Lamar Smith

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the gentlewoman from Oregon for her work on this bill. She has been a strong advocate and an initiator on the benefits that this bill does promote. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Bridenstine), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), who is the vice chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, really quickly, I want to thank Mrs. Comstock for introducing this bill and Mr. Lipinski for cosponsoring it. As well, it is a great bipartisan piece of legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. 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. 1119, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1119) to improve the efficiency of Federal research and development, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1156) to authorize the establishment of a body under the National Science and Technology Council to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation opportunities, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. 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. 1156, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. 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. 1162, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren), who is a sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 874, the American Super Computing Leadership Act, requires the Department of Energy to develop a plan to bring the United States into the next generation of supercomputing, also known as exascale computing. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren) for taking the initiative on this issue. DOE's Advanced Scientific Computing Research program is the primary Federal research and development program for innovation in computing technology. High-performance computing has paved the way for breakthroughs in medical imaging, genetics research, manufacturing, engineering, and weapons development. Faster computing speeds have revolutionized the energy sector, improved the efficiency of energy production, and aided in distribution technologies. Advances in computer modeling offer opportunities for scientific discovery in fields where experiments are too difficult, costly, or dangerous to conduct. These advances reduce costs and open the door to more innovative discoveries. The country with the strongest computing capability will host the world's next scientific breakthroughs. Unfortunately, China currently holds the world's fastest computer, not the United States. This bill should reverse this trend and help advance American competitiveness. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren), as well as the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty), and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for their initiative on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time as well.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers on this side, so I am prepared to yield back the balance of my time after the gentleman from Illinois.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. 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. 874, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the month of May is Water Safety Awareness Month. Swimming and other water recreational activities are very popular among Americans of all ages. As the warm summer months approach, we should work to ensure the public is educated on the most up-to-date water safety practices so that these activities remain a safe way to exercise and enjoy recreation. A local chapter of the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association is hosting a safe swimming event in San Antonio, Texas, on May 16, 2015. This event will serve to educate 4th grade students at Baskin Elementary School on the importance of water safety and to teach them safe swimming practices. I want to recognize their efforts and encourage all Texans to learn about and follow proper water safety measures.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Alabama for yielding, and I support his amendment. The House already has voted against the President's executive amnesty several times. The language this amendment seeks to strike would legitimize the President's unlawful immigration actions, which violates Congress' constitutional authority over immigration policy. Serving in our military forces and defending our country should be a privilege reserved for those who are citizens and legal U.S. residents. I hope my colleagues will support this amendment and tell the President: No more unlawful actions on immigration.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a recent public opinion poll shows that the American people repudiate President Obama's immigration policies. The new Rasmussen Reports national survey found that 62 percent believe the Federal Government is not doing enough to deport illegal immigrants, up 10 points from a year ago. This is the American people's response to the President's executive amnesty orders. Furthermore, over half feel that illegal immigrants with children born in the U.S. should not be exempt from being sent home. Also, 54 percent think that a child of an illegal immigrant parent should not automatically become a citizen, and an overwhelming 83 percent do not feel illegal immigrants should get government services. The American people know that illegal immigration is not in America's best interest.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize three power linemen from Pedernales Electric Cooperative in my district for their service and for putting into action cooperative principle #6-- cooperation among cooperatives--in Haiti. Marshall Verette, Andrew Ridge and Mark Moreno volunteered to go to Haiti last February to work with Haiti's first electric cooperative, the Cooperative Electrique de l'Arrondisement des Coteaux (CEAC). This work was part of a rural electrification project through the NRECA International Foundation with support from the United Nations Environmental Program and USAID. They spent two weeks in the town of Coteaux to help build a distribution system that will connect three towns. Upon completion, the diesel-solar hybrid electric system will provide safe, affordable and reliable power to 1600 consumers. Their contributions included upgrading lines, installing new lines and service drops, and training locally hired lineman in proper construction methods, pole climbing techniques, proper handline use, and important safety practices. Electricity is a critical element in improving the quality of life and in providing health care, education, access to clean water and economic opportunity. In Haiti, less than 15 percent of the population has regular access to electricity. In appreciation of all they have done, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues join me in thanking them for their humanitarian efforts.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act, requires the Environmental Protection Agency to base its regulations on unbiased, publicly accessible science that can be verified. Why would anyone want to hide this information from the American people? This is essentially the same bill that was introduced in the last Congress by the former Environment Subcommittee chairman, David Schweikert, and it passed with bipartisan support last November. We must make sure that Federal regulations are based on science that is available for independent review. Many Americans are unaware that some of the EPA's most expensive and burdensome regulations, such as its proposed ozone rules, are based on data that not even the EPA has seen. The EPA contracts out scientific research to third parties whom the EPA relies upon to justify its regulations, but if independent scientists ask for details, the Agency claims that it doesn't have the data, and so results cannot be verified. This is ``trust me'' science, which should make us suspicious, and it clearly conflicts with this administration's promise to be the most transparent in history. This bill ensures that the decisions that affect every American are based on independently verified, unbiased scientific research instead of on secret data that is hidden behind closed doors. The Secret Science Reform Act does not weaken privacy laws. In fact, it states that nothing in the bill will supersede privacy laws. It does not give the EPA any new authority to take private information and make it public. The Secret Science Reform Act simply prohibits the Agency from relying on nonpublic data that cannot be verified by independent scientists. The bill requires the EPA to use data that is available to the public when the Agency writes its regulations. This allows independent researchers to evaluate the studies that the EPA uses to justify its regulations. This is the scientific method. How can we believe claims by the government about the costs and benefits of regulations if the science that allegedly justifies them cannot be verified by independent experts? What does the EPA want to hide? This bill does not require the EPA to pay to disseminate the data it relies on publicly. Unfortunately, the CBO's old cost estimate on a previous bill ignores this point. If a third party has researched data that it believes the EPA should rely on in its rulemaking, that third party should make it publicly available so that the EPA and other scientists can check its work. There is nothing in the bill that compels the EPA to shoulder this cost, which is where the CBO went wrong in scoring the cost of this bill. The EPA has received over $8 billion this year. Billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars have been spent by the EPA, and taxpayers deserve to know whether it went to good science or to politically correct science. Today, we have an opportunity to set a new course and let the American people see the data. The EPA should use sound science based on public data, not secret data hidden from the American people. This bill also will help the EPA focus its resources on the best possible science. That, in turn, will ensure a healthier, happier, and more prosperous future for all Americans. The days of ``trust me'' science are over. An open government that is accountable to the people is essential to protect Americans from excessive government control. The EPA has a responsibility to be open and transparent with the people it serves and whose money it uses. If you support the right of the people to see the EPA's data, then support this bill and help the administration keep its promise to be open and honest with the American people. In God we trust. All others, especially the EPA, must use public data, not secret science. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 1030.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman I really don't know why it is so difficult to read this bill. It is only two pages long. And those who are concerned about the cost ought to recognize--or I hope they have realized and seen--that the bill this year reads differently than the bill last year. And what I would like to do is read to those who are opposed who raised the cost issue. Look at lines 17 and 18 of page 1 and lines 1 and 2 of page 2. They read as follows: ``Nothing in the subsection shall be construed as requiring the Administrator to disseminate scientific and technical information.'' I hope that allays their concerns. But it is always nice to hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle so concerned about the cost of legislation. Mr. Chairman, contrary to the CBO estimate, H.R. 1030 does not require the EPA to disseminate information. It requires the EPA to base their regulations on data that is public so that all Americans are better informed about the regulations that affect their daily lives. Americans deserve all the facts, and they deserve all the data. They have the right to know if the regulations they are forced to live under are justified by sound science. The EPA spends over $8 billion a year. Surely it can base its rules on science that is transparent and available to everyone. For these reasons, I oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.