Lamar Smith

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a recent story from the tech blog Gizmodo details Facebook's alleged efforts to suppress conservative views in its popular trending news section. Former curators of the trending news section said they were routinely told to ignore news stories of interest to conservative readers. Censoring stories from popular conservative news sites to fit a liberal political agenda does a severe disservice to the American people. A recent Pew Research Center study found that two-thirds of American adults use Facebook to get news. Facebook has an obligation and a public responsibility not to silence conservative voices. Facebook should give the American people an honest appraisal of the news when it comes to deciding what is trending on its Web site. Anything less is intentionally trying to manipulate public opinion to promote a liberal agenda.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans' confidence in the national media continues to erode. A Media Insight Project poll found that only 6 percent now say they have a great deal of confidence in the media. Americans are rightfully skeptical of the news they receive, as they believe it is riddled with inaccuracies and bias. Nearly 90 percent say it is important for the media to get their facts correct in their news reports, which they often do not. Many said the media coverage of a particular event was one-sided. One respondent commented that, ``I'm also a bit scared for what other things they have gotten wrong or only given half-truths to.'' Media bias is both real and unfortunate. Americans will continue to distrust the national liberal media until the media stops telling them what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on April 29, 2016, I was unable to vote on H.R. 4901, the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act. I would have voted in support of final passage of H.R. 4901, rollcall No. 179, had I been present.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the national liberal media promote the fiction that scientists all agree the earth continues to get warmer and that climate change causes severe weather events. However, there is little scientific consensus to support these claims. For example, one often-cited statistic comes from one author who examined abstracts of articles to conclude that 75 percent of scientists believe in global warming. But the author omitted abstracts from global warming skeptics. And the author never specifies how many of the abstracts actually endorse her conclusion that a ``consensus'' of scientists believes in climate change. Slanting data on climate change is contrary to the respected scientific method. Americans deserve all the facts that surround climate change, not just those that fit the view the national liberal media want to promote.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Obama administration recently released a report that tried to tie extreme weather events to climate change. This is the administration's latest effort to scare the public into supporting its radical climate agenda. The report ignores science in order to justify the administration's dire predictions. For example, the administration's report says that hurricanes are projected to increase. But hurricanes have not increased in intensity, frequency, or damage since 1900. The same can be said for almost all other extreme weather events. The administration continues to incite fear so that Americans will wrongly believe that extreme climate events are due to climate change, but the administration should not push costly climate regulations on Americans when there is no good reason for them to do so.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on April 21, 2016, I was unable to vote on H.R. 4890, To impose a ban on the payment of bonuses to employees of the Internal Revenue Service until the Secretary of the Treasury develops and implements a comprehensive customer service strategy. I would have voted in support of final passage of H.R. 4890, roll call No. 162, had I been present. Additionally, I would have voted in support of final passage of H.R. 3724, the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act, roll call No. 163.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the State of Texas argued before the Supreme Court that the President's executive amnesty violates Federal immigration laws and the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole power to write laws, including immigration laws; and the President must faithfully execute the laws, whether he agrees with them or not. In fact, President Obama has said dozens of times that he doesn't have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration laws. However, when the House of Representatives refused to approve the President's mass amnesty policies, he violated his own words and acted alone. The Supreme Court should uphold the rule of law and stop the President's unprecedented executive amnesty policies.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a recent study shows the immigrant population, both legal and illegal, has grown to record levels, now surpassing 15 percent in one-third of the States. And in six States-- California, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Texas--the population of immigrants and their children is over 25 percent. A report by the Center for Immigration Studies found that since 1970, the number of immigrants and their children has increased six times faster than the overall population. Congress needs to analyze these facts as it considers assimilation, cost of government services, and the impact immigration has on jobs and the economy. America has the most generous immigration system in the world. However, our immigration policies must put the interests of American workers and taxpayers first.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans know that liberal media bias is a major problem in our country. A recent Rasmussen poll found that Americans believe media bias is a bigger problem in politics than large campaign contributions. It also found that a large majority of Americans, 66 percent, believe the news media has too much power and influence over government decisions. A Media Research Center analysis of The New York Times provides an example. MRC found that, since last August, The New York Times has never characterized Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders as being hard- line or hard-left. In contrast, Republican candidates have been labeled as hard-line 45 times and hard-right 13 times. That is 58-0. Americans will continue to view the media as a problem until it provides fair and balanced coverage. The media should give the American people the facts, not tell them what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to recognize the more than 75,000 individuals who donate their time and talents to organizing Fiesta San Antonio. Fiesta San Antonio started in 1891 as a one-parade event, and it has evolved into one of the nation's premier festivals with an economic impact of more than $284 million dollars for the Alamo City. The 125th anniversary of Fiesta will take place this year in a 10-day celebration from April 14 through 24; the festival commemorates the Battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto and the birth of multiethnic heritage of the Alamo City. The area non-profit organizations that stage more than 100 Fiesta events held throughout the city include churches, schools, arts groups, health organizations, athletic associations, and many others; local units of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines offer their support to many of these gatherings while also presenting events of their own. Fiesta San Antonio has become a popular attraction for visitors from far and wide, and more than three million party-goers enjoy Fiesta San Antonio from across the state, nation and world each year. Fiesta is the Party With A Purpose as the funds raised by official Fiesta events provide services to San Antonio citizens throughout the year. An undertaking of this magnitude depends on the efforts of many volunteers. Deserving of special recognition are the officers and staff of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, including president Vonzetta Hickman, president-elect Erwin DeLuna, senior vice president Bill Mitchell, vice president Byron LeFlore, Jr., vice president Virginia Van Cleave, treasurer Marcie Ince, secretary Joe Ramirez, presidential appointee Marsha Hendler, immediate past president Fernando Reyes, and executive director Amy Shaw. Fiesta San Antonio brings together people from all walks of life to join in a spirited celebration of the city's rich history, culture, and traditions. In appreciation of all they have done, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues join me in thanking them for their efforts.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 4742, the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act. I thank my Science Committee colleagues Ms. Esty, who authored the bill, and Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Comstock for their initiative on this issue. H.R. 4742 authorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) to use its existing entrepreneurial programs to recruit and support women and help them develop their research and technology ideas for the marketplace. STEM education is critical to our country's economy and global competitiveness. A well-educated and trained STEM workforce promotes our future economic prosperity. These STEM workers have the potential to develop technologies that could save thousands of lives, jump-start new industries, or even discover new worlds. That's why I authored with Ms. Esty the STEM Education Act, a new law that strengthens science, technology, engineering and mathematics education efforts at federal science agencies. It also, for the first time, expands the definition of STEM to include computer science. The bill was signed by the President last October. Unfortunately, studies show that only 26 percent of women who attain degrees in STEM fields work in STEM jobs. H.R. 4742 encourages NSF to tackle this problem. It enhances women's ability to translate their enthusiasm, scientific expertise and research ideas into tangible products and businesses. Inspiring American students to seek science and math careers is a goal shared by Republicans and Democrats alike. Some of the most energizing and exciting moments of my Science Committee chairmanship have been interactions with young people who want to pursue STEM studies and careers. At various Committee hearings and robotics competitions in my district, I have encountered motivated, talented young people who want nothing more than an opportunity to pursue their dreams. And, in some cases, change the world with their ideas. Their passion for learning and science reminds me of why I enjoy serving in Congress and on the Science Committee. I again thank Ms. Esty and Chairwoman Comstock for their work on this bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 4742.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, science, technology, engineering and math are critical to America's future prosperity. Women are unfortunately underrepresented in STEM careers. Despite representing nearly half of the college-educated and total U.S. workforce, women account for less than 25 percent of America's STEM workforce. Supporting women's involvement in the fields of aerospace and space exploration should be an important part of NASA's mission. Current NASA programs such as NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS are important and give young students the opportunity to interact and learn from real NASA engineers, scientists, and technologists. They provide virtual mentoring that use commercially available video chat programs to pair NASA innovators with young students across the country. H.R. 4755 builds upon this success. It leverages NASA's talent pool of current and retired astronauts, and early career female scientists, engineers, and innovators to inform and inspire young women to pursue their dreams in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. One day, these young people will push the boundaries of space. Space can be a catalyst for inspiring young girls to enter the STEM fields. By doing our part to support their engagement in space with this legislation, we are investing in the futures of our daughters, nieces, and grandchildren. I again want to thank the bill sponsor, Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Comstock for her leadership on this topic. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the national liberal media routinely ignore scandals that involve Democrats and fail to provide all the facts when a Republican is involved. In 2014, the media hyped the indictment of Texas Governor Rick Perry. According to the Media Research Center, ABC, CBS and NBC spent 25 minutes on the subject over the course of two days. Governor Perry's charges recently were dismissed. This significant event was not covered by any of the three networks' evening news shows or their morning news shows. Not a single minute. Apparently, when it comes to a high profile Republican, only the alleged bad news counts. The media's bias is obvious. Maybe that's why 60 percent of Americans have little or no confidence in the national media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly, according to Gallup.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the media were quick to cover a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study last year where scientists altered global surface temperature data to try and refute the two-decade halt in global warming. The LA Times, The New York Times, and USA Today all headlined NOAA's announcement that there was not a halt in global warming. However, a new peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Nature, confirms the halt in global warming. According to one of the study's lead authors, it ``essentially refutes'' NOAA's study. But the many well-respected scientists and their findings were ignored by much of the national media, including those that had previously reported there never was a halt in global warming. Americans deserve all the facts that surround climate change, not just those that fit the view the liberal national media wants to promote.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the chairman of the Rules Committee and my Texas colleague for yielding me time and also for his very generous comments. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution authorizing the Speaker to submit an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the Texas-led lawsuit challenging the President's amnesty policies. It is critical that the House of Representatives defend the Constitution, which specifically gives Congress, not the President, the power to enact immigration laws. Regrettably, the President's policies have ignored laws, undermined laws, and changed immigration laws. The President's policies have led to a surge of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants across our borders, allowed unlawful immigrants to compete with unemployed Americans for scarce jobs, and established sanctuary cities that release dangerous criminal immigrants into our neighborhoods where many go on to commit other crimes. The House of Representatives must reinforce the rule of law and protect the lives and livelihoods of the American people. Mr. Speaker, that is why I support this resolution.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, March 6th marks the beginning of Women in Construction Week. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) takes this week to highlight women in the construction industry. Chapter 11 of NAWIC is located in San Antonio, which I represent. This week allows thousands of NAWIC members across the country to raise awareness of the opportunities available to women in the construction industry and emphasize the growing role of women in the industry. In sincere appreciation, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this week as Women in Construction Week.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4084, the ``Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act,'' directs civilian nuclear energy research and development to contribute to American nuclear power. I thank the Energy Subcommittee Chairman, Randy Weber, and Science Committee Ranking Member, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, for their leadership on this issue. I also want to thank many bipartisan cosponsors of the bill, which include Science Committee Vice Chairman Frank Lucas, Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Comstock and Subcommittee Ranking Member Dan Lipinski, Environment Subcommittee Chairman Jim Bridenstine, Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk, Space Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin, and full committee members Dana Rohrabacher, Ed Perlmutter, Randy Hultgren, Paul Tonko, Bruce Westerman, Steve Knight, Bill Posey, and Randy Neugebauer. I am encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for the subsequently introduced Senate version of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, which passed as an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act by a vote of 87-4 on the Senate floor in January. Advanced nuclear energy technology is the best opportunity to make reliable, emission-free electricity available throughout the modern and developing world. America must maintain a strong nuclear technology sector in order to influence global nonproliferation standards. This will help us prevent civilian nuclear energy technology from being misused for weapons development overseas. H.R. 4084 harnesses the strengths of the Department of Energy (DOE) National Labs, universities, and the private sector. It ensures that America's best and brightest minds advance this groundbreaking science and technology. This legislation provides DOE with the direction and certainty it needs to develop plans for long term research and infrastructure development within the Office of Nuclear Energy. H.R. 4084 authorizes DOE to take advantage of the National Labs' supercomputers in order to accelerate research for advanced fission and fusion experimental reactors. This program will leverage expertise from the private sector, universities, and National Labs. The bill provides a clear timeline for DOE to complete a research reactor user facility within ten years. This research reactor will enable proprietary and academic research to develop supercomputing models and also design next generation nuclear energy technology. Finally, H.R. 4084 creates a reliable mechanism for the private sector to partner with DOE labs to build fission and fusion prototype reactors at DOE sites. Nuclear power has been a proven source of safe and emission-free electricity for over half a century. Now, America's strategic investments in advanced nuclear reactor technology can play a more meaningful role to reduce global emissions. Unfortunately, the ability to move innovative technology to the market has been stalled by government red tape. By working around these bureaucratic barriers, H.R. 4084 will spur American competitiveness and keep us on the forefront of nuclear energy technology. This legislation enables our talented engineers in the private sector, academia, and at the National Labs to develop the next generation of nuclear technology here in the United States. Nuclear energy can be a clean, cheap answer to an energy independent, pro-growth, secure future. I thank Chairman Weber and Ranking Member Johnson of Texas for their work on this bill and encourage my colleagues to support it.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, though I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). The amendment requires that, in addition to the National Science Foundation making a determination that a grant is worthy of Federal funding and in the national interest, the NSF must also determine that the grant is: consistent with established and widely accepted scientific methods applicable to the field of study or exploration. I agree that this is an important determination. Basic research funded by taxpayers must have a sound scientific foundation. Reproducibility--the ability of an entire experiment or study to be duplicated--especially by someone else working independently, is the gold standard in the scientific method. NSF should ensure that the research it funds meets this gold standard so taxpayer dollars do not go to waste. I thank the gentlewoman for her amendment, and I do support it. Mr. Chairman, 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 3293.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3293, the Scientific Research in the National Interest Act, is a bipartisan bill that ensures the grant process at the National Science Foundation is transparent and accountable to the American people. America's future economic growth and national security depend on innovation. Public and private investments in research and development fuel the economy, create jobs, and lead to new technologies that benefit Americans' daily lives. Unfortunately, in recent years, the Federal Government has awarded too many grants that few Americans would consider to be in the national interest. For example, the National Science Foundation awarded $700,000 of taxpayer money to support a climate change-themed musical that quickly closed and almost $1 million for a social media project that targeted Americans' online political speech. A few other examples of questionable grants include: $487,000 to study the Icelandic textile industry during the Viking era; $340,000 to study early human-set fires in New Zealand; $233,000 to study ancient Mayan architecture and their salt industry; and $220,000 to study animal photos in National Geographic magazine. When the NSF funds such projects as these, there is less money to support worthwhile scientific research that keeps our country on the forefront of innovation. Such areas include: computer science, advanced materials, lasers, telecommunications, information technology, development of new medicines, nanotechnology, cybersecurity, and dozens of others that hold the greatest promise of revolutionary scientific breakthroughs. These sectors can create millions of new jobs and transform society in positive ways. NSF invests about $6 billion a year of taxpayer funds on research projects and related activities. The 1950 enabling legislation that created the NSF set forth the Foundation's mission and cited the ``national interest'' as the foundation for public support and dissemination of basic scientific research. The Science in the National Interest Act reaffirms and restores this crucial mission. This will add transparency, accountability, and credibility to the NSF and its grant process. H.R. 3293 requires NSF grants to meet at least one of seven criteria that demonstrates it is in the national interest. These seven criteria are: increased economic competitiveness in the United States; advancement of the health and welfare of the American public; development of an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology in the United States; increased partnerships between academia and industry in the United States; support for the national defense of the United States; and promotion of the progress of science in the United States. Both the National Science Foundation director and the National Science Board have endorsed the principle that NSF should be more accountable in its grant funding decisions. To NSF Director France Cordova's credit, the NSF began to implement new internal policies last year that acknowledge the need for NSF to communicate clearly and in nontechnical terms the research projects it funds and how they are in the national interest. Opponents of this bill must think they know better than the NSF director. Director Cordova testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee that the policy in H.R. 3293 is compatible with the NSF's internal guidelines. This legislation makes that commitment clear, explicit, and permanent. Today, the NSF funds only one out of five proposals submitted by our scientists and research institutions. How do we assure hardworking American families that their tax dollars are spent only on high priority research when we spend $700,000 of their money on a short-lived climate change-themed musical? It is not Congress' money, it is the taxpayers'. How could elected representatives not agree that we owe it to American taxpayers and the scientific community to ensure that every grant funded is worthy and in the national interest? With a national debt that now exceeds $19 trillion and continues to climbs by hundreds of billions of dollars each year, we cannot fund every worthy proposal, much less frivolous ones like a climate change musical. The legislation before us reaffirms in law that every NSF grant must support research that is demonstrably in the national interest. Scientists still make the decisions. They just do not get a blank check signed by the taxpayer. They need to be accountable to the American people by showing their proposals are, in fact, in the national interest. H.R. 3293 passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in October by a voice vote. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and are focused on national priorities. This bill is an essential step to restore and maintain taxpayer support for basic scientific research. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds. I say to the gentlewoman from Texas that her objections are simply too late. They are too late because the Director of the National Science Foundation has already incorporated the national interest standard into the current guidelines that are being used at the National Science Foundation. We are already using that, and the bill makes them permanent. I do like the gentlewoman's example of a screwworm because that is a reason to vote for the bill and not to oppose the bill. One of the requirements in the bill is that these grants be explained in plain English so that we know their connection to the national interest. Clearly, there would be no problem in explaining why the example she gave is connected to the national interest. In a few minutes, I will give just a few more examples of how taxpayers' money is currently being used and should not be used. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), who is the vice chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds. I really wish the people who say they oppose this bill would actually read the bill. It is only three pages long. They can probably read it in 3 minutes. Let me read the last sentence of the bill itself. ``Nothing in this section shall be construed as altering the Foundation's intellectual merit or broader impacts criteria for evaluating grant applications.'' Despite what just might have been told, we don't interfere with the merit-review process whatsoever. The other thing is, when you come up with an example, as the gentleman just gave, it is clearly in the national interest. All we are asking is that the explanation show why it is in the national interest. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), who is the chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas for yielding, and I appreciate the chairman of the Rules Committee bringing this rule to the floor to allow for consideration of H.R. 3293, the Scientific Research in the National Interest Act. H.R. 3293 requires each National Science Foundation public announcement of a grant award to be accompanied by a nontechnical explanation of the project's scientific merits and how it serves the national interest. This written justification affirms the National Science Foundation's determination that a project is worthy of taxpayer support based on scientific merit and national interest. The bill sets forth that NSF grants should meet at least one of seven criteria that demonstrate a grant is in fact in the national interest. These national interest areas are in the original enabling legislation that established the National Science Foundation and its mission or are part of the National Science Foundation mission today. These criteria are: Increased economic competitiveness in the United States; Advancement of the health and welfare of the American public; Development of an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive; Increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology in the United States; Increased partnerships between academia and industry in the United States; Support for the national defense of the United States; or, Promotion of the progress of science in the United States. These seven national mission areas encompass the overriding needs of America to which the scientific enterprise can contribute and advance. Under this umbrella, many scientific disciplines and research areas can and do receive support and flourish. The amendments that were not made in order by the Rules Committee would have opened up this NSF national mission statement to include every pet project, earmark, or political point that Members on the other side could think of. In fact, the explicit, line item-directed subjects that Members wanted to add to the list of ``what is in the national interest'' are already covered by one of the seven categories in the bill. We welcome a fair and open debate on the merits of the bill, and several amendments were made in order that allow us to have that debate. These include amendments by the ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, as well as five other Democratic amendments. This rule allows us to have that fair debate, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Every criticism I have heard in the last few minutes about this bill could be addressed if those who oppose the bill just took the time to read the bill. It is only three pages long. You can probably read it in 3 minutes. They would see that their opposition has no foundation whatsoever.