Frank Lucas

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2988, the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act. The Department of Energy and NASA have a long history of collaboration, which has enhanced our understanding of our universe and our ability to explore beyond our planet. The Voyager spacecraft, which were launched more than 40 years ago and are now flying in interstellar space, continue to operate under DOE's propulsion systems. The work DOE and NASA are doing on nuclear energy is critical to our ability to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. That same technology can be used here on Earth, too, helping to improve this clean and reliable energy source. The DOE-NASA partnership will also help us advance our high- performance computing systems, which help keep us at the forefront of research and development. This partnership will also help us with satellite development, space situational awareness, and even planetary defense from near-Earth objects. In short, it allows two of our premier scientific agencies to better work by collaborating on some of our most challenging scientific issues. I thank my colleague, Representative Williams, for introducing this legislation and Representative Sorensen for cosponsoring it. This bipartisan bill earned unanimous support in the Science Committee, and I urge my colleagues to give it the same support on the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Williams) to speak on his bill.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time. H.R. 2988, the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, is smart legislation that will help us stay competitive in the race to return humans to the Moon and send them to Mars. Without key collaborations like this, we would be unable to make critical strides in our energy production and propulsion technologies. I thank Representatives Williams and Sorensen for their leadership in moving this bill forward. 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 rise in support of this resolution. I thank my fellow chairman and my fellow Member from the adjoining State of Arkansas for yielding time to me to speak on this important piece of legislation. Oklahomans and those who call the West home are proud conservationists and great stewards of our land. Sustainable, healthy land is the lifeblood of our rural communities, and no one understands that better than the farmers, ranchers, and landowners themselves. When we work with and not against producers, we have seen the impossible accomplished. For years, landowners have partnered with local and State government and industry to increase the production of energy and agricultural goods. They were able to do this all while improving soil health and wildlife habitats, creating an environment and an economy that is beneficial to both wildlife and the residents of rural America. My father used to say there is a fine line between doing something for people and doing something to people. Let me be clear: Listing the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act is government doing something to people, not for them. This listing creates unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on Oklahoma's agriculture and oil and gas industries and limits our ability as a country to provide for ourselves and the world. That is why I support this resolution before us today. This resolution ensures that U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations do not infringe on the property owners who live and work their land every day. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for putting together a solid bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. I am here to discuss how this legislation addresses FAA's research, development, and engineering activities that are within the jurisdiction of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Our role in the FAA reauthorization is to inform the process by crafting legislation that supports R&D to advance American aviation. Our goal with the bill was to support smart, strategic work to promote innovation and keep America the global leader in aviation. That leadership is critical to our national security and our international competitiveness. For our economy to thrive, we need the ability to transport people and goods quickly, safely, and efficiently. Staying competitive means staying at the leading edge of aviation innovation. With that in mind, last month, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee unanimously passed H.R. 3559, the FAA Research and Development Act of 2023. That bill, which has been incorporated into the legislation before us today, is the product of months of work within regular order. We gathered extensive feedback and held a legislative hearing to give our members a chance to directly question stakeholders, industry, and FAA representatives on how best to support innovation and modernization in American aviation. The result is comprehensive legislation that quite literally supports aviation from the ground up, from the durability of our runways to how we monitor traffic over oceans and remote areas. It accelerates the development of advanced materials for aerospace vehicle construction and supports research into how more accurately to predict the weather to reduce delays and increase safety. Importantly, it ensures that safety continues to be the primary focus of FAA research and development by requiring a report on whether at least 70 percent of FAA R&D funds are going toward improved safety. In short, we have put together a solid framework to support FAA's research work, one that is appropriately tailored to FAA's jurisdiction and strengths. With this legislation, we are ensuring that America remains the global leader in aviation for years to come. Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for working with me in good faith to develop the R&D portion of this legislation. I thank Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for incorporating our work into this package.

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity from leadership to be able to spend a little time this evening on what I define as a very, very important subject. Mr. Speaker, in the rancorous world we live in these days there is a tendency for people who observe the United States Congress from afar to think that we have become a shrill, loud, unfocused rabble of people. Perhaps we have lost our sense of humanity, and even worse. Tonight, I would like to talk about an individual, a person, a set of circumstances that refute that falsehood and the popular perception. What do I mean by that? Mr. Speaker, not many months ago, we, on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, both Republicans and Democrats alike, majority and minority, received some--what can only be described as devastating news--that a member of our family--and when I say family, I mean, our congressional family, the people who serve in this building, and in these buildings, and serve in the personal offices, and serve in the committee offices, and serve in the leadership offices. These are people who are the individuals that you have known for months, years, or maybe sometimes decades that you have jousted with on issues and that you have crossed-referenced notes and you have debated with for extended periods in the various roles. Those are the people I define as our congressional family, and they could be Democrats, they could be Republicans, they could be senior staff, senior Members, or the most junior of all. That devastating news that I mentioned, and not all that many months ago, was that the deputy staff director for the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the majority deputy staff director, Jennifer Wickre, had been diagnosed with cancer. Now, that is always the most intimidating and shocking news that anyone could receive. Tonight I don't just want to talk about that--and we will because it is important to the struggles she is facing--but I want to talk about the person that this member of our congressional family has been and is. No matter what the struggles of the next few weeks or months turn out to be, she will always be a member of our family in our hearts and in our minds. Jennifer Wickre--Jenn, as we call her--is originally from Medford, Oregon, a town in the southern part of the State. Her parents ran a local law practice. They are the kind of salt of the earth sort of people whom you would want to live next door to you, Mr. Speaker. Jenn earned a bachelor's degree in government from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. In her tenure, she has served in a variety of roles. I think the role that I speak of this evening is her role in Congress. She started her career on Capitol Hill as a scheduler for Congressman Jerry Lewis in 2003. Now, for those of us who remember that wonderful individual, Jerry Lewis was a senior member of Appropriations and would be chairman of the committee. Jerry served in numerous senior leaderships in positions within the Republican Conference. He was a great Member to work for and to learn from. Jennifer worked as a scheduler. Mr. Speaker, as any of you who have any interaction with Members of Congress or their offices know, one of the most difficult staff positions is to be a scheduler because you have got to balance the Member's limited time with the needs of the spouse, with the needs of the district staff, with the needs of the office staff, the committee staff, and all the important constituents back home. She performed well--as all of us who know her would have expected nothing less--and she became a senior legislative assistant. Now, she worked off the Hill for a little while, but then she came back to the Hill to be the professional staffer on the Research and Technology Subcommittee in 2015. She worked there diligently for 7 years and became the staff director of the Research and Technology Subcommittee and ultimately a senior policy adviser to Chairman Lamar Smith. After I had the opportunity, she became the deputy staff director for the overall group. Jennifer's personality--Jenn, again, as we all call her--was the kind of person who no matter who you were, the most senior member of the committee, the most junior member of the committee, the most well- informed member of the staff, or the newest member, she treated everyone with the same kind of respect and decency and would take the time to reason through and discuss with people the merits of their logic and also sometimes the challenges that that presented. She was ever the diplomat--ever the diplomat. Now this evening, I think we have a few of the folks whom she has touched in this Congress, and they would like to offer a thought or two. I will yield shortly to several of my colleagues. Before I do that, let me, again, return to the point. We are a congressional family. Jenn is one of our own, and she faces challenges that hopefully none of us will ever face. She has done it with the most amazing grace, strength, and determination. She has decided her own course of action, and that is always to be respected. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber), who has had many opportunities to work with our wonderful friend.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas for those very thoughtful and very wise words. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) who has had many opportunities over the years to work with our mutual dear friend.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for her very thoughtful and extremely accurate comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey), who is another Member who has worked extensively with our dear friend.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, my colleague is exactly right. Sometimes even in the institution and amongst the family, we forget how important the critical role that the staff plays is, their understanding of the issues, their vast experience and ability to focus. Jenn is one of those individuals, one of the catalysts, I will say, of the legislative process. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) to discuss a fellow Oregonian.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon for her comments. Many people may notice that several of us are wearing an Oregon Ducks pin that has ``CANCER'' on it. It shows the Oregon Duck's foot smashing it. That is a symbol to us of Jenn's enthusiasm for Ducks football, but it also shows our common spirit about smashing cancer and how appropriate that the Science Committee worked so diligently in those areas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), another senior member of the Science Committee with a long working relationship with Jenn.

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his thoughts and observations. We arrive at a moment in this Special Order when we begin to focus on a conclusion. You have heard this evening from Democrats and Republicans alike. You have heard from the most senior Members about the wonderful nature of our friend Jennifer Wickre. You can tell from those of us who have worked with her day to day, in many instances for years, some for decades, what a wonderful, productive, bright, articulate, and focused young woman she is. She has made the committee more productive. She has made the lives of her many friends richer. I simply suggest this in my closing: We may not get to work together with Jenn again in the near future on the Science Committee, but I have confidence in her and her faith. I am confident that, somewhere down the road, we will work together with Jenn again in a wonderful place. Mr. Speaker, God bless the congressional family, and in particular, God bless Jennifer Wickre, one of our very own. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS

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

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 302) to direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide financial assistance to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers pursuing certain courses of study relating to cybersecurity and energy infrastructure, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LUCAS. Madam 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. 302, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 302, the Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2023 led by Representative Ross and Representative Carey. Cyberattacks from foreign adversaries on the U.S. energy sector present a major and constantly evolving threat to our national security, energy independence, and global competitiveness. Multiple attacks over the past few years have shown us that whether it is our liquefied natural gas industry, our electric grid, or even our national laboratories, all critical U.S. energy assets can be attractive targets for adversarial cyber campaigns. Troublingly, many of these cyberattacks are just preparations for future operations. As the FBI, CISA, and other security agencies have warned, the CCP is using smaller attacks now to provide inroads so they can inflict major damage to our energy infrastructure in the future. The threats to our energy cybersecurity have only increased recently due to several factors such as the war in Ukraine, increased aggression from the CCP, and the development of new energy technologies and grid modernization practices. To protect our energy sector, we need to take a whole-of-government approach, and the Department of Energy plays a central role in planning for and countering these attacks. H.R. 302 is one way to support the DOE's energy cybersecurity mission. This is important, bipartisan legislation that will help address expanding vulnerabilities in our energy sector by strengthening the next generation of our energy cybersecurity workforce. I thank my colleague, Representative Ross, for reintroducing this timely bill and Representative Carey for joining her as the Republican lead of this bipartisan effort. On the Science Committee, energy cybersecurity initiatives have long been a bipartisan priority. H.R. 302 is just the beginning of our work on this issue in the 118th Congress. I pledge to continue working with all Members to pass legislation that will keep the U.S. energy sector safe, reliable, and competitive for years to come. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey).

Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, there has never been a more critical issue than to ensure the cybersecurity of our Nation's energy sector. H.R. 302 will help develop the most important long-term weapon we have in our arsenal against cyberattacks: a highly skilled and informed American workforce. It is bipartisan, forward-looking legislation, which is why it passed the House on suspension last year. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, once again, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LUCAS

Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 290) to provide for transparent licensing of commercial remote sensing systems, and for other purposes.

Mr. LUCAS. 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. 290, 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. 290, the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act. I introduced this bipartisan legislation last Congress and that measure passed the House by a voice vote. I reintroduced the same bill this year, along with my colleague, the ranking member, Ms. Lofgren. It updates the reporting requirements for NOAA's Office of Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs so that Congress can monitor how regulations are impacting the growth and improvement of the commercial remote sensing industry. Remote sensing uses data collected from satellites to produce images of the Earth. It has become a critical resource for fields like agriculture, finance, trade, and energy. For instance, imagery and data from commercial remote sensing allows us to improve crop production by helping farmers more efficiently apply water and fertilizer. It informs future commodity prices by actively monitoring weather and crop health. Commercial remote sensing also improves our ability to prepare for and respond to natural disasters by informing flood plain mapping, tornado tracking, and drought monitoring, topics that are very important to my constituents in Oklahoma. It can also be helpful in humanitarian relief efforts and monitoring treaty compliance, among other applications. As you can see, commercial remote sensing provides us with critical information for many important applications. This technology is constantly evolving, and the industry is seeing tremendous growth. To effectively support and manage remote sensing activities, it is critical that Congress receives timely and comprehensive reports so we can evaluate the state of the industry and how regulations are affecting this growth. The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 established a reporting requirement from the Department of Commerce on the status of commercial remote sensing licensing and regulation. This requirement expired in 2020. H.R. 290 will reinstate that reporting requirement and keep Congress informed of agency actions, their impact on licensees, and the state of the commercial remote sensing industry. These reports to Congress will give us the information we need to ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader in this important field. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 290 is a no-nonsense, bipartisan bill that will help ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader in the commercial remote sensing industry. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Lofgren for joining me in advancing this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of 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 yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as I have said previously, commercial remote sensing provides us with critical information related to a number of fields, like agriculture, finance, trade, energy, and more. This, in turn, allows us to be better stewards of our resources. H.R. 290, the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act will help us ensure that Congress receives the updates necessary to monitor industrial regulations. By updating these reporting requirements, we can ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader in an important field. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I thank the ranking member for her help in this effort. 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 (H.R. 342) to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require reporting relating to certain cost-share requirements, and for other purposes.