Lamar Smith

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, activist judges have joined liberal Democrats to stop President Trump's policies. Federal trial judges have abused their authority by issuing almost two dozen nationwide injunctions to block the Trump administration's actions. According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, these injunctions have far exceeded their historic use. In fact, the number of injunctions surpasses all those approved in the past 200 years. Nationwide injunctions encourage forum shopping by opponents of the President's policies who file claims in courts with liberal judges. These judges place their personal views and politics above the rule of law. They do a real disservice to the justice system. It is time to rein in these activist judges. The people's respect for the law is at stake.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I supported H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act last month on the House floor. The bill will improve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and curb lawsuit abuse. H.R. 620 requires the Department of Justice to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies for providing improved access to public accommodations for persons with disabilities. The legislation also gives owners and operators of public accommodations, after receiving written notice of ADA violations, an opportunity to address those violations before being sued. The bill's notice and cure provisions apply to the owners and operators of public accommodations just like the underlying ADA statute. They are in the best position of control over the condition of their premises and compliance with the ADA. It is appropriate that disabled individuals who have been subject to discrimination in violation of the ADA should seek redress from owners and operators. This does not affect the ability of owners and operators to seek indemnity from design and construction entities. However, such intent is not meant to authorize direct lawsuits against design and construction entities with or without compliance with notice and cure requirements on owners and operators under H.R. 620.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the special counsel investigation has pushed way beyond its authorized purpose. Recent reports indicate that individuals have been questioned about President Trump's business activities prior to his entering the 2016 campaign. The private interests of Trump family members also are being probed. These lines of investigation clearly violate the scope of the special counsel, which is limited to: ``. . . any links and/or coordination between the Russian Government and individuals associated with the campaign . . .'' In the interest of justice, the investigation must be limited. The Deputy Attorney General should do so immediately to ensure a fair process. A rogue investigation should not be allowed to continue.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the life and service of Supervisory Special Agent Donald W. Lemka (Don) who passed away at the young age of 41 late last year after a valiant battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Tracey, and daughter, Madison Bridges. Don served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps where his assignments included work on Marine One as Crew Chief and at three U.S. embassies. He then continued his service to our country as a special agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Don's first office assignment was at the San Antonio Field Office's Resident Agency in Austin, Texas, where he worked until 2015. Given the confidential nature of his work, many of his accomplishments cannot be made public. The people of South and Central Texas are more secure today because of honorable Americans like Don who protect them from global and domestic threats they are often not aware of. We owe Don a debt of gratitude for a life well lived in service to his country.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there is a legal term called ``fruit of the poisonous tree.'' If the evidence, or tree, is tainted, then anything gained from the evidence, the fruit, is tainted as well. A former FBI Director intentionally leaked questionable memos about President Trump, hoping it would lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor. It did. Since the evidence for a special prosecutor was tainted, the appointment of the special prosecutor was tainted, too. If the premise is faulty, the conclusion is faulty. To continue the investigation is to violate a legal principle and dishonor our system of justice. The process is poisoned. The special prosecutor should cease and desist.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the welfare system in America has a problem and the great majority of Americans want to fix it. Since 2000, the amount of Federal dollars spent on Medicaid that goes to able-bodied adults has increased 713 percent. The amount spent on food stamps for able-bodied adults has increased nearly 500 percent. These figures do not include seniors or individuals with disabilities. Every welfare dollar that is spent on able-bodied, working-age adults diverts resources from the very individuals the program was designed to help--the truly needy--and from other important priorities such as education and public safety. The solution is a work requirement. Able-bodied adults on welfare should be required to work, get training, or perform community service to receive benefits. An overwhelming 90 percent of voters support this reform, which could move 10 million able-bodied adults off of welfare. Those who can work, should. Work is essential to helping individuals regain their independence and self-worth.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Gallup recently polled Americans on their perceptions of the news media. The poll revealed that 43 percent of Americans have a negative view of the media, 10 percent more than who have a positive view. Two-thirds said that the news media does not do a good job of separating fact from fiction. More than half said they couldn't think of one objective news source. These are remarkable findings and yet unsurprising. The liberal news media has abandoned objective, fact-based reporting and is, instead, pushing a liberal agenda. Their partisan-driven news only tells one side of the story: their side. The liberal media has made it their mission to attack the President and Republicans on a daily basis at the expense of the facts. Americans know it when they see it. This is a liberal, partisan agenda masquerading as journalism. Until the news returns to objective reporting, Americans will continue to view them negatively.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the gentleman from Kansas, Dr. Roger Marshall, the vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology, for yielding me time on his bill, H.R. 4675, the Low-Dose Radiation Research Act of 2018. H.R. 4675, cosponsored by Representative Dan Lipinski, Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber, and Dr. Neal Dunn, authorizes a revitalized low-dose radiation research program within the Biological and Environmental Research program of the Department of Energy. This basic research is part of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee's continued effort to ensure America remains a leader in foundational science and innovation. The DOE low-dose radiation basic research program will analyze and seek to determine any health impacts of low levels of radiation, providing critical knowledge to our Nation's researchers, industry, healthcare community, and military as they handle nuclear material, maintain the Nation's nuclear weapons program, provide medical treatment, and dispose of nuclear waste. Low-dose radiation research can benefit regulatory agencies that set nuclear safety standards for the public. This will enable Federal emergency response agencies to more accurately set areas of evacuation for radiological incidents. The research is also of particular importance to physicians, who rely on a thorough knowledge of radiation health risks to determine when and how to use lifesaving diagnostics to detect and deter and treat cancer in patients. I thank Vice Chairman Marshall for his initiative in developing and managing this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren) for yielding me time on his bill, H.R. 4377, the Accelerating American Leadership in Science Act. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, cosponsored by Representative Bill Foster, Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber, Energy Subcommittee Vice Chairman Steve Knight, and Representative Dan Lipinski, authorizes funding from within the DOE's Office of Science's existing budget to complete construction of three science infrastructure projects. The bill authorizes upgrades to the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab and the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It also funds the construction of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, which will be the premier international facility in high- energy physics. The Advanced Photon Source is one of the most advanced radiation research facilities in the world. It produces ultrabright, high-energy X-ray beams that allow scientists to study the structure and behavior of materials, which enables the development of new technologies and pharmaceuticals. The upgrade authorized at Argonne in the Hultgren bill will use new technology to increase the brightness of photon beams, allowing researchers to observe materials at extremely small scales. The Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a one-of-a-kind neutron scattering facility that provides the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and industrial development. This source of brighter, more intense neutrons enables scientists to make sensitive measurements in complex environments with higher resolution and speed than any existing neutron facility. H.R. 4377 authorizes a power upgrade and a second target station to build on the success of the Spallation Neutron Source. The proton power upgrade will double the energy of the beam. The second target station will double the number of beam lines at the facility, significantly expanding the number of instrument stations and opportunities for cutting-edge neutron scattering research at Oak Ridge. Combined, the authorized enhancements to the Advanced Photon Source and Spallation Neutron Source will allow these research tools to reach their full potential and provide for world-leading Basic Energy Sciences programs here in the U.S. Representative Hultgren's bill also authorizes the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility at Fermilab, a national accelerator lab. The LBNF will consist of the world's highest intensity neutrino beam and a suite of cryogenic near detectors to run the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. This experiment will measure the neutrino beam generated at LBNF on innovative, far detectors located 800 miles away at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Hultgren for his initiative in developing this legislation. His longstanding support of basic research and investments in these best-in-the-world science facilities is well known. H.R. 4377 is a commonsense bill that maintains American leadership in discovery science. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentleman from Texas, the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, Representative Randy Weber, for yielding me time on his bill, which is H.R. 4378, the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act. H.R. 4378, cosponsored by full committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson, Energy Subcommittee Vice Chairman Steve Knight, Representative Dan Lipinski, and Representative Randy Hultgren, authorizes funds within the DOE Nuclear Energy budget to construct their versatile neutron source, a DOE fast neutron user facility that will facilitate the development of the next generation of nuclear reactors by the private sector. This legislation builds on and implements Chairman Weber's Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, which passed the House three times with bipartisan support in the last Congress. Advanced nuclear reactor technology provides the best opportunity to make reliable, emission-free electricity available throughout the industrial and developing world. This user facility will ensure that U.S. companies develop critical advanced reactor technology here in the United States. Today, the only source of fast neutrons available for civilian research is in Russia, making it impossible for American entrepreneurs to conduct the testing and validation needed to deploy commercial advanced reactors. America must also maintain our edge in nuclear science in order to influence global nonproliferation standards. The user facility authorized in this legislation will ensure the next generation of nuclear technology is safely developed here at home. This allows America to export nuclear technology which helps prevent civilian nuclear energy technology from being misused for weapons development overseas. I want to thank this bill's cosponsors, Chairman Weber and Ranking Member Johnson, for their longstanding support of nuclear energy innovation and commitment to ensure that we have the best nuclear research facilities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is a bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas, the Energy Subcommittee chairman, for those nice comments and for yielding me time on this bill. H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act, is an important piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Steve Knight from California. The Department of Energy is the leading sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences, and DOE national labs host over 30,000 researchers each year. To maintain America's global leadership in scientific discovery, we must ensure our user facilities are the best in the world. This bill is also cosponsored by Representative Dan Lipinski, Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber, and Representative Randy Hultgren, and it authorizes funding from within the DOE Office of Science's existing budget to complete construction of three science infrastructure projects. The bill provides for upgrades to the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and to the Linac Coherent Light Source at the National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University. The Knight bill also authorizes and directs the construction of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University through the DOE nuclear physics program. All together, the enhanced capabilities made possible by this bill provide significant breakthroughs in discovery science and maintain America's high-tech leadership. I thank the Energy Subcommittee chairman and the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight) for their initiatives in developing and managing this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from California, a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, for yielding me time on this particular piece of legislation. I do support H.R. 3397, the Building Blocks of STEM Act, introduced by Representative Jacky Rosen and Representative Steve Knight, the Energy Subcommittee vice chairman. The bill will help boost our ability to get young people interested in STEM subjects. America lags behind many other nations when it comes to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. American students are ranked 19th in science and 31st in math out of 35 industrialized nations, the bottom half in both. This is not the educational record of a country that wants to compete globally. We must encourage our Nation's youth to study science and engineering so they will want to pursue these careers. More graduates with STEM degrees means more advanced technologies and a more robust economy. A well-educated and trained STEM workforce promotes our future economic prosperity. These graduates have the potential to develop technologies that could save thousands of lives, jump-start a new industry, or even discover new worlds. H.R. 3397 directs the National Science Foundation to more equitably allocate funding for research in studies that focus on early childhood. Investing in young students seeks to lay the groundwork to interest them in STEM in their formative years. The bill also directs the National Science Foundation to develop scalable models to increase young girls' participation in computer science. 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. In the last Congress, my bill, the STEM Education Act of 2015, was signed into law. That bipartisan legislation expanded the Federal definition of STEM to include computer science. H.R. 3397 continues the bipartisan commitment of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee to promote computer science as a part of STEM by adding computer science to the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. I thank Representative Jacky Rosen and Representative Steve Knight for working together on this bill. I also thank the chairwoman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, Mrs. Comstock, for her work to improve the underlying legislation by offering the Supporting Girls in STEM Education and Computer Science amendment. Including today's five research bills, 20 of the 22 bills the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has brought to the House floor this Congress have been bipartisan pieces of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these five bipartisan bills.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a House Intelligence Committee report has found shocking abuses of surveillance by the FBI. The implications of the report are devastating to a democracy. The premier law enforcement agency of the Federal Government wrongly took sides in a Presidential campaign. The report confirms that FBI officials sought to influence the 2016 election. Unsubstantiated opposition research paid for by the Clinton campaign was wrongly used as a basis to wiretap a Trump campaign official. Justice Department and FBI employees were trying to influence the outcome of the Presidential election. To borrow a phrase from Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes, this ``happens in banana republics,'' but it should never happen in a democracy. It would be understandable if the President and Attorney General wanted to clean house and ask everyone to resign who used a political file compiled by the Clinton campaign as a basis to spy on an innocent American citizen who was with the Trump campaign.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the differences are stark between President Obama's first year in office and President Trump's first year in office. If you just listen to the liberal media, you would think our country is worse off under President Trump. However, if you follow the facts, Americans are far better off. In 2009, 4 million jobs were lost. In 2017, 1.7 million jobs were created. Gross domestic product in President Obama's first year went down 2.8 percent. It was up 2.3 percent last year. Unemployment in 2009 increased from 7.8 percent to 9.9 percent. It fell in 2017 from 4.8 percent to 4.1 percent, a 17-year low. The Standard & Poor's stock market index was at 1,115 President Obama's first year. It recently hit 2,673. President Trump's policies are helping more Americans get back to work, pay less in taxes, and build their retirement and savings accounts. These are the facts. Mr. Speaker, Americans can accurately say they are better off today than they were 8 years ago, or even 1 year ago.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ``Sometimes when we reach for the stars we fall short,'' as President Reagan said. This time of year is difficult for the space community as we remember the 17 courageous astronauts lost to tragic incidents. On January 27, 1967, Virgil Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were performing tests of the Apollo 1 spacecraft at Cape Canaveral when a fire broke out. Desperate efforts to rescue them were too late. On January 28, 1986, a crew of seven lifted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis and teacher Christa McAuliffe. Seventy-three seconds after liftoff, all were lost when the Challenger exploded. On February 1, 2003, Pilot William McCool and Commander Rick Husband guided the space shuttle Columbia back into earth's atmosphere along with crewmembers Michael Anderson, Laurel Clark, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla and Ilan Ramon. The shuttle broke up during reentry, taking the lives of all on board. Let us remember these 17 brave pioneers ``who made the ultimate sacrifice so others could reach for the stars.''

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the administration's immigration proposal is flawed. It doesn't include workforce verification, which would protect jobs for American workers and reduce illegal immigration. The proposal grants amnesty to twice as many people as President Obama did. It gives amnesty today but delays legal immigration reforms until a distant tomorrow. For example, the elimination of chain migration won't occur for 17 years, if then. The proposal is also ripe for fraud. Illegal immigrant adults can claim they arrived as children, but there is no practical way to confirm that. The immigration plan is not a good deal for the American people. Immigration policy should put the interests of American workers first.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the American people can count. Forty-four Senate Democrats voted to shut down the government. Ten times as many Democrats as Republicans supported denying funds to our military, to children's healthcare, and to everyday Americans. The Senate Democrats must be held accountable. Their actions halted government services. They can't blame anyone else. The numbers don't lie, and the American people can count. Forty-four Senate Democrats voted to shut down the government. Let's hope they change their minds and vote to get back to work. We have much to do to make America great.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President highlighted examples of media bias and irresponsible news stories. All Americans should call out purveyors of fake news and point out slanted coverage. The President is certainly correct in using the term ``fake news'' to describe the media when they intentionally misrepresent his comments and take them out of context. They intentionally omit relevant facts and only report one side of the story, and they intentionally promote a liberal agenda. In a democracy, the media have a profound responsibility to give the American people the facts, not tell them what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we already knew, from their daily attacks, that the media disdained the President. What we didn't know with a certainty, until last week, was that the media also disdained the American family. How else to explain their front-paging and televising, at all hours, a four-letter expletive that would be seen by children across America? CNN reportedly used the word 195 times in one day. Sad. There was a time when the media would show some respect for family values, but no more. Words that might have been omitted or not spelled out are now broadcast in their entirety. That is the media's decision to make, but it is a poor decision for the American family.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Congress should include an E-Verify employment eligibility verification program in any immigration reform package. E-Verify is the most effective deterrent to illegal immigration because it shuts off the jobs magnet and saves jobs for hardworking Americans. It is no surprise that E-Verify receives the most public support--82 percent--of any proposed immigration reform. The E-Verify legislation, the Legal Workforce Act, approved by the Judiciary Committee, has the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and immigration enforcement groups. It provides employers with an efficient and workable system to verify their employees' work status, and the requirement for employers to verify their workers only applies to new employees, not existing workers. Members should hesitate to support any immigration reform package that does not include requiring employers to use E-Verify. Congress should put the interests of American workers first.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, the media's daily barrage of negative stories have undermined the public's confidence in their reporting. The media continues to ignore positive stories about the President's effective policies. If the media were not so biased against the President, more of the American people would know the following: The 4.1 percent unemployment rate for the entire country is the lowest it has been in 17 years; Latino and African-American unemployment numbers are the lowest in decades; The stock market has broken numerous records, adding significant value to Americans' investment and retirement accounts; The economy is growing at 3.3 percent, the fastest in years; Consumer confidence is at a 17-year high. The liberal media should report the facts, even if they make the President look good.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we congratulate Peter Chacko from San Antonio who won this year's Congressional App Challenge for the 21st District of Texas. Every year, the Congressional App Challenge encourages students to create an original app by writing computer code. As Chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, I take part in this competition, which inspires students across the country to explore computer science and search for innovations. Peter won this year's competition by designing an app called PR Trackr. It helps runners calculate their pace and logs their runs. He developed the app because he and his cross country teammates needed a quick and effective way to assess and store their pace and monitor their progress. Congratulations to Peter on his achievement. I know he will do well in his academics and future cross country races.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the liberal media helped elect a U.S. Senator from Alabama. Their alliance with the Democratic Party is now so close, we should call them mediacrats. Admittedly, the mediacrats got an assist from some Republicans, as well as the candidate himself. The primary lesson to be learned from the election is that Republicans must confront media bias. They must constantly point it out and remind the American people of this corrosive effect on our election process. Republicans should join the President exposing fake news. The media should trust the American people with the facts, not tell them what to think. Because the media is so biased, their credibility with the American people is at an all-time low. For the sake of our country and for the sake of fair elections, I hope the media will return to their paramount responsibility: providing the American people with unbiased news.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, according to a new Quinnipiac poll, 58 percent of Americans disapprove of the media's coverage of the President. Only 38 percent approve. It is no surprise why the American people disapprove of the media's coverage. A few weeks ago, CBS Evening News ran a lengthy story mocking President Trump for taking a sip of water during the middle of a speech. To date, the broadcast networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC have spent over 12 hours on an unproven Trump-Russia connection while only devoting 4\1/2\ minutes to the Clinton uranium scandal involving Russia. Newsweek published a headline accusing Ivanka Trump of plagiarism because she used a sentence from a previous speech. Newsweek should check the dictionary. It is not plagiarism if you use your own words. These are only three of many examples that account for why 58 percent of Americans disapprove of the media's coverage. Their liberal bias is on display for all to see, and Americans are tired of it.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Latina Leadership Institute (LLI) in San Antonio, Texas, for the good work they are doing in San Antonio to train, educate, and encourage the next generation of Hispanic women who aspire to public office. LLI's mission is to increase the number and influence of Hispanic Women in elected and appointed office positions in the United States. This is a noble and worthwhile mission and I am proud that this organization is located in my hometown of San Antonio. The LLI program is highly personalized to each woman's individual goals and endeavors. Program participants are encouraged to get outside their comfort zones and build key leadership skills and experiences that will equip them for public office in the future. It is an excellent model for other cities around the country to emulate as they seek to elevate young women into political leadership roles. The local governments of San Antonio and Texas, as well as the federal government, will benefit from the aspiring leaders being trained and encouraged by the Latina Leadership Institute.