Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is not too late to do the right thing, and that is hold the President responsible for his immigration policies.

His ignoring immigration laws and weakening immigration laws through executive orders has caused the border crisis. It has encouraged tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to undertake a dangerous journey north.

The burden rests on the President to enforce current immigration laws. Otherwise, he will continue to reap the whirlwind of displaced families and an unsecure border.

To those who say, ``We have to do something,'' the answer is, ``Yes, tell the President to uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute the laws.''

The President doesn't need more power. He doesn't need more money. He just needs to keep his oath of office.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor America's oldest living female veteran, Ms. Lucy Coffey of San Antonio, TX.

Ms. Coffey, who is 108 years old and lives in my Congressional district, is in Washington today and tomorrow to visit the WWII Memorial, the Women's Veterans Memorial and Arlington Cemetery.

Ms. Coffey served honorably in the Women's Army Corps during WWII. Serving mainly in the Pacific theater, she was awarded two Bronze Stars for valor. After the war, she continued serving her country, working at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio for twenty years until retiring in the early seventies.

The United States is stronger today because of the sacrifices all our veterans have made. And Ms. Coffey exemplifies what is best about our veterans and our great nation.

It is with great appreciation and admiration that today we recognize and honor Ms. Lucy Coffey.

Mr. Speaker, the Border Security Caucus, composed of over 80 members and growing, met yesterday, and many of us have concerns about the administration's immigration proposals.

We feel the President is trying to make Congress take ownership of the border crisis. We should reject that by pointing out that the President right now--today--could stop the illegal surge by enforcing current immigration laws.

We should put the well-being of the children first and encourage them to stay in their home countries with their families.

The President, allowing over 500,000 people illegally in the United States to stay indefinitely, has enticed tens of thousands more to undertake a dangerous journey to cross the southern border. The President's policies are deadly.

The House should not send any immigration bill to the Senate, unless we know what is coming back. Otherwise, it is just a Trojan horse waiting to be used by those who favor amnesty.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1022) to develop an energy critical elements program, to amend the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980, 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 to include extraneous material on H.R. 1022, the bill now under consideration.

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

H.R. 1022, the Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2014, addresses the supply of energy critical elements in the United States.

I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell), the ranking member of the Energy Subcommittee, for his diligent work on this legislation.

I also want to thank Mr. Hultgren, who introduced his own critical elements bill in the last Congress, for his initiative on this subject.

Energy critical elements are important to energy-related technologies, communications technologies, and America's weapons systems. These technologies range from photovoltaic cells and fluorescent lighting to fiber optics, aircraft engines and turbines, computers, and electric vehicles. Energy critical elements encompass a broad set of the elements, including rare earth elements.

Growth in demand for rare earths in a volatile market warrants particular attention and concern. China currently produces more than 90 percent of the global supply of rare earths. This is a result of a deliberate and decades-long strategy to develop its geologic reserves, undercut market prices, and drive out competition. Testimony before the Science, Space, and Technology Committee indicated that China has manipulated the market in recent years. It has reduced its export quotas and increased levies on rare earth oxides. This has caused wild price swings, market instability, and supply uncertainty.

This behavior is a potential threat to the United States' ability to acquire many rare earths that both our energy sector and military rely upon. While a responsive market will continue to move towards solutions, there are reasonable and proper steps that the Federal Government can and should pursue in this area. These are reflected in this bipartisan bill.

This bill establishes a program under the Department of Energy that supports activities to improve the methods of extraction, use, and recycling of energy critical elements. It improves the understanding of performance, processing, and adaptability in the engineering of these elements, and it identifies and tests alternative materials that could replace energy critical elements. However, the legislation stipulates that the program shall only focus on areas where the private sector is unlikely to undertake these activities because of technical or financial uncertainty.

It also authorizes the Secretary of Energy to establish a Critical Materials Energy Innovation Hub that maintains a critical materials information center. This center collects, stores, and disseminates information on energy critical elements for scientists and researchers. In carrying out this program, the Secretary is directed to ensure that the activities are coordinated and do not duplicate other programs within the Federal Government.

Finally, the legislation requires the President, through the National Science and Technology Council, to coordinate the actions of involved Federal agencies. The administration also will identify and monitor the supply of energy critical elements, encourage private sector development, and promote the recycling of these elements.

This bill helps ensure that the United States remains globally and economically competitive and that our energy sector and military have the critical elements that they need.

Once again, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren) for their efforts on this legislation.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, there are no other individuals on this side who wish to speak on this bill, so I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I would like to

thank the gentlewoman from Texas, the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, for the comments that she just made. They are much appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, but I am prepared to yield back.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleague, Chairman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, Larry Bucshon, in support of the reauthorization of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Measurement science conducted at NIST contributes to industrial competitiveness by supporting the technical infrastructure for advancements in nanotechnology, global positioning systems, materials sciences, cybersecurity, health information technology, and a variety of other fields.

Research conducted at NIST laboratories has been lauded by independent review panels as being among the best in the world. NIST researchers have been awarded four Nobel prizes in Physics in the last 15 years.

H.R. 5035 codifies education and outreach efforts at NIST and requires a comprehensive review of the NIST laboratory programs by the National Academy of Sciences.

This bill authorizes just over $855 million dollars for NIST in Fiscal Year 2015, this funding level is consistent with the House passed Appropriations bill.

NIST works alongside industry and is recognized as a provider of high-quality information utilized by the private sector. H.R. 5035 reauthorizes the work of this important agency at responsible funding levels.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5120, the Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization and Technology Transfer Act of 2014, enables the Department of Energy (DOE) to more efficiently form partnerships with non-federal entities and transfer research to the private sector.

I thank the gentleman from Illinois, Rep. Randy Hultgren, for his leadership on this issue. I also thank the Science Committee's Energy Subcommittee Chair, Cynthia Lummis, for her support for this bill.

The DOE's national laboratory complex, often called ``the crown jewels'' of our federal research and development infrastructure, comprises 17 labs across the United States.

These labs execute basic and applied research that keeps us on the cutting edge of global technological capabilities. This innovative early stage research is often not well understood by the private sector.

Ideas and products created in the national labs are often slow to reach the market due to a communication gap between the labs and the private sector. Additionally, federal government red tape can discourage the private sector from utilizing these unique state-of-the- art facilities.

This legislation modernizes the labs for today's market by granting operators increased flexibility. This bill:

extends a pilot program to enable more flexible contract terms between lab operators and non-federal entities;

grants lab directors signature authority for agreements with non- federal entities valued at less than $1 million; and

enables labs to demonstrate research for private sector adoption.

This legislation represents bipartisan, bicameral agreement to optimize the performance of the DOE national lab system. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the crisis at the border is a result of the President's allowing half a million illegal immigrants to stay in the country, and the national liberal media also are responsible for creating the crisis.

The Media Research Center found that, from June 8 through July 1, 89 percent of news stories on ABC, NBC, and CBS failed to mention that President Obama's policies have encouraged the surge of illegal minors at the border.

Accuracy in Media editor, Roger Aronoff, pointed out that another story ignored by the media are the hundreds of thousands of adult illegal immigrants who have crossed the border since April.

He also said that the media push a pro-amnesty agenda and have dropped the term ``illegal'' from their vocabulary, but there is a huge difference between legal and illegal immigrants. The national media should give the American people all of the facts, not tell them what to think.

Madam Speaker, a new Gallup poll has found that, by a 2 to 1 margin, Americans want to decrease immigration levels, not increase them. The recent survey shows that 41 percent of Americans support a decrease in immigration. Just 22 percent want it to go up.

Only a minority, approximately one-quarter of Independents and Democrats expressed a desire to increase immigration, and a Rasmussen poll found that people earning under $30,000 support a reduction in immigration by a 3 to 1 margin.

When is the President going to listen to the American people? They know that when a country has lost control of its borders, it has lost control of its future.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5031) to define STEM education to include computer science, and to support existing STEM education programs at the National Science Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5031, the bill under consideration.

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

The STEM Education Act of 2014 is bipartisan legislation that ensures computer science is included in the definition of STEM education for programs and activities at our Federal science agencies.

The bill also supports and strengthens ongoing STEM education efforts at the National Science Foundation. I thank Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson and Representatives Elizabeth Esty, Larry Bucshon, Chris Collins, Randy Hultgren, Robin Kelly, Joe Kennedy, Dan Lipinski, and Frederica Wilson for their initiative on this bill.

Earlier this year, the Science Committee held a hearing on STEM education. The discussion that took place at that hearing helped to illustrate the importance of STEM education and why we should include computer science as a component of STEM education. Frankly, it is hard to believe it hasn't been done before.

Today, a variety of jobs from banking to business to medicine require familiarity with computer science. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computing and mathematics will be one of the top 10 major occupational groups from 2010 to 2020; and by 2020, there will be over 4 million U.S. jobs in computing and information technology.

Unfortunately, America lags behind many other nations when it comes to STEM education. American students rank 21st in science and 26th in math. That must change for the better.

We need to ensure that young adults have the scientific and mathematical skills to strive and thrive in a technology-based economy, but we have to capture and hold the desire of our Nation's youth to study science and engineering, so they will want to pursue these careers.

H.R. 5031 also includes language to support informal STEM education programs and activities at the National Science Foundation. These activities reach students outside of the classroom and strengthen a student's engagement in STEM subject areas.

The STEM Education Act ensures that teachers working towards a master's degree in STEM subjects can participate in the Robert Noyce Master Teacher Fellowship program. This program provides more opportunities for teachers who want to strengthen their teaching skills and now will encourage more teachers to pursue advanced degrees.

A healthy and viable STEM workforce, literate in all STEM subjects, including computer science, is critical to American industries. A well- educated and trained STEM workforce ensures our future economic prosperity. More graduates with STEM degrees means more advanced technologies and a more robust economy.

We must work to ensure that students continue to go into these fields, so that their innovative ideas can lead to a more innovative and prosperous America. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to again thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty) for her interest in this subject of STEM education and for her contributions to this bill as well.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins), who is a member of the Science Committee and also a cosponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other requests for time on this side, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further individuals who have requested time, so I am ready to yield back if the minority is ready to yield back.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1786) to reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, 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 to include extraneous material on H.R. 1786, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1786, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014, introduced by my Texas colleague, Congressman Randy Neugebauer, reauthorizes the activities of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through 2015.

This important program supports Federal research and development efforts to help mitigate the loss of life and property due to wind- related hazards.

Millions of Americans live in areas vulnerable to hurricanes, tornadoes, and other windstorms.

According to the latest data in the National Science and Technology Council's biennial report to Congress, in 2011, windstorms in the U.S. caused an estimated $11 billion in total direct property losses, injured nearly 7,000 people, and took nearly 700 lives.

In Texas, we are all too familiar with the harm that excessive wind can cause. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center, 179 tornadoes and 1,586 windstorms were reported in Texas in just the last 2 years. The effects of these disasters can be felt for years.

Initially established in 2004, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program supports activities to improve our understanding of windstorms and their impacts and helps to develop and encourage the implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures.

H.R. 1786 establishes the National Institute of Standards and Technology as the lead agency for the program, improves coordination and planning of agency activities in a fiscally responsible way, and improves transparency for how much money is being spent on windstorm research.

I want to thank Representative Neugebauer for his continued efforts to support this program. He and Representative Frederica Wilson worked together to ensure that H.R. 1786 was reported out of the Science Committee with bipartisan support.

I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of

Representatives,

Washington, DC, March 11, 2014.

Hon. Lamar Smith,

Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,

Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 1786, the

National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of,

2013, as ordered reported by the Committee on Science, Space,

and Technology on February 28, 2014. Thank you for working

with us to incorporate mutually agreeable changes to

provisions within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure.

In order to expedite the House's consideration of H.R.

1786, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will

forgo further action on this bill. However, this is

conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing

consideration of the bill does not prejudice the Committee

with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future

jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in

the bill or similar legislation that fall within the

Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I request you urge the

Speaker to name members of the Committee to any conference

committee named to consider such provisions.

I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming

this understanding, and would request that you insert our

exchange of letters on this matter into the committee report

on H.R. 1786 and the Congressional Record during

consideration of this bill on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer), who is a member of the Science Committee and also a sponsor of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5056) to improve the efficiency of Federal research and development, 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 to include extraneous material on H.R. 5056, the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleague, chairman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, Larry Bucshon, in support of this legislation, which reduces the regulatory burden faced by researchers and research universities.

In its recently released report, the Federal Demonstration Partnership found that researchers devote 42 percent of their time to administrative tasks. Answering Federal regulatory and reporting requirements takes away from time spent on the conduct of science.

H.R. 5056 requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a working group under the National Science and Technology Council to review Federal regulations that affect research and research universities. The working group is tasked with making recommendations on how to harmonize, streamline, and eliminate duplicative Federal regulations and reporting requirements, and making recommendations on how to minimize the regulatory burden on research institutions.

H.R. 5056 is an important step to ensure Federal research dollars are being spent on research and not on regulatory requirements. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana, Dr. Bucshon, who is also the chairman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee of the Science Committee and the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman, the ranking member of the subcommittee, for his very generous comments. They are much appreciated. We have lots to thank him for as well on this bill and on many other bills on which he has shown a leadership role and on which he has contributed much to many bills under consideration today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5029) to provide for the establishment of a body to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the domestic science and technology enterprise and support United States foreign policy goals.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5029, the bill now under consideration.

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

Science and technology research addresses the major challenges facing our Nation. These include energy production, public health, national security, and economic development.

H.R. 5029, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2014, will improve our collaboration efforts with international partners on scientific issues.

I thank the ranking member, Mr. Lipinski of Illinois, for his initiative on this issue and, as I mentioned a while ago, for his initiative on so many bills that are being considered today.

Better collaboration with our international partners will strengthen the U.S. scientific activities and will additionally promote the free exchange of ideas in other nations.

While many Federal agencies are engaged with international partners on science and technology projects, there is a need to coordinate these projects across the Federal Government and to identify opportunities for additional collaborations. Interagency coordination ensures that tax dollars are used efficiently and that U.S. priorities are consistently addressed when working with our international partners on science and technology issues.

The International Science and Technology Cooperation Act directs the National Science and Technology Council to identify and coordinate the U.S. interagency strategy for international science and technology cooperation. Further, this council will make recommendations for how to improve U.S. engagement in science and technology cooperation with our global partners. This will help ensure that the U.S. maintains its leadership in science and technology research and discovery.

The bill strengthens U.S. science and technology activities, improves economic and national security, and supports U.S. foreign policy goals. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5029.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, the EPA's regulatory process is flawed. The data EPA uses to justify its costly air regulations are hidden from the public. The Agency uses this secret science to make exaggerated claims about the alleged benefits of burdensome new regulations. Every major air quality regulation proposed by this administration has been based on nontransparent data and unverifiable claims.

Americans impacted by EPA regulations have a right to determine for themselves if the EPA's actions are based on sound science or a partisan agenda. That is why, tomorrow, the Science Committee will consider the Secret Science Reform Act. It requires that the EPA make its regulatory data publicly available.

If the EPA has nothing to hide, why not make the information public? The American people who foot the bill for these regulations deserve to see the data, and good policy requires it.

Madam Speaker, the liberal national media continues to downplay the IRS scandal.

Last week, the IRS claimed it lost 2 years of emails of former director Lois Lerner, which likely contained information about the agency's targeting of conservative organizations.

One would think that this would be breaking news, but it took The Washington Post and The New York Times 4 days before they considered the missing emails newsworthy. This may be one reason why consumers are turning to social media for their news.

What a dramatic shift from how these publications covered President Nixon's missing 18 minutes of audio tape. During Watergate, The Post and The Times' front pages and editorials almost daily criticized the Nixon administration's abuse of power.

The liberal national media hasn't changed between Watergate and now. What has changed is the political party of the administration in power.

Mr. Speaker, tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors are surging across our southern border.

According to an internal Border Patrol report, the blame falls squarely on the President. The report shows that 95 percent of the illegal immigrants interviewed came to the U.S. to get a ``free pass'' from the President's announced amnesty policy. His failure to enforce immigration laws and his promise of amnesty by executive order entices these immigrant children to enter the U.S. illegally. The estimate for this year alone is expected to reach 90,000--15 times more than 4 years ago.

The President's solution is to issue public service announcements in Central America, but the administration's actions speak louder than their words. The President's pro-amnesty policies have caused this crisis. The real solution to the border surge is to enforce current immigration laws, not undermine them as the President has done.