Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, first, I thank Mr. Doyle for his opposition to S.J. Res. 34. I rise in opposition as well.

The FCC's broadband privacy rules are commonsense rules. These rules give consumers the ability to choose how their information is used and shared by their internet service providers.

According to the Pew Research Center, a large majority of Americans say it is very important that they control who has access to their information. Despite a loud cry from the American people that they want to be able to choose how their information is used, S.J. Res. 34 strips consumers of the power to choose how their ISPs use and share their information.

This resolution also leaves consumers more vulnerable to attacks because their ISP will no longer be required to make reasonable steps to secure their personal information.

In recent years, we have seen numerous data breach incidents that have jeopardized consumers' personal information. Some examples are Yahoo, Target, Home Depot, LinkedIn, and Anthem. The list goes on.

Given the growing cyber threats that our Nation faces, it is critical that we do more, not less, to secure consumers' data. Strong data security practices are critical for protecting our consumers' confidentiality.

This resolution would make consumers' data more susceptible to being stolen and used for identity theft and other harmful unauthorized purposes.

Consumers want to be heard. They want more privacy. They want their information to be secure. We have an obligation to respond to their requests.

I am appalled that one of the Republicans' first acts in this Congress after trying to take health coverage away from 24 million people is to attack consumer protections and weaken data security. Americans are just now hearing about this legislation, and my phones are ringing off the hook in opposition.

I have to rhetorically ask the other side: Why are you pushing this?

Americans don't want it. Your voters are beginning to pay attention. This is just after your humiliating defeat with the ACA repeal. I ask that you withdraw this bill and start listening to your constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject S.J. Res. 34.

Mr. Speaker, since the implementation of the ACA, over 3.9 million women age 18 to 64 have gained health coverage through Medicaid. The ACA ended gender rating, meaning that the insurance companies cannot charge women more than they charge men for the same coverage. TrumpCare also eliminates Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, reducing access to health care for women. Millions of women rely on Planned Parenthood for both routine and lifesaving care, such as preventative services, family planning, and preventing unwanted pregnancies. When the GPO strips Planned Parenthood funding, health care of women will suffer.

TrumpCare and its Medicare cuts also hurts seniors. Older Americans account for over 60 percent of Medicare spending. Insurance companies will now be able to charge more based on their age, which will increase premiums by thousands.

Mr. Speaker, watching Republicans sell this bill is like buying a used car from a guy with a crooked smile, even they don't believe in it. I ask my Republican colleagues to withdraw this horrible bill and work with Democrats to improve the ACA instead of trying to sell this atrocity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Federal investment into brain research.

Congress' commitment to fund basic brain-related research and scientific discovery is critical to developing our capabilities to treat over 1,000 diseases and disorders that directly or indirectly affect 100 million Americans every year. Estimates put the economic burden of these diseases at over $760 billion a year. Addiction, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's, and other afflictions can only be overcome through increasing our understanding of how the brain works.

Basic science is the foundation upon which all health advances are built. Federal agencies, such as the NIH, NSF, and DOD, are essential in advancement of brain research, as well as for so many scientific endeavors. Congress enacted the 21st Century Cures Act that provided support for a wide range of biomedical research efforts.

I call upon my colleagues to stand with me in support of brain research into the new Congress. I also beseech my Republican colleagues to withdraw this terrible bill and work across the aisle to find a healthcare plan that will serve all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, since the ACA was enacted, California's uninsured rate has dropped by 54 percent. Over 263,000 people have gained coverage in the three counties in my district. But now my Republican colleagues want us to pass a replacement bill that will strip away health care for 24 million Americans.

TrumpCare guts the Medicare program and creates a new, pre-broken system that rations health care for more than 76 million Americans. In my district alone, more than 64,000 people will lose coverage because of the provisions of the Republican replacement bill. It will take money away from our hospitals and eliminate 4,000 jobs in San Joaquin County alone. Working and middle class families will be forced to pay more for less. This will increase healthcare costs and decrease the quality of coverage available. Americans deserve access to quality healthcare coverage and health care that they can afford.

I ask my Republican colleagues to withdraw this terrible bill and work across the aisle, for once, to improve the ACA that benefits all Americans. I strongly oppose this bill and urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is straightforward. It exempts from the bill any agency rule relating to the physical and cybersecurity of the bulk power system, including any emergency action to protect and restore reliability. The bulk power system is comprised of facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electrical transmission network to maintain reliability.

Our Nation's electrical system touches each and every part of our lives, hospitals, schools, transportation, homes, businesses, and our national security. Our electrical system is the central element of our Nation's critical infrastructure because all other components of our infrastructure depend on it.

The electrical system is composed of 640,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 6 million miles of distribution lines. This network is undergoing a transformation. There are an ever- increasing number of devices that are connected to the grid; technological advancements are allowing for efficiencies and cheaper production of power, whether it is renewable energy or natural gas; and consumers have more choices and more control. With increased digitization, automation and interaction also have enhanced grid flexibility and security.

While these developments present tremendous opportunities, such as new jobs and reducing carbon emissions, they also pose additional physical and cyber threats to the transmission and distribution systems. Stakeholders across the system are facing numerous new threats and challenges in detecting problems, responding to intrusions, and keeping rates affordable while maintaining reliability. The long-term health of the electricity sector is now, more than ever, a shared responsibility between communities, consumers, industry, and government.

Despite these challenges, the bulk power system is an example of industry stakeholders and the Federal Government working well together, when needed, and working independently, when needed and succeeding.

Transmission and distribution providers have taken it upon themselves to establish industry-led standards, best practices, and supply chain management when it comes to grid security. They have worked well with NERC and FERC in developing Critical Infrastructure Protection standards for the bulk power system.

These Critical Infrastructure Protection standards cover critical cyber asset identification, security management, personnel and training, electronic security, physical security, systems security, incident reporting and response planning, and recovery plans. There are 72 inactive CIP standards, and 11 that are now subject to enforcement. These standards aren't always perfect, but they do represent compromise and collaboration.

A well-protected and reliable grid makes economic sense. Power outages and disturbances can cost more than $180 billion annually, and data suggests that electrical system outages attributable to weather- related events are increasing, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $20 billion to $55 billion annually. Electric companies are projected to spend more than $7 billion of their own money on cybersecurity alone by the year 2020, and are expected to invest nearly $53 billion to enhance the grid.

These are significant investments, but essential investments as well. A more resilient, secure electric sector is something we all benefit from. It will continue to require investments at all levels, including from the Federal Government.

We should enhance funding for our national laboratories that have partnered together via the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium. We should provide high levels of funding for the Office of Electricity and its mission to ensure the energy delivery system is more secure, resilient, and reliable. We must promote R&D that helps bring new, innovative technologies to the grid.

We will always struggle to keep ahead of those bad actors who are seeking to attack us, but we can establish metrics, procedures, and technological capabilities that allow us to respond and adapt.

I agree with many of my colleagues that we should work to identify and remove regulations that are no longer relevant. The Critical Infrastructure Protection standards have worked. My amendment ensures that Federal agencies will have the flexibility needed to respond to challenges without sacrificing any other necessary protections.

I urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken on the House floor on specific science topics ranging from twin primes to measuring atmospheric carbon. Modern society depends on science. Farmers are able to feed much of the world's current population because of science. Without science, we would further strip our forests and pollute even more of our precious water supplies; and our Nation has the strongest military in the world because of science. But science allows for far more than just furthering our survival as it provides leisure, communications, and all things Internet.

Today we depend on the science of yesterday, and, tomorrow, society will depend on the science of today. If we care about the short- and long-term future, then we need to support scientific research. We need to encourage collaboration with the scientists of other nations; we need an open and competitive science environment; and we need to make sure that all Americans have a basic understanding of science.

Science is a part of our Nation's critical infrastructure, and I ask my colleagues to continue to support science funding to keep America great.

Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleagues, Representatives DeSaulnier and Huffman, rise today to honor Gary W. Darling for dedicating 33 years to an incredible career as a water professional. Mr. Darling developed his technical background by graduating from the University of California, Davis and becoming a registered professional civil engineer. His academic pedigree led him to a long and productive career in managing and leading a water agency, numerous infrastructure projects, and building coalitions in Northern California.

For 15 years, Mr. Darling managed the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Project, which is a crucial reservoir for our region's water supply and environment. He was a Project Manager during the planning and environmental review phases for the $1 billion Freeport Regional Water Authority and served for six years on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Sanitation Agencies. Notably, he served 11 years as General Manager of Delta Diablo, overseeing wastewater resource recovery services for 200,000 people across Antioch, Bay Point, and Pittsburg. Delta Diablo is proud to be an award-winning agency that is ``transforming wastewater to resources'' by investing in innovative solutions and partnerships.

Mr. Darling also has a long and successful history of leading organizations. For more than eight years, he has led the 19-agency Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition. Members implement regional biosolids management solutions to maximize renewable energy and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. To Gary's credit, this coalition has six pre-commercial bioenergy technology projects in development.

Gary Darling has shown impressive leadership of the 22-member Western Recycled Water Coalition (WRWC) over the last nine years. This important coalition recruits members and facilitates collaboration to develop sustainable water supplies for their communities throughout the western United States. WRWC secured close to $35 million in federal funding that was leveraged with local and

state funds to construct eight essential water infrastructure projects. The coalition also secured $4 million for feasibility studies and planning for 14 new projects. 2016 membership includes planning for 34 projects that will provide close to 200,000 acre-feet per year of sustainable water supplies. Mr. Darling and WRWC also worked with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, and others to pilot innovative new desalination and wastewater technologies to advance the wastewater resource recovery industry.

In conclusion, we ask our colleagues to join us in acknowledging and thanking Gary Darling for his service and significant contributions to our communities and water supply. We congratulate him on his retirement and are looking forward to his future ventures.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to continue a series of cool 1- minute science topics.

Today, I will speak about science-based innovations in the field of water rights. Previously, conflicts over water resource management have reduced agricultural productivity and distracted farmers with lawsuits and litigation. But researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed an online system for farmers to trade groundwater pumping rights.

The National Science Foundation funded research that resulted in the creation of a new company, Mammoth Trading, which allows farmers to manage their lands and water rights to improve environmental conditions, improve resource allocation, and increase efficiency.

These innovations demonstrate the power of science to increase productivity and positively influence the market. Congress should continue to encourage this type of ingenuity and innovation through R&D science funding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 306, the Energy Efficient Government Technology Act, sponsored by the committee. It is also bipartisan, as my colleague from California mentioned, sponsored by Ms. Eshoo and Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois.

H.R. 306 promotes the use of energy efficiency and energy savings information technologies and practices across the Federal Government, especially in data centers.

The bill amends the Energy Independence Act of 2007 to require Federal agencies to coordinate with the OMB, DOE, and EPA in developing an implementation strategy for the maintenance, purchase, and use of energy efficiency and energy savings information technology.

Ten percent of Federal electricity is consumed by Federal energy centers. H.R. 306 aims to keep that at 10 percent or even to reduce it.

The legislation also sets out specific items for consideration in developing an implementation strategy that requires the establishment of performance goals for evaluating agencies' efforts. In addition, the bill would amend the 2007 act to require the DOE and EPA to collaborate with stakeholders in the implementation of data centers, efficiency programs, and other measures to improve data center energy efficiency.

Again, the legislation was passed by the House without dissent last year as stand-alone legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I commend my colleagues Ms. Eshoo and Mr. Kinzinger.

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

First of all, I want to congratulate the gentleman from Oregon on his new chairmanship. I look forward to working across the aisle on most of the issues. It is a good bipartisan subcommittee. I think we have a lot to accomplish.

The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act, H.R. 288, unanimously passed the House last Congress on a bipartisan vote, unanimous. H.R. 288 provides a 5-year exemption from the FCC's enhanced transparency rules for small Internet service providers that serve 250,000 or fewer subscribers.

This exemption comes with the understanding that there is a 5-year sunset on the exemption and that the FCC report to Congress with sufficient information to help us better understand the impacts on the consumers of a permanent exemption, of a possible permanent exemption. This data will also better inform us whether a longer term exemption is necessary and whether we got the definition of what a small business is right in this case.

It is also worth noting that H.R. 288 would leave intact the FCC's 2010 transparency rules that consumers have come to rely on, such as what they are paying for, Internet speeds they rely on, data quality, and so on. At the same time, these modifications provide certainty for small ISPs while the FCC collects and reports relevant information to Congress.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the chairman for his work on this and for his willingness to

compromise. As he pointed out, it was a process. It took both sides. I think he wanted permanent exemption, we wanted a less exemption, and it worked out. I think it is the right compromise. Five years gives businesses the predictability they need. It is a good place to be. In 5 years, we will see the report and whether it makes sense to continue the exemption or not.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague from Tennessee on assuming the chairmanship of the subcommittee. I look forward to our working together.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to say that the bill passed unanimously in the last Congress. It is bipartisan. It gives small ISP providers a certain amount of time and it allows the FCC to decide if it is overburdensome or not, to require them to disclose information to their customers. This allows us to give customers the amount of protection that is due them as well.

So it is a good compromise. I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

I thank my colleagues for their hard work.

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

Amendment XXVI, section 1:

``The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.''

Section 2:

``The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to continue a series of 1-minute speeches on cool science topics. Today I recognize the work of scientists working in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica to develop geological metal maps. Researchers developed a three-dimensional electronic mapping system that is being used to detect large precious metal deposits in the United States.

With funding from NSF, researchers mapped out the Nokomis deposit in northern Minnesota, which is estimated to contain 10 billion pounds of copper, 3.1 billion pounds of nickel, 4 million ounces of platinum, 9 million ounces of palladium, and 2 million ounces of gold. The value of these metal deposits will more than pay for the science investment to develop this technology.

Congress should support research that furthers the understanding of our incredible universe, including the ground beneath our feet.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer amendment No. 10 as the designee of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. Chairman, recent pipeline incidents have raised serious concerns about the condition of the Nation's pipelines that threaten the safety and health of American citizens. This amendment will ensure that any rule intended to guarantee the safety of natural gas or hazardous material pipelines is not considered a major rule under this bill and would, therefore, be easier to create.

Pipeline safety is a bipartisan issue. Congress has shown that issuing regulations related to pipelines is a priority, as evident with the enactment of the PIPES Act last year.

However, the bill before us today, H.R. 26, contradicts this historic precedent and would have the effect of delaying or preventing any rule on pipeline safety from going forward. Pipeline accidents cause major property damage, serious injuries or deaths, and harms the environment.

There are approximately 2.9 million miles of pipeline in the United States. They travel through rural and urban areas, Republican and Democratic districts, coastlines, inland areas. Everyone is impacted. Quality control measures, new infrastructure, and oversight are paramount.

Unfortunately, we have seen the devastating impact of pipeline incidents throughout the country, including several accidents and spills in California in recent years, such as the spill in Santa Barbara that released more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil.

We have also seen how liquid spills can devastate the people and economies in places like Michigan, and the irreplaceable natural resources like the Yellowstone River in Montana, or the precious coastline of Santa Barbara. Additionally, these explosions and spills cause shortages and price increases that impact Americans far from the site of the accident.

A Colonial Pipeline accident this past September in Alabama leaked roughly 8,000 barrels of gasoline and saw prices increase by up to 31 cents a gallon in metropolitan areas in the Southeastern States.

I agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that we want effective and efficient government. But, in reality, pipeline safety regulations are already subject to duplicative and time- consuming analyses, including a rigorous risk assessment and cost- benefit analysis required by the pipeline safety statute. These already duplicative review requirements are among the top reasons why the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration increasingly lags behind the congressional mandate to issue rules that protect Americans from dangerous pipeline incidents.

In fact, this was the subject of a great deal of discussion when the Energy and Commerce Committee marked up the pipeline safety reauthorization bill last year. I worked with Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone to address this issue, as both sides of the aisle agreed that the duplicative reviews currently required are already slowing down these critical safety laws to a degree that is frustrating and dangerous.

While we make progress in the PIPES Act, I believe we can and should do more. The last thing we need is one more layer of bureaucracy to further slow down implementation of these critical protections for public health, safety, and the environment. We should work together to prevent spills and work to minimize impacts when spills or other incidents do occur. This includes automatic shut-off valves, leak detection, and technologies to reduce clogging and rupture.

A vote for this amendment is a vote for the safety of the public and the environment. It is a vote to protect the land and water that are threatened by oil spills. It is a vote for industry that wants certainty and clarity and doesn't want to--or benefit from--wait years for rules to be finalized. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, my opponent is right. It is the duty of Congress to provide rules and to provide guidelines and for the agencies to go into the details in creating these rules.

I know that the other side is opposed to the rules. They have been touting about regulations, but poor regulations reduces jobs, too. It creates monopolies. It creates pollution. But that is not what we are talking about.

What we are talking about is public safety. I think what we need to do is look at what is going to benefit the public safety and what is going to protect people, lives, property, and the environment. That is what this amendment does. It is simple. It exempts pipeline safety from

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a pioneer in education, Ms. Wilhelmina Henry, who will be 95 years old this month. Ms. Henry is Stockton, California's, first Black teacher.

Born in South Carolina, she graduated from high school at the age of 16 and went on to earn a degree from the Tuskegee Institute--one of our country's oldest and most prestigious Historically Black Colleges. She began her teaching career after World War II in segregated schools in South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama before moving to Stockton in 1947.

Though she faced discrimination and resistance, Ms. Henry persevered with courage and dignity, retiring after almost 50 years of educating our children. Her legacy is carried on by both her daughter, Rachelle Mimms, who is also a Stockton teacher, and at the Stockton elementary school that is named in her honor.

I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Henry's courage in breaking the color barrier for teachers and in paving the way for many others who have followed in her footsteps.

New Hampshire: John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman.

Massachusetts: Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King.

Connecticut: William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman.

New York: Alexander Hamilton.