Frank Lucas

Mr. LUCAS

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

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. One of the most difficult decisions a worker will ever undertake is determining how to save for retirement. This requires an individual to forecast decades into the future, ensuring one has the ability to navigate through life, family, and economic events. For many teachers and nonprofit employees, their retirement savings are through 403(b) plans. However, these public servants in 403(b) plans are unable to benefit from the same cost-effective investment products that are available in all other plans, including 401(k) plans, government 457(b) plans, and the Federal Thrift Savings Plan. Since the creation of 403(b) retirement plans back in 1958, there have been many changes to how we save for retirement, both in the law and the overall economy. This amendment will allow 403(b) plans the ability to invest in collective investment trusts, or CITs, and insurance company separate accounts. CITs and insurance company separate accounts are both pooled investment vehicles sponsored and maintained by a bank or trust company, or an insurance company, respectively. This measure originated in SECURE 2.0 last Congress, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously. The SECURE 2.0 Act that ultimately became law included the required changes to the tax code but did not include the necessary changes to securities law. The data speaks for itself. During the past 10 years, 401(k) plan assets increased by 88 percent, government 457(b) plans increased by 82 percent, but total assets in 403(b) plans only increased by 46 percent. We have for too long limited the investment options made available to public servants, and this bill will allow for much-needed consistency across retirement plans. This measure received broad bipartisan support in the Financial Services Committee, and I thank Congressman Gottheimer of New Jersey and Congressman Foster of Illinois for joining me on this amendment. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Chair, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Chair, I simply wish to say that I have the greatest respect for the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, but I would note we simply disagree on this amendment. I believe it is a very effective way to provide equity amongst the various retirement accounts, and it is important that teachers and public service people have the same opportunity to grow their savings so that they, too, can enjoy the best possible golden years. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the opportunity to speak this evening on my dear friend. Chairwoman Johnson came to Congress in the regular election cycle of 1992, and I joined her 15 months later in a special election, so for 28.5 years we worked together, most of that on the Science Committee. After I finished my time as chairman of the Ag Committee, I went over to be vice chairman of the Science Committee, and then ultimately ranking member for the 4 years that EBJ, as I lovingly called her, was the chairwoman of the committee. Eddie Bernice Johnson was an exceptional human being. She was, yes, a good Liberal. Yes, she was a good steward of her constituents. Yes, she was a great member of the CBC. Yes, she was an outstanding legislator and a member of Presidential administrations. But the thing that I admired the most was the fact that she was willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. It took me a little while to convince her of our commonality, our common spirit, and our common goals, but then she worked with me hand in glove. She treated me and my side of the Science Committee as decently as any chairperson could. Was she goal-oriented? Absolutely. Was she a great human being? Without a doubt. However, the one thing that would stress, in my opinion, the key to the intensity of that personality, after she had gone to Indiana for her advanced training, wherein after she developed that skill set, she could have stayed anywhere in any part of the country that at that time would have treated her dramatically better. In spite of that, she went home to make a difference, to make changes, to do and enable the next generation. That is so admirable, and, yes, EBJ, my dear, wherever you are, you are looking down on us, and we miss you.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McHenry for yielding time to me on this bill. First, before I address the topic at hand, I would like to take a moment to note that I have served with Chairman McHenry for his tenure in the United States Congress. I can proudly say this is a body that everyone comes in brand new and full of fire and vinegar, but it is a body where people develop into their skills, where their natural talents are honed and sharpened, and where many of our friends become great statesmen and stateswomen. I note for just a moment that Chairman McHenry, when he joined this body, represented that fire and vinegar, that intensity. In his time here, he has developed into a statesman, a chairman of great regard, and someone who ultimately, when he leaves this body at the end of the session, will be missed. My colleague, and I would like to think I can call you my friend, but most assuredly I note my respect for your legislative skills. The bill before us is a bipartisan piece of legislation, as my colleagues have noted, to send a clear message: If China intends to engage in conflict against Taiwan, then China should be prepared to withstand the consequences. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the President is required to notify Congress if China poses an immediate threat to Taiwan's security. If this notification is triggered, my bill states it is U.S. policy to exclude Chinese representatives from key international organizations: The G20, the Financial Stability Board, and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. A threat to Taiwan is a threat to the international order. Now, let me repeat that one more time: A threat to Taiwan is a threat to the international order. We should make it clear that if China acts to throw the world into instability, China will be excluded from international bodies that work to uphold that very stability. I thank my colleague from Texas, Congressman Gonzalez, for working with me on this bill. I encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

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. 2980, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2980) to provide for Department of Energy and National Science Foundation research and development coordination, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2980, the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act. This bill supports the longstanding partnership between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, allowing them to work on cutting-edge and research technology challenges. DOE is our Nation's largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences, while NSF is the backbone of the collaborative research environment between government and academia. Together, they can tackle some of the Nation's toughest challenges in physics, quantum information sciences, artificial intelligence, and material science. The bill enhances both DOE and NSF's capacities and leverages each other's investments in research and development, maximizing the impact of our taxpayer dollars. There has never been a more important time for this kind of breakthrough research. The Chinese Communist Party has made no secret of their goal to surpass us as the world leader in science and technology. They are attempting to outspend us, out-educate us, and outpace us in everything from quantum computing to advanced manufacturing. They know that the Nation that leads the way in technological development sets the rules of the road and determines how that technology will be used. We simply cannot afford to live in a world where China is technologically ahead of us. It is bad for our economy and dangerous for our national security. We must ensure our investments in research and development go as far as possible. This bill helps us to do that. By authorizing the collaboration between DOE and NSF, we are maximizing our return on investments and ensuring we can stay on the cutting edge of technological development. I thank my colleagues, Representatives Stevens and Baird, for introducing this important legislation and shepherding it through the Science Committee where it passed unanimously. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise in support of H.R. 2980, the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act. This will accelerate U.S. competitiveness in emerging technology areas and key economic sectors while enabling taxpayer dollars to be used more efficiently, allowing more to be done with less. I appreciate all the work done by my colleagues, Representatives Stevens and Baird, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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 include extraneous material on H.R. 2988, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2988) to provide for Department of Energy and National Aeronautics and Space Administration research and development coordination, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1713) to provide for Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture joint research and development activities, 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. 1713, 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. 1713, the DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act. This bill allows the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to work together to improve how we grow our food, fiber, and fuel in America. As a farmer and rancher myself, I am proud to sponsor this bill, which will help us address cross-cutting research challenges that will advance crop science, maximize carbon storage, enhance precision agricultural technologies, and more. DOE and USDA already have a successful track record of collaboration to mitigate invasive species, modernize the grid, address the energy- water nexus, develop biofuels, and improve agriculture operations. DOE has some of the country's most advanced computing capacities as well as world-class research facilities and a depth of scientific expertise. These resources can be used to support the work being done by America's farmers and ranchers, ultimately strengthening our agricultural production. The bill before us today is smart, bipartisan legislation that codifies the partnership between DOE and USDA, ensuring they can continue to work together on these interdisciplinary challenges. I thank my Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for working with me on this legislation and helping to pass it through the Science Committee with unanimous support. I appreciate her support of agriculture research, and I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as we have heard, H.R. 1713, the DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act, is smart, bipartisan policy to make it easier to address the agriculture research challenges facing our Nation. By passing this bill, we are supporting the science and technology that will enable easier production agriculture. I thank Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for her support of this critical issue. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of the time.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1734) to require coordinated National Institute of Standards and Technology science and research activities regarding illicit drugs containing xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, and other substances of concern, and for other purposes.

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 H.R. 1734, 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. 1734, the TRANQ Research Act sponsored by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins). This is an important bill that will help us combat the dangers of novel synthetic opioids. Unfortunately, there is no area of our country that hasn't been touched by the deadly fentanyl epidemic. Now these drugs are being mixed with animal tranquilizers to create deadly new combinations. Drugs like tranq are presenting new challenges to law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and first responders. H.R. 1734 authorizes critical research and development to help us better understand, detect, and handle these drugs. With that knowledge, we can help to slow their spread and reduce lives lost to these deadly drugs. This bill takes advantage of the tremendous expertise of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is already doing cutting- edge work on detecting and analyzing fentanyl. With the passage of the TRANQ Research Act, NIST will be able to apply their expertise to these dangerous new variants. This bill authorizes NIST's work to quickly identify illicit drugs, analyze them, and establish best practices for first responders to handle these dangerous substances. By doing that, it provides critical protections for the police officers and EMTs that encounter these drugs, helping them to stay safe and protected as they do their work. It will also give us the knowledge we need to stop the spread of tranq and other novel synthetic opioids. This bill has already passed the House with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 425-0. I would like to see that same level of backing today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) to speak on his bill.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I note that when this bill is signed by the President, it will be the first bill introduced by a freshman in the 118th Congress to become law. I congratulate the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for this achievement. I think it is a reflection of just how important this topic is, and I am so glad our colleagues have all recognized the growing dangers of novel synthetic opioids and have given this bill such strong support. Again, I thank Representative Collins and my colleagues for everything they have done to help support this. I urge all of my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.