Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a police officer and a street cop in L.A., I have seen the problems that the opioid epidemic has done to our communities. It has literally destroyed families and hurt our communities to no end. H.R. 6 is a much-needed display of bipartisanship to address the ongoing opioid crisis and epidemic.

Many of the issues that have come out of this bill spur development of national best practices for substance abuse recovery housing and incorporates my bill, the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, to establish meaningful penalties for profiteering off other people's pain and addiction through illicit referrals.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my chairman for his support on this and many other issues that we see in our Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6330, the Small Business Runway Extension Act of 2018.

This bill is simple. It is commonsense. It is a measure designed to promote the sustainability, growth, and development of small Federal contractors into the open marketplace.

Under existing law, the Small Business Administration calculates the size of a company by taking the average of the past 3 years of gross receipts. A company's average must be within established industry parameters set by the SBA in order to be considered a small business and be eligible to receive access to SBA's small business programs, resources, and assistance.

My bill is very simple. It extends that time period out to 5 years. This additional time allows all small businesses an opportunity to mature before graduating out of the SBA's small business programs.

Over the course of this Congress, we have conducted hearings, held roundtables, and heard stories of the overwhelming mid-market challenges forcing many successful small contractors to close their doors or stall their growth. Prospects for a newly graduated firm successfully integrating into the open marketplace are rapidly declining due to the widening gap between small and large contractors.

Small firms are opting out--either voluntarily or, in many cases, involuntarily--from joining the Federal marketplace because of this rift. This outcome depletes our industrial base, reduces competition, and inhibits economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, do we really want our small businesses to look at their ability to expand and their ability to be a larger and more prosperous business and say: I can't do this because I am going to move out of the SBA, so what I should do is maybe close my doors or just restrict our growth.

That is not what America is all about. That is not what we want out of our small businesses. We want them to expand. We want them to bring new and innovative things to the marketplace. And we want them to expand and have jobs for our kids and for the next generation.

Mr. Speaker, I think that this is a reasonable look at what we are trying to do, and I urge support of H.R. 6330.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act. This bill makes important investments in science and technology research to ensure the United States protects its edge in novel, efficient, and commercially viable energy production.

H.R. 589 makes needed reforms to the national laboratories' relationship with the private sector to streamline the transfer of commercially ready technologies to American businesses.

This will allow the benefits of public investment and critical research to be passed on to American entrepreneurs with greater speed and reinforced economic growth and job creation.

In addition, this bill directs the Department of Energy to establish energy innovation hubs to pull together and create efficiencies in key scientific areas across basic and applied research programs. This bill also includes authorization of the solar fuels initiative, incorporating the text of my bill last Congress, the Solar Fuels Innovation Act.

This provision builds on research that is now being undertaken up and down the coast of California, from Berkeley to Caltech, to produce fuels from sunlight. The solar fuel process, also known as artificial photosynthesis, converts sunlight into energy to create a range of storable chemical fuels, overcoming the biggest obstacle to maximizing the benefits of renewable technologies.

Basic research and artificial photosynthesis and related efforts could lead to a solar fuel system that consolidates solar power and energy storage in a cohesive process. This would transform the economy in California and the rest of the Nation. The solar fuels initiative would solve the critical challenge posed by wasted renewable energy and enlarge incentives to invest in new solar businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith and my colleagues who have helped me advance this bill for their foresight in identifying research initiatives that promise new approaches to energy technology that will be good for our economy and our environment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, during which we pay a special tribute to the children who are now fighting or who have fought the number one disease killer and second leading cause of death of children in the United States.

We also affirm our support for the families, their doctors and their nurses and the foundations that provide financial and emotional relief to those struggling with the tremendous stress of cancer treatment and rehabilitation.

One group that is particularly close to me and my family is Jack's Angels. Jack's Angels fights for dedicated research for a particularly deadly kind of pediatric cancer, DIPG, the deadliest pediatric brain cancer.

DIPG tumors are inoperable and incurable, and its victims have a 5- year survival rate of less than 1 percent. The median survival time for children diagnosed with DIPG is only 9 months.

In 2011, just after his third birthday, Jack Demeter was diagnosed with DIPG. He was given steroid medication, then radiation therapy, and was put on supplements and several tailored diets.

He was brought into clinical trials. He tried infusions. His parents took him to dozens of doctors, each of whom provided their best advice and counsel. But the science for an effective treatment for DIPG has not yet been developed. Jack passed away only 9 months after diagnosis.

For me and for Jack's Angels, finding a cure for DIPG and all other pediatric cancers will continue to be a priority.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule.

I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for the inclusion of language in the E&W report that would launch a new initiative at the Department of Energy to aggressively drive down costs and improve the performance of grid-scale energy storage technologies.

This report language is similar to the BEST Act, which I sponsored and of which the ranking member is a cosponsor. The BEST Act is a bipartisan authorization bill that directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a moonshot goal of three demonstrations of grid-scale battery storage that will meet aggressive commercialization targets for cost, performance, and durability.

This concept is modeled after the success of the DOE's SunShot Initiative, which brought down the cost of solar energy by 75 percent in less than 5 years.

One of the biggest challenges to greater incorporation of new energy sources into the power grid is the lack of cost-competitive grid-scale solutions. Intermittent energy sources cannot reach their potential without commercially viable storage facilities. We all know this.

Much of the energy we produce is lost, diminishing utility productivity. While the DOE has issued grants to pursue better battery storage, funding has been too dispersed to produce the breakthroughs needed to transform our electricity grid. This initiative will leverage work currently being done in the Office of Science to set a moonshot goal for energy storage technology.

In a further sign of the merit of these demonstrations, the Senate E&W bill also includes very similar report language.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Roskam for his work on this amendment.

I do speak in favor of amendment No. 14 which strengthens Federal laws against animal fighting and has garnered bipartisan support many times over the past two decades. This is something that still happens. It still happens in our country. Just a month ago, over 1,000 birds were collected in a cockfighting raid just in my district in southern California.

Forcing two animals to fight to the death is not only a crime problem, it is a moral problem as well. There is strong bipartisan agreement that animal fighting is an inexcusable crime. We should strengthen our laws to protect animals and society from this barbaric activity which has no place in modern society.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership. I thank Mr. Lawson and Ranking Member Velazquez for their leadership in this very, very important measure.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of the Women's Business Centers Improvements Act of 2018.

I introduced H.R. 1680 so that the outstanding growth our country has seen within women's entrepreneurship within the last decade can continue.

Over the last 10 years, the number of women-owned small businesses has increased by 114 percent. With women-owned firms growing more than two and a half times faster than the average business, we must recognize women entrepreneurs as a driving force in the U.S. economy.

The legislation modernizes both the Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership and the SBA's Women's Business Centers program.

The Office of Women's Business Ownership administers the grant program that funds women's business centers. H.R. 1680 would require consistent standards and application requirements for grant recipients, ensuring that those centers have the ability to provide women with small business counseling and training.

The bill also institutes commonsense oversight requirements, standards for continued funding, and conditions of participation. This will increase congressional accountability and responsibility.

H.R. 1680 will allow millions of women throughout the country continued access to reliable and effective small business resources.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1680.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our fallen heroes, Major Stephen Del Bagno of the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, more commonly known as the Thunderbirds, who lost his life this past month.

Major Del Bagno came from my district, from Valencia, California, and exemplified the skill and professionalism that we expect from our airmen.

Major Del Bagno was the very first F-35 pilot to join the ranks of the Thunderbird squadron.

Tragically, Stephen Del Bagno lost his life earlier this month during a training exercise at the Nevada Test and Training Range. While he is no longer with us, his legacy continues in the hearts and minds of future aviators he inspired.

I sat with my wife at his funeral a few weeks back and I watched the missing man formation of F-35s and F-16s, and I listened to his father and his teammates talk about Major Del Bagno. They talked about what a great pilot he was, but they also talked about what a great mentor he was and what a good dude Major Del Bagno was, and that is what he wanted to be recognized as and remembered as.

So America lost one of its finest pilots in his passing.

May God bless him and may he rest in peace.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Chairman Shuster and his staff should be recognized for their tireless work to bring all stakeholders together to modernize our aerospace system, streamline the process for bringing new aircraft technology to market, and lay the groundwork for safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the 21st century commerce.

This bill is important for the continued growth of the U.S. aircraft industry and for all passengers of today and the future, and for the continued legacy of aviation innovation in southern California. Their safety is underwritten in several portions of the bill, including several drawn from the FLIGHT R&D Act, a bill I introduced last year to prioritize research and development on several critical civil airspace challenges.

As reflected in this bill, the FAA must develop a streamlined, risk- based process for certifying the operation of new UASs.

The FAA has a key role in working with private sector partners to tackle sense-and-avoid technology challenge and enable safe testing of beyond-line-of-sight operations. Putting appropriate resources behind these technology priorities will ensure American innovations have the space to test, develop, and safely integrate UAS technology before foreign competitors capture these emerging industries.

Mr. Chairman, this is a fiscally responsible bill, and was drafted to ensure taxpayer resources are wisely and efficiently used to meet public objectives for safety and economic growth and a better way to move around the country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Linda Lambourne, a loving wife, compassionate mother, dedicated public servant, and a pillar in the community of Santa Clarita.

Linda served this esteemed body as an aide to my predecessor, Congressman Buck McKeon. She later continued her public service in the office of my dear friend, California State senator, Scott Wilk.

Her energy, kindness, and commitment to the people of her community was felt by everyone who had the privilege of meeting her. Linda was deeply admired and loved by her family and the people of Santa Clarita.

Mr. Speaker, although she was diagnosed with ALS nearly 3 years ago, Linda never lost her vibrant spirit, as her memory continues, to this day, to be a light in our community.

She is survived by her husband, Steve; her two daughters, Lindsey and Angie; and her five grandchildren. While California may have lost a dear friend with her passing, her joy and wealth of kindness will continue to spread from everyone she touched.

May God bless her and her family, and may she rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the opportunity to speak about the impacts of the recently enacted tax law.

The reduction in the corporate tax rate enables U.S. companies to compete on a level playing field with foreign businesses without having to move their headquarters abroad.

Here in the U.S., in each of our districts, they can invest their savings back into their businesses. This is because the reform changes the equation for what will make them more profitable. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act now means that expanding factories and payrolls here in the U.S. make better business sense.

Northrop Grumman, which has a significant presence in my district, California's 25th, announced it would increase capital expenditures by 10 percent and provide a $1,000 per year contribution for each of their employees' retirement accounts.

Millions of Americans have received increases in their paychecks. Check your check.

The Treasury Department estimated that 90 percent of Americans will now receive more take-home pay.

The reform reinforced positive trends we have experienced over the past few years. U.S. jobless claims have fallen to their lowest level since 1973.

Setting politics aside, this bill lifts burdens on U.S. businesses and taxpayers to allow everyone to invest more and save more.

We can all see the effects of these changes today, and we will continue to see them play out over the coming months and years.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Speaker Ryan, Chairman Brady, and their staffs for their organizing an inclusive, cooperative process in drafting this bill and driving it forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the work of One Family One Restaurant, a nonprofit organization in my district that tackles significant homelessness and hunger problems in southern California.

I am proud to recognize its work in giving families who struggle with food insecurity the opportunity to eat at a restaurant. One Family One Restaurant provides a unique and invaluable dining experience to families who otherwise rely on food stamps and too often wait in long lines at food banks to access food. The experience also helps heal hearts and restore a family's dignity and hope.

One Family One Restaurant does not act alone. It relies on restaurants and community members to sponsor meals and local pantries and food banks to help coordinate families in need. It takes the repeated generosity of the entire community to alleviate family hunger in their region.

This year, they will be launching their nationwide America Break Bread campaign. I encourage all of those who seek to help the hungry to join in this effort and follow the footsteps of this stellar organization. It is an honor to bring their work to the attention of the House and the Nation today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act of 2018.

This legislation authorizes important upgrades to DOE light sources that support the research infrastructure needed to conduct leading initiatives in chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, and manufacturing. In addition, this bill authorizes a unique user facility that will allow researchers to study rare isotopes and their properties. These upgrades at DOE's best-in-the-world user facilities will facilitate discovery science and bring the best and brightest scientists in the world to the U.S.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith and the Energy Subcommittee for introducing this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3397) to direct the National Science Foundation to support STEM education research focused on early childhood, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3397, as amended, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on an important policy to improve our Nation's STEM education.

H.R. 3397 is a bipartisan bill that I am proud to sponsor with Ms. Rosen, and it fits in with a larger set of education and workforce improvement legislation the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has recently reported to address critical challenges to our STEM workforce.

Investing in our children and their futures is always an opportunity for good. Strategically expanding the reach of our STEM education programs to children of all ages will improve more individuals with aptitude are engaged and stay on their educational path.

Research shows that kids as young as 1, 2, or 3 are capable of absorbing STEM concepts. And any parent can tell you that shortly after kids learn to talk, the questions can be endless. Children have a natural curiosity that can be fostered into an interest in science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science.

This bill directs NSF to more equitably allocate funding for research in studies that focus on early childhood. Investing in children early ensures we are laying the groundwork to develop young innovators in

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), who is the chairman of the

Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, investing and encouraging early education in STEM are needs that we know are here now and even more in the future. I want to thank Ms. Rosen for her leadership in this role. It is absolutely something that is bipartisan. It is something that Congress is behind.

I can tell you, just on a personal note, Lancaster High School came out with their robotics team more than a decade ago, 100 percent boys. Just a short period after that, about 4 or 5 years, they were 50 percent girls, 50 percent boys, and they were winning awards all over the country. That was because we had great teachers there who pushed and made sure that girls knew that they could be on the robotics team and pulled them in. That is exactly what we are talking about: investing and encouraging.

I urge passage of this good bill. This is bipartisan.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4254) to amend the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to strengthen the aerospace workforce pipeline by the promotion of Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and National Aeronautics and Space Administration internship and fellowship opportunities to women, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4254, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am taking this opportunity to speak on an important initiative to strengthen our aerospace workforce. H.R. 4254, the Women in Aerospace Education Act, directs the National Science Foundation through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and NASA, to shape their fellowship and internship opportunities to encourage more women to get aerospace expertise while they are training to be teachers.

Female aerospace professionals must be placed in the classroom in greater numbers. A full fifth of U.S. aerospace engineers are of retirement age today. They are beginning to exit our workforce, which will create an enormous shortfall in our national security preparedness.

Meanwhile, women represent only one-quarter of all STEM workers and represent only about 15 percent of all aerospace engineers. We need to improve our STEM education pipeline--from ensuring STEM classes are available to students at a young age to encouraging young Americans to pursue STEM education all the way through to completing their degree.

But the gender gap that is so prevalent in this industry will persist until we make STEM and aerospace more inclusive of women and encourage women at a young age to pursue these fields.

Attitudes about career paths are formed at a very young age. The role models and leaders from which young women learn have an enormous impact on the decisions they make throughout their formal education as they enter the workforce.

I introduced the Women in Aerospace Education Act to make better use of some of the Federal Government's best teacher training programs to increase the number of women teachers who have seen, worked on, and can relate to the Nation's leading aerospace programs to young female students.

Robert Noyce scholars, who get teacher certification assistance from the National Science Foundation, are already, in small numbers, getting experience in NASA centers and the national labs.

Once they become certified and go teach in the K-12 system, they draw upon the work they did on major public initiatives in science and technology. Schools love having Noyce program teachers because their strong positive attitudes about STEM are cultivated in the students. It will strengthen our STEM pipeline to enhance the connection between the Noyce scholarship program and our schools.

The second provision of this bill directs NASA to more actively promote its internship and fellowship opportunities to women or members of other historically underrepresented groups.

Together, the two provisions of this bill will help a necessary and fundamental shift in our education system in aerospace workforce.

I would like to thank Ms. Esty for her help on this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think Members can hear that we have got passion here, and Ms. Johnson, Ms. Esty, and I believe that talk is cheap, and this is actually going to do something. If we are going to talk about STEM continually, and we are going to try and push this maybe into an arena that hasn't been pushed before, then let's do something. That is exactly what this is doing.

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

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