Randy Hultgren

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith. I appreciate all of his hard work and success. And I also want to thank Ranking Member Johnson for her bipartisan work on this legislation, as well as her work on H.R. 589 that we will be getting over the finish line a little bit later in this series.

Quantum computing represents a paradigm shift in the way that we are able to ask questions and comb through data when doing complex computational problems. Like many things we do at the Office of Science, this endeavor requires time, effort, and commitment.

Quantum computing was first theorized in the 1980s with researchers such as Richard Feynman, the physicist in my district I now know very well.

While every particle physicist draws Feynman diagrams to explain the interaction of subatomic particles, his later work in this field may have just as lasting an impact that he has had on the field.

I am proud to represent Fermilab in my district with the Feynman Computing Center on campus, and Fermilab is also a partner in the Chicago Quantum Exchange with Argonne, the University of Chicago, and other partners to further develop quantum systems outside of just computing.

I look forward to the advancements this research will provide, but, more importantly, the people we will be able to help.

We are getting to the point where we can actually use the reams of data we first got out of our genome project, and our ability to better use this and other data will help us find more targeted cures and develop better treatments.

Similar to what we are doing in this legislation, I also want to thank the chairman and ranking member for their efforts on the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act.

This legislation contains a number of sections from legislation I introduced to improve the ability of our national labs to get ideas out of the lab and into the private sector.

The increased flexibility this legislation gives to the labs will allow them to better work with universities and the private sector when there are capabilities that only exist in our labs.

These labs have been a passion of mine, with the ability to see two of them up close in Illinois. I have seen the innovation engine they can be, not just for our Nation, but for local and regional economies.

It is vital that we continue to support our laboratories, which host more than 32,000 researchers from across the Nation, touching nearly, if not every, university in the United States.

This legislation gives the Office of Science clear direction on their mission, and I am pleased that we could work with the Senate to get this to the President's desk after this vote series.

Again, I thank the chairman for yielding. I urge passage of these important bills.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart at the passing of former Naperville, Illinois, Mayor George Pradel.

Mayor Pradel was an extraordinary public servant who was universally loved. He was also a great mentor to me. Throughout my career in public service, George was always an insightful counselor and beacon of much- needed encouragement to me and to so many others, and I am very grateful for his faithful prayers for me and my family over the years.

George had a tremendous impact on every individual he met, and he himself lived an extraordinary life.

A Naperville native, George served his family, community, and country as a dedicated community catalyst, soldier, police officer, father, and mentor.

As mayor, George served Naperville for two decades, from 1995 until 2015. His tenure ushered in a period of tremendous growth. Mayor Pradel was Naperville's number one cheerleader. His unbelievable energy and exuberance were infectious.

I will miss George as a man I admired and a public servant I sought to emulate. He truly had a servant's heart.

Today, we honor a life well lived. George Pradel embraced each day by celebrating the loves of his life: his God, his family, and his community; and I know his savior welcomed him, saying: ``Well done, good and faithful servant.''

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank Chairman Hensarling and Ranking Member Waters for their hard work in crafting this bipartisan package of bills.

If enacted, this much-needed legislation will deliver American small businesses and entrepreneurs improved access to capital, which we all know is the foundation for driving job creation and economic growth.

I am pleased that two of my bills, which are very important to a number of stakeholders in Illinois, were included in this package. The Options Markets Stability Act will help maintain options for investors and support their ability to manage risk in volatile markets.

The Expanding Investment in Small Businesses Act requires the SEC to study and provide a recommendation to Congress regarding the current limit on percentage of voting shares a diversified company may hold in a single issuer, which is currently discouraging funds from investing in small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this job-creating legislation.