Frank Lucas

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. 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 the bill, H.R. 7686, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7686) to amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to clarify the definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as you have heard today, H.R. 7686 is smart policy that will protect taxpayer-funded research from being stolen and misused by our adversaries. We want to give our scientific agencies and universities every tool they need to protect critical research. This bill does that and helps us better implement the CHIPS and Science Act. I thank Representative Garcia for his work on this issue, and I urge all of my colleagues to pass this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman McHenry and Whip Emmer for being leaders on digital asset policy and specifically for this legislation preventing a Federal Reserve bank from offering central bank digital currency to an individual. As advances in technology drive changes in the payments landscape, it is the responsibility of Congress to foster innovations while protecting consumers. Today, a Federal Reserve note, physical currency, is the only kind of central bank money available to the public, but a CBDC would be a new form of money, a digital dollar, which raises significant financial stability, privacy, and consumer protection concerns. This legislation clarifies that the Fed cannot offer direct products or services, or maintain accounts on behalf of an individual, and specifies the congressional authorities needed for the Fed to set up a CBDC. During the past 15 years, Congress has transferred a significant amount of authority to the Federal Reserve. In the case of a CBDC, congressional approval is essential before embarking on transformative policy changes with broad implications. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Emmer and Mr. McHenry for offering this legislation.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Chair, the United States has no meaningful Federal regulation of the digital asset markets. The attempts by regulators to apply existing laws are arbitrary and unclear. The fact is, the status quo does not work. Without a clear Federal framework, we fail to provide adequate consumer protections and forfeit our international competitiveness. This hurts U.S. consumers, investors, and the entire economy. This is why this bill is so important. The legislation establishes a market structure framework that accounts for the unique characteristics of digital assets, adhering to the core principles of the Commodity Exchange Act. U.S. consumers are actively participating in the digital asset market, and we should ensure they are protected from fraud and scams. This bill does that. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman McHenry and Chairman Thompson for all of their work on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill. As chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have worked with my colleagues for over a year on this bill, and I am proud of the agreement that we have come to with our Senate counterparts. I give a special thanks to Ranking Member Lofgren for working with me throughout this process. The research and development title of the bill provides a comprehensive safety framework and the integration of emerging technologies into air travel. By preserving and protecting the House's provisions of this bill, we have ensured that this is the most robust research and development title we have seen in an FAA bill. This bill includes essential support for the Air Traffic Control Academy located at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. The center is named after former Oklahoma U.S. Senator Mike Monroney, who wrote the Federal Aviation Act that created the FAA. Senator Monroney's legacy is realized every day through the more than 6,000 employees at the Center that serve the FAA's mission of training, research, and operations for the flying public. The Air Traffic Control Academy at the Center is responsible for the first few months of training for all air traffic controllers. Centralized training at the academy ensures that operating in the national airspace is seamless from one end of the country to the other. I am proud to represent and support the interests of this institution, which gives us the safest flying in the world.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I support this bipartisan CRA to overturn the SEC's Staff Accounting Bulletin 121. SAB 121 has removed a bank's ability to offer custodial services for digital assets and has prevented banks from exploring the use of distributed ledger technologies. The SEC issued SAB 121 unilaterally, outside the rulemaking process, and without the consultation of the banking regulators. This policy is not for the SEC to decide, and certainly not for the SEC to dictate through a broad interpretation of accounting practices. The cost of and the availability of capital is dependent on the U.S. banking system's ability to adapt to new technologies and to compete in offering innovative products and services. SAB 121 has put up barriers to that essential responsibility. This CRA is an important correction to the SEC's misstep. I thank Congressman Flood and Congressman Nickel for leading this effort.

Mr. LUCAS

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

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4866) to direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a program to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, and local collaboration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Over the last 5 years, the average annual cost of Federal firefighting suppression has been $2.8 billion. While forest and land management can help prevent wildfires, long- and short-term weather observations, or modeling, play a critical role in limiting their spread and damage. The Fire Weather Development Act takes immediate action to address this by increasing NOAA and the National Weather Service's activities to best protect lives and property at risk of wildfires. I again thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia) for working tirelessly to get this bill across the finish line and increasing the lifesaving services available to his constituents. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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. 4866, 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. 4866, the Fire Weather Development Act of 2024, offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia), my friend and colleague on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve the forecasting and detection of fire weather as well as increase collaboration with State and local partners to predict and fight fires. Just over a month ago, the largest wildfire in U.S. history burned over a million acres in the Texas Panhandle and parts of my district in western Oklahoma. The Smokehouse Creek fire, as it is now known, was the result of extremely dry and windy conditions that saw a half million acres burn within 24 hours of the fire's start. With two fatalities, along with hundreds of homes and thousands of cattle lost, the effects of this fire will be felt in this region of our country for many years. If it wasn't for a shift in wind direction at just the right time, my property would have been a part of that destruction. At home, I had to take the precaution of moving cattle into fields that were less likely to burn, if the fire kept coming our way. Looking back on this event today, there is one good thing we can take from it: We know with certainty that the National Weather Service has the tools and capability for fire weather forecasting and prediction that can protect lives and property. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center began mentioning the potential for fire weather conditions in their extended forecast 6 days before the Smokehouse Creek fire started. In my case, I closely monitored this weather outlook and made critical decisions based on the weather data, models, and forecasts that were available. While two lives were lost, and that is two too many, it is likely there would have been more, if not for the work of the National Weather Service. With an increased innovative focus provided by direction from Congress and the necessary resources, NOAA and the NWS can expand these capabilities and ensure every region of our country is prepared for the extreme weather events of the future. Every citizen can and should have the most accurate tools readily available, just like I did. The bill we are considering today, the Fire Weather Development Act, is a critical step in that direction. H.R. 4866 directs NOAA to develop and improve accurate fire weather and fire environment forecasts and warnings. It places an emphasis on developing and using novel technologies such as advanced weather, advanced satellite detection paired with AI modeling systems, or active sensors for potential deployment on unmanned aircraft systems. These technologies will improve wildfire behavior models, mapping efforts, and the monitoring of fire fuel and active fires, while also eliminating the risk of sending firefighters and operators into potential danger. The Fire Weather Development Act also recognizes the critical need for Federal collaboration by establishing an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires. With all the relevant bodies working together, this committee will coordinate the development of accurate and timely wildfire forecasting, detection, monitoring, and delivery of products or services that best assist State and local emergency officials. Lastly, this bill establishes an independent National Advisory Council on Wildfires to ensure that local officials, communities, and people who are directly affected by wildfires have a seat at the table and can provide input on what tools or services are most needed. I thank Representative Mike Garcia for introducing this bill along with his cosponsors, Representatives Caraveo and Kim. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join us in supporting 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 this bill.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1069) to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require reporting regarding clean energy demonstration projects, 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 to include extemporaneous material on H.R. 1069, 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. 1069, the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2023 offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey). This commonsense legislation will provide Congress with the necessary tools to conduct thorough oversight on the Department of Energy's growing number of demonstration projects. Specifically, H.R. 1069 requires the Secretary of Energy to report to Congress on all demonstration projects administered by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. As part of this report, the Secretary must include all contracts, milestones, schedules, and funding profiles, including cost-share agreements. DOE established OCED to carry out the technology demonstration projects that were authorized in the Energy Act of 2020 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This includes projects with bipartisan support such as the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations. Historically, DOE's applied energy offices have administered these programs, creating a natural pipeline from the lab to the field. With the creation of OCED, DOE put these activities in a new and untested office, separating expertise and adding a new layer of bureaucracy. At the same time, the infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act appropriated $27 billion to OCED to fund these projects. This organizational change and influx of money should concern every lawmaker given previous instances of DOE's mismanagement of demonstration projects. Already, OCED has been slow to award recipients and struggled to identify unique capabilities not covered by the applied energy offices. Currently, Congress lacks the necessary safeguards and the ability to conduct rigorous oversight over OCED and its demonstration projects. For example, when the Science Committee tried to get more information on DOE waiving the cost-share requirement for a multimillion-dollar project, DOE had no requirement to document or justify their decision. H.R. 1069 requires DOE to submit semiannual reports which include all contracts, agreements, and funding breakdowns, and enables Congress to have the tools to protect taxpayers' dollars, hold OCED accountable, and ensure a truly competitive selection process based on merits. I am proud to cosponsor this bill, along with Ranking Member Lofgren, and I extend my appreciation to Representative Carey for continuing his leadership on this issue despite no longer sitting on the Science Committee. 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 such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey).

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to close once the gentlewoman from Michigan does.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, one of our most important responsibilities in Congress is to serve as the steward of taxpayers' dollars. I take that job very seriously. I want to see DOE and all of our Federal research agencies succeed in developing next-generation technologies. At the same time, we need to be conscious of the body and keep a watchful eye on the progress of these projects well before their costs balloon into multibillions of dollars. H.R. 1069 allows us to do exactly that. It increases transparency between DOE and Congress, enabling both sides to have beneficial information and insight into the successes of Federal demonstration projects. Once again, I thank Mr. Carey for leading this bill along with his co-sponsors, Representatives Williams, Davids, and Donalds. 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. 4755) to support research on privacy enhancing technologies and promote responsible data use, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS. 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. 4755, 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. 4755, the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act, offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean). The bill supports research activities to advance innovative technologies to safeguard individuals' privacy. As Americans have moved more and more of their lives online, it has resulted in a greater amount of digital consumer data and personal information being generated than ever before. This personal information has long been a target of cybercriminals, and the threat has only worsened over time. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 1 million reports of identity theft. This problem is exacerbated by the failure of some companies to properly safeguard consumer data. This data is a valuable asset. When safely utilized, it can do a great deal to spur our economy and support innovations like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Our task is to ensure this resource doesn't fall into the hands of bad actors, putting Americans' private information at risk. Privacy enhancing technologies, PETs, may be part of the solution. PETs utilize cryptography and statistics to minimize the amount of personally identifiable information while ensuring the datasets are still usable. However, more research is needed to understand PETs' applicability and to encourage further development and adoption. This bill requires the National Science Foundation to support fundamental research into PETs, the mathematics that underlie them, and the additional technologies that promote data minimization standards. The legislation also directs NIST to work with stakeholders to develop voluntary consensus standards for incorporating these technologies into Federal and commercial applications. Similar legislation passed the House last Congress, which is a testament to the value of this bill. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Representatives Stevens and Kean for their leadership on this issue. I encourage my colleagues to support the 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 New Jersey (Mr. Kean).

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleagues from Michigan and New Jersey on an outstanding piece of legislation, and I urge the body to adopt it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.