for America Act in 2020 and the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, the intention was to address this lack of domestic chip production to make us more competitive, and it is starting to work. Since we passed these bills, we have seen companies throughout the supply chain announcing billions of dollars in new investments in domestic chip manufacturing.

Unfortunately, these projects are being required to undergo a lengthy National Environmental Policy Act review. These reviews drag on for a long time. The Council on Environmental Quality reports that it takes an average of 4\1/2\ years to complete this process. That defeats the goal of quickly scaling up chips production in the United States.

Not only do NEPA reviews delay ongoing construction, but they also discourage future investments in chip production. This bill addresses that issue by streamlining the permit requirements so we can quickly build up our semiconductor manufacturing. It clarifies that certain CHIPS projects are not subject to NEPA reviews, and it improves efficiency by ensuring that the Commerce Department is the lead agency to carry out NEPA reviews for the projects that are subject to these requirements.

It also gives Commerce more tools to complete environmental reviews.

Finally, it limits the timeline for court challenges to these reviews.

In short, it allows Commerce to be flexible in how it promotes growth while still ensuring environmental protections.

We cannot afford to stunt our own progress in chip manufacturing because we are following a flawed bureaucratic process.

Mr. Speaker, I also note that addressing environmental permitting is an issue that extends well beyond chip production. My colleague Bruce Westerman, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, has championed the need to comprehensively address NEPA and its unintended consequences. I appreciate his effort to make NEPA work better for the American people.

Today's bill is narrower in scope than what Chairman Westerman has proposed. While it doesn't address NEPA in its entirety, I believe this is a step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues in the House who have sponsored this bill, as well as our Senate counterparts, and I urge everyone to support this important reform. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans) to speak on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, the chairman of the House Rules Committee (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Building Chips in America Act is pragmatic legislation that ensures we aren't sacrificing our growth in chip production because of unwieldy permitting processes.

The changes we are making here today won't compromise the laws that protect our clean air and water, but they do allow us to move forward with semiconductor manufacturing. That is why this bill has strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8958) to reauthorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 8958, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8958, the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

NASA is at an important point in its history. Through the Artemis program, it is currently leading a team of commercial and international partners to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

It also seeks to continue operations in low-Earth orbit and accomplish impressive feats of scientific exploration to better understand the universe in which we live.

However, America's role as a space leader cannot be taken for granted. As more actors, both commercial and foreign, take to the stars, space is increasingly competitive and contested.

Among these competitors is the Chinese Communist Party, which is devoting significant resources to rapidly expanding its presence in space. In 2023, the CCP completed construction of its own space station and returned to Earth the first rock samples from the far side of the Moon.

The CCP also made substantial progress on its plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030. Through these and other activities, the Chinese have become a global leader in space activity.

The next nation to land on the lunar surface will play a key role in guiding the norms and practices that may govern lunar and space exploration for decades to come. We cannot cede U.S. leadership at this time.

In order to be successful, Congress must provide NASA with clear, forward-thinking guidance. The bill before us today does just that by providing thoughtful, strategic direction across NASA's mission areas.

First, this bill recognizes the immense value of NASA having a consistent, long-term plan for space exploration. Accordingly, it reaffirms our commitment to human space exploration through Artemis and the Moon to Mars programs. It also reinforces the need for a steady cadence of flights of the Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule.

Second, the bill provides guidance to NASA's activities in low-Earth orbit, or LEO. While the ISS is the world's premier microgravity laboratory, after over 24 years of operation, the station is aging.

NASA must fully utilize the ISS to ensure the maximum return on taxpayers' investment, but also must prepare for the eventual retirement of the station. To that end, this bill authorizes NASA to procure capabilities that will be needed to safely deorbit the ISS at the end of its lifespan. It also authorizes NASA to support the development and use of private LEO platforms.

Next, the bill addresses NASA's science programs. NASA's science missions reveal groundbreaking discoveries that help us understand our place in the universe that can ultimately improve life here at home.

However, throughout this Congress, the Science Committee has heard concerns about the effect cost and schedule overruns are having on the agency's portfolio of science missions.

Given the current constraints on the Federal budget, it is critical that Congress ensure that each dollar NASA spends is used in the most efficient way possible.

The bill stresses the value of a balanced science portfolio with a steady cadence of small, medium, and large missions. It directs NASA to consider how to incorporate innovative commercial solutions into its science programs, which can save money while also facilitating the growth of the U.S. commercial space industry.

The bill also ensures that space technology development is able to keep pace with the rapid growth in space activities. By encouraging and supporting space technology development, this bill helps drive economic growth to ensure our leadership in space.

Finally, the bill will make aviation safer and more efficient by supporting aeronautics research efforts, including the development of experimental aircraft and next-generation aeronautics technologies. All told, it is a strategic bill that positions the U.S. to remain the global leader in space.

This legislation is the product of months of bipartisan work, and I thank Ranking Member Lofgren for working with me to create a thoughtful bill that addresses our shared priorities. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), the subcommittee chairman of jurisdiction.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia) to speak on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, NASA has long been a driving force in space exploration, but as I have said previously, we cannot take the decades of American leadership in space for granted. This is especially true as the growing interest in space drives greater activity and competition into the domain, particularly from the Chinese Communist Party.

An effective and efficient NASA is the key to maintaining U.S. space leadership. Congress must provide NASA with clear, forward-thinking guidance.

This is why one of my top priorities on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology this Congress is passage of the bill currently before us.

I fully support the thoughtful guidance this bill provides NASA. It ensures NASA continues making progress toward returning humans to the Moon, developing the best strategy for NASA's future operations in LEO, and promotes a range of scientific research and technological development activities.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Ranking Member Lofgren and her staff for working with me and my staff to craft this important bill, and I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to see this across the finish line.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.