Frank Lucas

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 7685, the Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies, or the IMPACT Act. Today, much of the world is reliant on cement and concrete produced in China, which has the world's largest cement industry. It should go without saying that it is deeply troubling to be at the whims of the Chinese Communist Party when it comes to materials that are critical to our national defense and economic security. Besides that, this dependence comes with severe negative environmental impacts. China's greenhouse gas emissions exceed all of the developed nations in the world combined. In fact, U.S. industrial manufacturing is nearly 28 percent cleaner than our competitors, including China. If we want a cleaner, healthier environment on top of global security, U.S. leadership in this industry is an absolute must. The IMPACT Act ensures that leadership in the cement, concrete, and asphalt industry. It will increase the competitiveness of the United States while also achieving significant reductions in emissions from manufacturing processes. Specifically, this bill supports the research and development of innovative technologies, primarily at the Department of Energy. It builds off of the cross-cutting Industrial Emissions Reduction Technology Development Program established by the Energy Act of 2020 and provides specific direction for the development of advanced tools, technologies, and methods related to cement, concrete, and asphalt production. Concrete is the second most widely used material in the world only behind water. The demand isn't going to decrease anytime soon, so it is essential we direct the best scientific resources of the Federal Government to help manufacturers meet our environmental goals without reducing the concrete supply that keeps our economy growing. The IMPACT Act positions our country to rise to that challenge and become a resource for the entire globe. I thank my Science Committee colleagues, Mr. Miller and Mrs. Foushee, for cosponsoring this bill and working in a bipartisan fashion. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7630) to require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS. 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 H.R. 7630, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here in support of the ANCHOR Act sponsored by my friend, Mr. Mike Garcia of California. The ANCHOR Act establishes the crucial need for better cybersecurity in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. This fleet of 18 vessels operates in the oceans, the Great Lakes, and the polar regions where they conduct crucial research on our marine environments. They are studying ecosystems and food webs, offshore energy resources, and how we can better forecast and respond to hazards like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Much of what we know about the ocean, from the wave dynamics to the deepest trenches, is thanks to research done aboard one of these vessels. They operate a wide range of specialized equipment, including deep- towing cameras, state-of-the-art acoustic sensors, and sea floor mapping systems. They do this all over the globe, often sailing to remote locations far from land. This creates a unique challenge because the fleet needs secure and reliable communications and data transmissions, whether they are just off the coast of California or in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That means that each individual vessel needs a specialized infrastructure that protects their scientific equipment and ensures the security of their data, both on board and in transmission. They need this level of security, but they don't have it. This bill will change that. The ANCHOR Act directs the National Science Foundation to submit a plan for much-needed upgrades to our Academic Research Fleet to improve cybersecurity and modernize telecom equipment. We are directing the NSF to take into account the types of research done on each vessel, where they operate, their specialized equipment, and the necessary bandwidth for communication. This plan is necessary to protect the taxpayer-funded research that is being performed by our Academic Research Fleet. My fellow Representatives have often heard me talk about the threat to our research and intellectual property from the Chinese Communist Party. We have taken strong steps to protect research done at our Federal agencies and in partnership with academic institutions. Now we must take the next step and secure the research being done off our coasts. I appreciate Representative Mike Garcia's work on this issue and his commitment to strengthen our research enterprise and give it the protection it deserves. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia), to speak on his bill.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Mike Garcia, Congresswoman Stevens, and Congresswoman Lofgren, my colleague from California and the ranking member. This is a good piece of legislation. Let's vote for it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS

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

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

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

Mr. LUCAS. 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. LUCAS

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

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

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

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. 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 H.R. 6219, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Again, I thank Representatives Kean and Bonamici for their bipartisan efforts. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6219) to require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire, and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the ASCEND Act, led by my colleague, Mr. Kean of New Jersey. The ASCEND Act creates a permanent commercial satellite data acquisition program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate. As the global space sector rapidly evolves, it is critical for NASA to have access to the very best tools and research our Nation has to offer, ensuring its continued leadership as the world's premier space agency. This bill supports those efforts by enabling NASA to procure remote sensing data from commercial providers under the new acquisition program. By taking this step, researchers will have access to cutting- edge datasets and imagery obtained from the commercial space sector. These resources will play a significant role in advancing research and development in vital areas, such as precision agriculture and natural disaster monitoring. By utilizing industry data, our NASA researchers can obtain valuable insights that enhance their already innovative work. The more knowledge we acquire, the better we can lead in this field. The bill also requires the NASA Administrator to submit an annual report to Congress on the uses and impact of commercial data products and licensing agreements. This information will be valuable for us as we monitor and support the program's efforts. As we look forward to the future, maintaining our leadership in the space sector will depend on various factors, including our collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors. Allowing NASA to expand its commercial data procurement program through the ASCEND Act will only help achieve the agency's current and long-term goals. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Kean and Representative Bonamici for working together to get this bill to the floor today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean), to speak on his bill.