Ed Perlmutter

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Malcolm Nelson for his work as the Ombudsman for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program and to congratulate him on his retirement. Since his appointment in 2006, Nelson has dedicated his career to helping former nuclear weapons workers navigate a complex claims process. During his time as Ombudsman, Nelson served with compassion and an unparalleled understanding of the law. He consistently served as a resource to claimants about the adjudication process and listened to their concerns in order to make recommendations to improve the program. Accessibility was an important part of Nelson's role as the Ombudsman. He often traveled to claimants, attended outreach town halls, and even held his own town halls in more remote areas like Canyon City, Colorado to make sure all claimants were being reached. Former Rocky Flats workers in my district were well served by Nelson. He was even nominated for the Service to America Medals by the Alliance of Nuclear Worker Advocacy Groups in 2018. During his over 40-year tenure in government, Nelson also served as general counsel and as acting administrative appeals judge for DOL's Benefits Review Board, where he assisted with the appeals process under the Black Lung Benefits Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. While I will miss Malcolm Nelson as he leaves this important post, I wish him luck in his retirement and I thank him for his many years of service to our nuclear weapons workers across this country.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Jane Goff, a lifelong educator who will be retiring from the Colorado State Board of Education after 12 years as the representative from the 7th Congressional District. Jane's dedication to education for the State of Colorado made a significant impact which will last for years to come. A native of Colorado, Jane graduated from Jefferson County Public Schools where she would later spend 34 years as a French and Spanish teacher. During this time, Jane coordinated the district's first Administrator and Teacher Performance Pay Pilots, served on the Jeffco PTA Board of Directors, and helped design the Links for Learning program, a teacher-employer partnership between the Jeffco Schools and the West Chamber of Commerce. She also served as the Coordinator of World Languages and International Student Exchange, as President of the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) and as Vice-President of the Colorado Education Association (CEA), and four years as Vice President for Education on the Jefferson Symphony Board of Directors. Jane's hard work and dedication serving the Jefferson County School District leaves a lasting legacy. After the Columbine High School tragedy, Jane was frequently consulted on school safety and crisis response providing a teacher's perspective to a variety of local, state, and national audiences. After her retirement from Jefferson County Public Schools in 2006, Jane worked as a legislative aide for the Colorado House of Representatives. Jane was first elected to the Colorado State Board of Education in 2008 representing the 7th Congressional District and was re-elected in 2014. From 20I0-2016, Jane was a member of the original Governors' P-20 and Education Leadership Councils. She served as a member of the National Association of State Boards of Education's (NASBE) Board of Directors for three years before being elected President of that association in 2014. In 2018, she received NASBE's Distinguished Service Award which honors current and former state board members who have made exceptional contributions to education. Currently, Jane is the Colorado Board of Education's liaison to the Gifted Education State Advisory Committee, and liaison to Colorado's Teacher of the Year and Milken Family Teaching Award selection committees. She is also the Board's appointed Democratic contact to the state legislature, and Colorado's representative to NASBE's Government Affairs Committee. Jane has worked side by side with students, educators, and me to help improve outcomes for students and our entire community. She leaves a lasting legacy for Colorado's students and she will be dearly missed on the State of Board of Education. Jane, thank you for your friendship, your partnership, and your service to public education and to the State of Colorado. I wish you the best in your retirement.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Jane Goff, a lifelong educator who will be retiring from the Colorado State Board of Education after 12 years as a representative from the Seventh Congressional District. Jane's dedication to education for Colorado made a significant impact, which will last for years to come. A native of Colorado, Jane graduated from Jefferson County Public Schools, where she would later spend 34 years as a French and Spanish teacher. She served on the Jeffco PTA Board of Directors and is president of the Jefferson County Education Association. After the Columbine High School tragedy, Jane was frequently consulted on school safety and crisis response, providing a teacher's perspective to a variety of local, State, and national audiences. After retirement from Jefferson County Public Schools, Jane was elected to the Colorado State Board of Education in 2008 and reelected in 2014. She served as a member of the National Association of State Boards of Education for 3 years before being elected president of that association in 2014. Jane has worked side-by-side with students, educators, and me to help improve outcomes for students and our entire community. She leaves a lasting legacy for Colorado students, and she will be dearly missed on the Colorado State Board of Education. Jane, thank you for your friendship, your partnership, and your service to public education and to the State of Colorado.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn), my friend, the chair of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, just reading quickly from the op-ed as to why we are doing this: ``Significant space weather events occur every decade or so with far- reaching and destructive consequences. A powerful solar storm in 1989 cut off power to millions of Canadians, and major storms in 2003 affected more than half of the Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Just 3 years ago, solar flares caused radio blackouts for hours during critical emergency response efforts to approaching hurricanes in the Caribbean and nearby regions. ``A solar superstorm poses even greater risks. The so-called Carrington Event in 1859, which ignited fires in telegraph offices, would have catastrophic impacts on today's society, potentially resulting in widespread damage to power grids, communication networks, and other technologies.'' Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am very excited we are here today to pass S. 881, the PROSWIFT Act, a bill that I have been working on for almost 5 years. Space weather is the electromagnetic activity that comes from the Sun, and it can have significant societal, economic, national security, and health implications both here on Earth and in space. About 5 years ago, Dr. Dan Baker from the University of Colorado Boulder testified in front of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee about the dangers of space weather events on the electric grid. At that hearing, he said that had an observed July 2012 space weather event actually hit Earth, we would ``still be picking up the pieces.'' That testimony stuck with me, and when Senators Gary Peters and Cory Gardner introduced the first version of this bill a few months later, I was eager to start working on the House companion. Over the last 4 years, the House and the Senate have been working toward the shared goal of passing this legislation into law, but we have had a few differences we have had to work out. I am glad we finally worked through those differences and can send this bill to the President's desk today. In 2015, the Office of Science and Technology Policy pulled together the best and brightest from within the various agencies working on space weather to produce the National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan. These documents helped renew our focus on the critical research and operational needs to improve our space weather enterprise, and OSTP updated the strategy and action plan in 2019. The PROSWIFT Act builds upon this work by providing the structures needed for the continued advancement of heliophysics research, collection of new data and observations, and improvements to our modeling and forecasting. This bill also, for the first time, clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of the key Federal agencies involved in space weather, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the United States Geological Survey, as well as the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Importantly, our legislation brings in new voices from the academic community, commercial space weather sector, and space weather forecast end-users. These communities will participate in the space weather advisory group created in the bill as well as on a new government- academia-commercial roundtable we create to be facilitated by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Finally, the bill also sets up formal research-to-operations and operations-to-research mechanisms to help break down barriers between the research community and operational forecasters by encouraging sharing of information and requirements to improve the pipeline of new observations, technologies, models, and forecasts. This bill will improve our understanding of space weather and better prepare us for its impacts on the electric power grid, communications networks, satellite operations, and airlines. It will also help NASA understand the radiation environment for our astronauts on the International Space Station, on their way back to the Moon, and, most importantly, on their journey to Mars by 2033. We have been working on this bill for a long time now, and I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama, Representative Mo Brooks, for his help pushing for this bipartisan legislation. I also want to thank Chairwoman Johnson and her staff for their support over the years, getting us to where we are today, and Ranking Member Frank Lucas for his support of the bill. I also want to thank my friend, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan, who happens to be in the House Chamber today, for all the work he and his staff have put into this effort over the years. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Alabama for being a good partner and really working with me and with the Senate to refine and get this thing into an excellent product. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters of support we received for the PROSWIFT Act: a letter from the University of Colorado at Boulder; a letter from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; a letter from the American Commercial Space Weather Association; a letter from the American Astronomical Society; a letter from the American Geophysical Union; a letter from the University of Michigan; a letter from the University of New Hampshire; and a letter from the Pennsylvania State University.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 881) to improve understanding and forecasting of space weather events, and for other purposes.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I also include in the Record an op-ed from The Hill dated September 10, 2020, by Dr. Antonio Busalacchi, who supports this bill. [From the Hill, Sept. 10, 2020] Congress Needs To Finalize Spa Weather Bill as Solar Storms Pose Heightened Threat (By Antonio J. Busalacchi) The COVID-19 pandemic has left us more dependent than ever on advanced information and communication technologies, with many businesses and schools relying on a range of remote services. In this environment, building resilience to potential threats that can disrupt society's essential daily activities is critical. For this reason, it is heartening to see Congress advancing legislation to better protect the nation from solar storms that spew millions of tons of charged matter toward Earth. Such space weather events can distort GPS signals, scramble satellite operations, and disable communications and power systems, with serious consequences for our economy and armed services--a particularly major concern as the Pentagon prepares for future space-based conflicts. Significant space weather events occur every decade or so with far-reaching and destructive consequences. A powerful solar storm in 1989 cut off power to millions of Canadians, and major storms in 2003 affected more than half of Earth- orbiting spacecraft. Just three years ago, solar flares caused radio blackouts for hours during critical emergency response efforts to approaching hurricanes in the Caribbean and nearby regions. A solar superstorm poses even greater risks. The so-called Carrington Event in 1859, which ignited fires in telegraph offices, would have catastrophic impacts on today's society, potentially resulting in widespread damage to power grids, communication networks, and other technologies that would take weeks, months, or even years to repair. Even before COVID-19 led to an increased reliance on e-based technologies, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that such an event could result in as much as $2 trillion in damages--or more than 10 times the costs of Hurricane Katrina. Despite a growing array of advanced satellites that monitor the sun, forecasters cannot accurately predict when a major storm will erupt from the sun and begin its one- to four-day journey toward Earth. Observations provide only limited information about where the storm will hit and its potential for damage until it is within about a half-hour of Earth. This does not leave satellite operators and utility managers with sufficient notice to fully shield vulnerable electronics and power down critical hardware. To improve its forecasting capability, the nation needs to invest in a new generation of space- and ground-based instruments that can provide continual measurements of magnetic fields throughout the solar atmosphere. These measurements would alert us to conditions that are conducive for storms and help us determine whether an incoming storm will penetrate our atmosphere and target certain regions on Earth, or harmlessly glance off. Scientists are also working toward more advanced computer models of the sun. One of their primary goals is to stimulate the buildup of energy in twisted magnetic fields within the solar atmosphere, enabling forecasters to predict when the fields will erupt and spew tons of charged particles toward Earth. Fortunately, Congress is starting to take action on this important issue. The Senate last month unanimously passed legislation to improve scientific understanding and forecasting of space weather. The Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act would break down barriers between the nation's researchers and forecasters, coordinate the efforts of key federal agencies, and establish an integrated strategy across the federal government to address space weather research and observational needs. This legislation, appropriately, has strong bipartisan support. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Cory Gardner (R- Colo.) co-sponsored the Senate bill. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) is working with eight co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle to advance the measure. With just months remaining on the calendar of the current Congress, the House must provide the final passage of this important legislation. Congress needs to provide flexible funding to states to deploy Our solar forecasting capabilities at present are comparable to terrestrial weather prediction before the Second World War when communities had little warning of incoming storms. Since then, government agencies, private companies, and university researchers have collaborated on landmark advances in weather prediction, which have saved countless lives, fostered economic growth, and supported military operations. We have now arrived at a pivotal moment in forecasting solar storms. At a time when society is more dependent than ever on advanced e-based technologies, the PROSWIFT Act lays out a clear road map for bringing together expertise in government, the private sector, and academia to forecast these damaging events. If Congress and the administration successfully enact the legislation, this predictive capability will provide a critical safeguard for America's economic competitiveness and national security, and for the business and school technologies that we have all come to rely upon.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this legislation and for both sides of the Capitol. We have been working on it for a long time. There has been a lot of serious interest in this piece of legislation because of the potential for damage that a space weather event can have. As I said before, we have worked together on the Committee on Science, Space and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to advance this bill for almost 5 years. Each iteration of the bill brought new perspectives and new ideas, and we worked across two administrations. We put all that work together into the bill before us today, and I, again, thank the Members and staff who helped make this possible. Madam Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on this space weather bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam 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 S. 881, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4990, which I am proud to cosponsor. This is a bipartisan bill introduced by my Science, Space, and Technology Committee colleagues, Representatives Sherrill and Anthony Gonzalez. Technology in elections is necessary to provide convenience, speed, accuracy, and accessibility. However, our country needs to modernize this technology from time to time to ensure security, privacy, reliability, and transparency. For the past 20 years, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 was instrumental in the development of voluntary voting system guidelines and the advancement of voting technologies to improve the security and integrity of our elections. Unfortunately, the law has not kept pace with the rapid advances in technology. H.R. 4990 authorizes activities and makes investments at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation to support research to help secure and modernize our election systems. This legislation also supports critical standards development work carried out by NIST in collaboration with the Election Assistance Commission to improve the cybersecurity, privacy, reliability, and interoperability of voting systems technologies. Voting is one of our most cherished rights as Americans, and without sacrificing security, we must make it as easy as possible for all voters to cast their ballots this year and every year. I thank my colleagues, Representative Mikie Sherrill and Representative Gonzalez, for their bipartisan leadership on this bill. H.R. 4990 will help improve the security of our elections, and I urge all my colleagues to vote ``aye.''

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Paige Brophy for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Young Professional Award. Paige took over the role of Director of the Outdoor Lab Foundation in January 2019 and quickly got to work rebuilding the team and implementing a successful strategic plan that helped lead the organization to have its largest-ever fundraising year in 2019. Paige's colleagues describe her leadership style as passionate and someone who leads by example. Under Paige's leadership, the Outdoor Lab program serves more than 900 students in Arvada, allowing them to participate in a life-changing program that helps create good stewards and future community leaders. Paige is passionate about ensuring every student attends Outdoor Lab, regardless of their physical abilities or ability to pay. I extend my deepest congratulations to Paige Brophy for this well- deserved award and appreciate her contribution to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Renee Nelson for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Woman of the Year Award. The recipient of this award is selected by a committee and is awarded to a local community leader who has gone above and beyond to selflessly serve their community. Renee's endless compassion and passion for her community has helped ensure the City of Arvada continues to be a vibrant and healthy community, from grass roots up. Renee frequently works around the clock on community projects and helping individuals in their hour of need, as well as helping injured animals. She often spends her vacation days to make Arvada a better place, and on occasion, has even worked without rest or sleep to ensure the completion of community projects. Those that have the privilege of working with Renee describe her as someone who is genuine, hardworking, respectful, and honest. Renee's passion for volunteerism started early when she became the youngest chair of the Arvada Harvest Festival Committee at just nine years old. Since then, she has never stopped giving back. She has a passion for helping the homeless, reading at schools, and spends much of her time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, the Jaycees, and the Arvada Historical Society, among others. Renee is a shining example of an individual with great integrity who selflessly and continuously devotes her time, energy and resources to help her community and those in need. I extend my deepest congratulations to Renee Nelson for this well-deserved award and appreciate her many contributions to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ed Tomlinson for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Man of the Year Award. The recipient of the Chamber's Man of the Year award is selected by a committee and is awarded to a local community leader who has gone above and beyond to selflessly serve their community. As 2019 Man of the Year, Ed was selected to receive this award as recognition of his commitment and contribution to the Arvada community over the years. He was twice elected to the Arvada Fire Protection District, the first non-fireman to serve on that board. Friends and colleagues describe Ed as benevolent and community-centered. In addition, Ed has served on numerous local boards and committees, worked to support local schools, and volunteered his time, treasure and talent for many organizations such as the Arvada Festivals Commission, Adopt a Street and the Arvada Harvest Festival. I extend my deepest congratulations to Ed Tomlinson for this well- deserved award and appreciate his many contributions to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Elisa Thurston for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Young Professional Award. In her current role at the Denver-Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, Elisa manages volunteers, engages donors and builds relationships with the community. She is described by friends and colleagues as passionate, caring and someone who works very hard to make her community a better place. It's clear Elisa has a bright future ahead and her early contributions to our community are obvious. I extend my deepest congratulations to Elisa Thurston for this well- deserved award and appreciate her contribution to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jed Ladd for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Image Award. A staple in our community, Jed is known by friend and colleagues as someone who cares very much about the City of Arvada and who has a great sense of humor. In his role at the Lamar Street Center, he helps promote the 9Health Fair as well as volunteers for multiple local causes. He's always looking for new ideas and ways to help out fellow neighbors. He also owns Laddy's, a local restaurant, where he holds the claim to fame for Arvada's Shortest Parade to celebrate the sidewalk he was required to put in outside the restaurant. He was required to put in a sidewalk. I extend my deepest congratulations to Jed Ladd for this well- deserved award and appreciate his contribution to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Toni and Larry Winkler for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Image Award. Toni and Larry Winkler employ over 100 people across their three local businesses--WL Contractors, Steel Affairs and the Lamar Street Center. They continuously give back to the community by offering non- profit, military and political discounts, and hosting and suppotiing events such as the 9Health Fair, which provides free and low-cost health services to the community. In addition, the Winklers generously donate goods and services to local non-profits such as Food for Thought, Community Table, Ralston House, Police K9 Association, Morgan Adams Foundation and the Jefferson County Business Education Alliance. I extend my deepest congratulations to Toni and Larry Winkler for this well-deserved award and appreciate their contribution to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Zachary Marcolina for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Rising Star Award. Zachary's passion for helping other people and making his community a better place has been obvious at an early age. He spends much of his free time volunteering to help the homeless, tutor fellow students and coach youth soccer. He also organized a book drive, collecting more than 2,000 books for families in need. A natural leader, he was captain of his soccer team for all four years at Arvada West High School. Zachary also served as secretary of the National Honor Society and volunteered with numerous organizations around Arvada such as the library, Santa House, various homeless shelters and others. I extend my deepest congratulations to Zachary Marcolina for this well-deserved award and appreciate his contribution to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Laraine Lockhart Borman for receiving the Arvada Chamber's Image Award. For 33 years, Laraine, as the director of outreach for the Mother's Milk Bank, has been giving back to moms, dads, babies and educating families about the benefits of breast milk. Her tireless efforts to spread the word to local birthing centers, health clinics, midwiferies, pediatrics offices, hospitals and public health departments have helped build a community of support around and for the Milk Bank in Arvada and Denver, and around Colorado and the country. Laraine is one of the founding members of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America and actively sits on their board, helping to advance the cause nationally and internationally. She is instrumental in shaping the lives of many children, their children, and now their children's children. She does all of this because it's her biggest passion, her life's work and her purpose. I extend my deepest congratulations to Laraine Lockhart Borman for this well-deserved award and appreciate her contribution to our community.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to say first to my friend, Mr. Woodall, I would never neglect to provide you with the 30 minutes because I honestly enjoy watching your gestures and listening to your arguments. Often we disagree, but the way you present things is really something that I enjoy listening to and watching. And I couldn't agree with you more about what you said about John Lewis. Now, John was not very big--about my size--but his personality, his commitment, and his intellect would fill this Chamber whenever he spoke, whenever he came in. So our loss is big with his passing, and I just want to thank the gentleman for the remarks he made about Mr. Lewis. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman, from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the chair of the Rules Committee.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, the Rules Committee met on Friday and reported a rule, House Resolution 1053, providing for consideration of H.R. 6395, known as the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, under a structured rule which makes in order 407 amendments. The rule provides for en bloc authority with en blocs debated for 30 minutes each. The rule also provides for consideration of this Senate amendment to H.R. 1957, the Great American Outdoors Act. The rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 7027, the Child Care is Essential Act, and H.R. 7327, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, under closed rules. Finally, the rule provides for suspension authority through September 20, 2020, and recess authority as well as same-day authority through September 21, 2020. Mr. Speaker, I want to start by commending Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry for their leadership and calming influence that they bring to the appropriately named Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This will be the 60th consecutive year that Congress enacts this important legislation, and I think it is a direct testament to the hard work and collegiality of these two gentlemen. The NDAA fulfills our constitutional obligation of protecting our Nation by providing our military the tools they need to provide for our national defense, confront terrorism, and defend our democratic values overseas. The legislation also provides essential care for the backbone of America's fighting force, our servicemembers and their families. The bill includes a 3 percent pay raise for our servicemembers and makes key investments in military infrastructure. The bill allows our military to maintain readiness, expand capabilities, and invest in the software and technologies required to secure our country. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, including our military. This NDAA would authorize funding to strengthen the DOD and the country's ability to respond to this and future pandemics by creating $1 billion pandemic preparedness and resilience national security fund. H.R. 6395 does all of this while abiding by the budget agreement from last year and incorporates hundreds and hundreds of bipartisan ideas. The Armed Services Committee adopted 475 amendments during their markup, and this rule makes in order another 407 amendments for the House to consider and work its will. This legislation exemplifies exactly how this institution is supposed to work. Another bill included in this rule is H.R. 1957, the Great American Outdoors Act. Since its creation in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has protected millions of acres of land across the U.S. It has funded national parks like the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado as well as tens of thousands of State and local park projects in all 50 States. LWCF ensures all of us can enjoy fishing, hiking, and other outdoor activities and preserve our public lands for future generations. I have long supported the LWCF, and I was proud to see the LWCF permanently reauthorized last year. Now, with H.R. 1957, the House can pass the Great American Outdoors Act and make the funding for the LWCF permanent. As the Trump administration continues to slash protections for our public lands and natural resources, it is now more important than ever to permanently fund the LWCF. I am glad the Senate has finally acted and passed this important bill so we can send this to the President's desk for his signature. The last two bills addressed in this rule focus on important gaps in our economic recovery from COVID-19. The Child Care is Essential Act, H.R. 7027, creates a $50 billion stabilization fund to help childcare providers which have been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, with over 40 percent of providers in danger of closing. Access to childcare is absolutely necessary for our economic recovery. This bill will stabilize childcare providers so we can ensure parents can get back to work as the States reopen. But we must also ensure this childcare is affordable for working parents hit hard by the economic downturn. That is why our next bill, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, H.R. 7327, expands and makes refundable the childcare tax credit and includes additional resources to improve childcare facilities. By filling the gaps to make childcare more accessible to working families, this bill helps parents who would otherwise reduce their hours or delay reentering the workforce due to childcare. I urge all my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bills. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), a member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I inquire how much time remains on both sides.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1053 and ask for its immediate consideration.