Lamar Smith

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 23) to reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and for other purposes.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no other requests from Members to speak on this piece of legislation, so 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 the bill under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 23, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2015, reauthorizes the activities of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through fiscal year 2017. Representative Randy Neugebauer, my Texas colleague, has championed this program for over a decade. In the 113th Congress, he and Representative Frederica Wilson's bipartisan efforts helped move this legislation through the Science Committee and to successfully pass the House. It is because of their past work that we were able to bring this bill to the House floor on January 7, the second day of business in the 114th Congress, this Congress. The bill overwhelmingly passed the House 381-39. Today, we consider the Senate amendment to H.R. 23. Thanks to leadership of my colleague on the other side of the Capitol, Senator John Thune, an amended version of H.R. 23 passed the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in June. It then passed the Senate by unanimous consent in July. The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program supports Federal research and development efforts to help mitigate the loss of life and property due to wind-related hazards. Millions of Americans live in areas vulnerable to hurricanes, tornados, and other windstorms. The National Weather Service reported just over 100 deaths and over 900 injuries last year due to tornados and other windstorms. In Texas, we are all too familiar with the harm that strong wind can cause. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's storm prediction center, 128 tornados and 1,366 windstorms were reported just in Texas in the last 2 years. The effects of these disasters can be felt for a long time. Initially established in 2004, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program supports activities to improve our understanding of windstorms and their impacts and helps to develop and encourage the implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures. H.R. 23 establishes the National Institute of Standards and Technology as the lead agency for the program. The bill also improves coordination of interagency activities in a fiscally responsible manner. It expands transparency for how much money is being spent on windstorm research at the four participating agencies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and FEMA. It authorizes $21.4 million for this interagency research. The Senate amendment provides some flexibility to the advisory committee on windstorm impact reduction when it provides recommendations in its report. It also ensures that northeasters are included in the definition of windstorm and makes a few other minor conforming and technical changes. Again, I want to thank Representative Neugebauer for his continued efforts in support of this program. I encourage my colleagues to support the bill and to send it to the President's desk for his autograph. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), a member of the Science Committee, for his comments and for supporting this piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Lubbock, Texas (Mr. Neugebauer), a Texas colleague. I want to thank him for sponsoring this piece of legislation and look forward to its passage today and to its being enacted into law as well.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week, I am circulating a letter to my House colleagues that asks the Senate to drop the 60-vote requirement for consideration of the Iran deal. The American people sent us to Congress to represent their interests and to take actions that benefit our great country. Yet, time and time again, we hear from our constituents that Congress is not listening or is incapable of performing its basic responsibilities as a legislature. Our request to eliminate the filibuster for some votes simply underscores that, in a democracy, the majority should decide. It is time to send a strong signal to this administration that it can no longer disregard the will of the American people and their representatives in Congress. I urge my colleagues to sign this letter that asks for a majority vote on the Iran deal in the Senate.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California, the chairman of the committee, for yielding me time and for the excellent job he has been doing tonight during the debate on this particular issue. Mr. Speaker, this week is a somber week for our Nation. September the 11th reminds us of the sacred responsibility we, in Congress, have to protect the American people from those who want to kill us. That is why we must oppose the Iran deal. This deal only emboldens our enemies at the expense of our friends and our own national security. So it is no surprise that a majority in Congress oppose this deal, as do most Americans, for many reasons. First, it allows Iran to develop nuclear weapons in the future. Second, it lists sanctions and frees up as much as $150 billion in assets for Iran. These funds inevitably will be used by Iran to export terrorism as even the President himself has admitted. Third, the longstanding arms embargo against Iran will be lifted. This enables Iran to buy long-range surface-to-air missiles from Russia by the end of the year. Fourth, there is no credible way to conduct inspections of Iran's nuclear weapons-building sites. Under the proposed deal, Iran is given weeks, if not months, of advanced notice of any inspection. This provides ample time for Iran to hide evidence of nuclear weapons activities and violate the agreement. Secret deals that the administration has hidden from Congress and the American people have now been revealed. One secret deal permits Iran to conduct its own inspections at a military facility suspected of ties to nuclear weapons. Finally, by increasing the odds of a nuclear Iran, this deal directly threatens the security and future of Israel. The Iran deal destabilizes the Middle East, jeopardizes America's security, and endangers the world. The Iran deal must be opposed now and in the future. Remember, this is not the law of the land. This deal is a nonbinding executive agreement. Only the Constitution is the law of the land.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this much we know about the Iran deal. It permits Iran to develop nuclear weapons in the future. It means $150 billion to Iran, some of which will be used to export terrorism, as President Obama has admitted. It allows Iran to buy weapons, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles. It gives Iran weeks, if not months, of advance notice of any weapons site inspections. It includes secret side agreements; one prohibits other countries from inspecting a possible nuclear weapons development site. It is being implemented even though a majority in the House and the Senate oppose it. The Iran deal destabilizes the Middle East, jeopardizes America's security, and endangers the world.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my friend from Virginia, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Bob Goodlatte, for yielding me time and also for bringing this bill to the House floor. I support S. 1482, the Need-Based Educational Aid Act. As the author of the identical House bill, I am pleased that we are considering it today. The Need-Based Educational Aid Act extends the current antitrust exemptions set to expire on September 30 for another 7 years. It allows a limited number of private universities that admit students on need- blind basis to award financial aid from the schools' own funds, based entirely on students' demonstrated financial need. This bill authorizes these institutions of higher education to use common principles to assess students' financial need, and it allows the schools to use a common financial aid application form. It also permits multiple schools that have accepted the same student to award the same assistance. This ensures that the student selects the college that is the best fit, rather than the school that offered the most financial aid. This issue has long been of interest to me personally, having worked on three previous extensions. Common treatment of this narrow category of educational aid makes sense. A Government Accountability Office study previously found that there has been no abuse of the antitrust exemption and that tuition has not gone up as a result. The Need-Based Educational Aid Act helps ensure that financial aid is available to students solely on the basis of demonstrated need. Students who otherwise qualify should not be denied the opportunity to access higher education due to limited financial means. S. 1482 protects this need-based aid and need-blind admissions. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Georgia, Hank Johnson, a member of the Judiciary Committee, for being the original coauthor of the identical House bill and for his leadership on this particular issue. I urge my colleagues to support the Need-Based Educational Aid Act. Again, I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for bringing it to the House floor.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentleman from Virginia and a good friend and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for yielding me time. Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary City Act. The bill is appropriately named, since sanctuary cities violate current laws that require these jurisdictions to share information with Federal authorities about illegal immigrants who have been arrested. H.R. 3009 helps enforce an immigration bill I introduced several years ago that became law. This legislation withholds certain Federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions that hide the immigration status of illegal immigrants charged with crimes. These reforms serve as a first step in keeping dangerous criminals off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. Sanctuary cities have increased under this administration, which has done nothing to discourage them. During only an 8-month period last year, sanctuary cities released almost 9,000 illegal immigrants charged with or convicted of serious crimes. One-quarter have already been arrested again for committing more crimes, like murder and sexual assault. When does it end? I don't understand how anyone could oppose enforcing immigration laws. The victims are not Democrats or Republicans. The victims are innocent Americans. Many of the crimes committed by illegal immigrants could have been prevented if the Obama administration had enforced immigration laws. Instead, it has chosen to ignore them and innocent Americans continue to pay a steep price. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) for authorizing this legislation, and I urge its approval.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in order to make our neighborhoods safer. National Night Out provides a unique opportunity for Bulverde, Texas, which is located in the 21st Congressional District in Texas, to join with thousands of other communities across the country in promoting cooperative, police-community crime prevention efforts. Police- community partnerships, as well as neighborhood safety awareness and cooperation, are important themes of National Night Out. Congratulations to the City of Bulverde as it marks its 10th consecutive year participating in this important event with the Bulverde Police Department to promote joint crime, drug, and violence prevention efforts. These efforts keep our communities, and our citizens, more safe and secure. Credit goes to the citizens of Bulverde, Texas, as they join the Bulverde Police Department and the National Association of Town Watch in supporting the Annual National Night Out on October 6, 2015.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans are increasingly skeptical about the national news they receive. A new study released this month conducted by the First Amendment Center and USA Today found that only 24 percent of Americans believe the media try to report the news without bias. This is a record low since the question was first asked a decade ago. Mr. Speaker, 70 percent of respondents believe that news reports are intentionally biased. This represents a 15 percent increase just since last year. Millennials are even more suspicious about the news. Only 7 percent of Americans 18 to 21 years old said that the media report news objectively. Media bias is both real and unfortunate. Americans will continue to reject the bias of the national liberal media until the media stops telling them what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans do not agree with the President's executive order giving amnesty to 5 million immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, and they especially do not agree with Hillary Clinton's plan to legalize even more. A recent Rasmussen poll found that a majority of Americans, 63 percent, now think gaining control of our border is more important than legalizing those already in the United States. Earlier this month Rasmussen reported that a majority of Americans believe illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime in America. Tragically, the death of Kate Steinle in San Francisco serves as a reminder of how the administration's failed policies have endangered the lives of innocent Americans. Instead of putting the safety of Americans first, the administration has often given a free pass to violent criminals who cross our border illegally. The administration should listen to the American people. Securing our borders should be its first priority, not giving amnesty to those who are here illegally.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, this amendment reflects the core principles of two bills passed by the House earlier this year with bipartisan support. They are H.R. 1029, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, and H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act. I am pleased to be joined by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's former Subcommittee on Environment chairman, Representative David Schweikert, who sponsored the original version of the Secret Science bill in 2014. The amendment simply requires the Environmental Protection Agency to base its regulations on publicly available data that can be verified. Why would the administration want to hide this information from the American people? 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 climate and ozone rules, are based on underlying data that not even the EPA has seen. This amendment ensures that the decisions that affect every American are based on independently verified, unbiased, scientific research instead of on secret data that is hidden from the American people. That is called the scientific method. This amendment also ensures that the EPA Science Advisory Board is able to provide meaningful, balanced, and independent assessments of the science behind the EPA regulations. The EPA frequently undermines the SAB's independence and prevents it from being able to provide advice to Congress. As a result, the valuable advice these experts can provide is often ignored or silenced. The public's right to know must be protected in a democracy. This amendment ensures that happens. The EPA has a responsibility to be open and transparent with the people it serves and whose money it uses. Anyone who supports government transparency and accountability should be able to support this amendment. It helps EPA and the Obama administration keep their promise to be open and honest with the American people. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the Appropriations subcommittee chairman.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 15 seconds simply to point out that this amendment does not prevent the EPA from issuing any regulations. In fact, it doesn't take a position on regulations. It simply says that the underlying data that the EPA is using to justify regulations needs to be made public. I don't know who could oppose transparency and honesty by this administration. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for his comments. I very much appreciate his support. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), who as I mentioned a while ago is a former chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and is now a member of the Committee on Financial Services.

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

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment together with my colleagues and fellow committee chairmen, Mr. Conaway from Texas and Mr. Chaffetz from Utah. The amendment addresses the Environmental Protection Agency's continuing pattern of obstruction and delay in response to congressional oversight. Since January 2014, the EPA has proposed or finalized new, far- reaching rules that impact almost every aspect of the American economy. These rules involve major expansions of Federal authority, massive costs to the economy, and are based on secret science that the EPA keeps hidden from external review or scrutiny. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to perform rigorous oversight of the executive branch. However, as chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, nearly every request for information I make to EPA is greeted with repeated delays, partial responses, or outright refusals to cooperate. Earlier this year, the committee was forced to issue a subpoena to obtain information related to Administrator Gina McCarthy's deletion of almost 6,000 text messages sent and received on her official Agency mobile device. She claimed that all but one was personal. Most recently, the committee requested information and documents related to the EPA's development of the waters of the U.S. rule and the Agency's inappropriate lobbying of and collaboration with outside organizations to generate grassroots support. The EPA again failed to provide the requested documents. The committee was forced to notice its intention to issue a subpoena. However, producing documents in bits and pieces after months or years of delay are not the actions of an open and transparent administration. They are the actions of an Agency and administration that has something to hide. It is clear that the EPA does not see its job as facilitating transparency and oversight. It seems to believe its mission is to delay, obstruct, and otherwise attempt to stonewall any attempt by Congress to fulfill its constitutional oversight obligation on behalf of the American people. Congress should not support such an agency. We are taking further action with this amendment to reduce funding for EPA's offices. The EPA must refocus its efforts on transparency and cooperation with Congress and the American people. At that point, we could consider restoring their funding. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz), the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, dangerous policies have deadly consequences. We were reminded of this last week when a young woman in San Francisco, Kate Steinle, was tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant who should have been deported long ago. Unknown to many Americans, cities across the Nation, like San Francisco, have declared that they will be a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. They refuse to cooperate with Federal immigration authorities in violation of Federal law. And victims like Kate Steinle pay the ultimate price This administration, regrettably, has condoned sanctuary cities and has done nothing to make them abide by Federal immigration laws. In this case, the killer had been ordered deported five times and charged with seven previous felonies but had been released instead. If this administration and local officials in sanctuary cities care about the safety of the American people, they should work to secure our borders and uphold, not undermine, our immigration laws.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Missouri, Representative Graves, for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to recognize veteran, patriot, and Medal of Honor recipient Milton A. Lee today. Earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 2559, which designates a portion of Interstate Highway 10 in Boerne, Texas, as PFC Milton A. Lee Medal of Honor Memorial Highway. PFC Lee was born on February 28, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana. While he was not born in Texas, Lee entered the Army in San Antonio, served honorably in the Vietnam war, and was laid to rest at Fort Sam Houston, which is located in my district. PFC Lee served as a radio telephone operator with the 3rd Platoon, Company B, during an intense, surprise hostile attack by North Vietnamese army fighters. The 3rd Platoon maneuvered to a position of cover to treat their wounded and reorganize. Meanwhile, PFC Lee moved through the heavy enemy fire to give lifesaving first aid to his wounded fellow soldiers. During the subsequent assault, PFC Lee continuously kept close radio contact with the company commander and relayed precise and understandable information to his platoon leader. While advancing toward the objective, PFC Lee observed four North Vietnamese soldiers with automatic weapons and a rocket launcher lying in wait for his platoon. PFC Lee immediately, and with great risk to his own personal safety, passed his radio to another soldier and charged through the barrage of fire. Without hesitation, he continued his attack and successfully overran the enemy position, killing all occupants and capturing four automatic weapons and a rocket launcher. PFC Lee continued his one-man assault on another enemy position through a heavy barrage of enemy automatic weapons fire. Although wounded, he continued to press the attack and crawled forward into a firing position to deliver accurate cover fire for his platoon. This enabled his platoon to maneuver and destroy the enemy position. Not until the position was overrun did PFC Lee falter in his steady volume of fire and succumb to his wounds. PFC Lee's heroic actions saved the lives of many in his platoon and were instrumental in the destruction of a key position of the enemy's defense. PFC Lee's gallantry at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty epitomizes the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit on himself, the 502nd Infantry, and the U.S. Army. So today, I urge my colleagues to support this bill in honor of an American hero. In giving his life for our country in such a selfless and heroic fashion, PFC Lee is deserving of our naming a portion of a Federal highway in his honor.