Randy Weber

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer a very simple and commonsense amendment to H.R. 5538, the Department of the Interior and EPA appropriations bill. This amendment passed by a voice vote last year, and I hope all Members can support it again today--or should I say tonight. America's job creators have faced an onslaught of regulations from the EPA, Mr. Chairman, even as Congress has consistently reduced the Agency's budget year after year. The EPA has proposed lower national ozone standards, regulations on new and existing power plants, regulations on waters of the United States, just to name a few. All of these regulations are based on questionable scientific data and will lead to higher energy prices for hardworking families and small businesses and, without a doubt, will negatively impact American jobs. The Agency has cited its authority under the Clean Air Act as the basis for many of its regulatory actions. However, when it comes to evaluating how its regulations impact American jobs, the Agency has failed to follow the law. Section 321(a) of the Clean Air Act clearly states: ``The Administrator shall conduct continuing evaluations of potential loss of shifts of employment . . . including, where appropriate, investigating threatened plant closures or reductions in employment allegedly resulting from such administration or enforcement.'' Mr. Chairman, the EPA is even now involved in ongoing litigation for its failure to comply with this provision, and Congress has repeatedly heard testimony reinforcing EPA's failure to comply with section 321(a). In response to questions for the record during her Senate confirmation hearing, Administrator McCarthy said that the ``EPA has not interpreted section 321(a) to require EPA to conduct employment investigations in taking regulatory actions.'' Mr. Chairman, Congress put this provision into the Clean Air Act for a reason: to provide a necessary check on the regulatory powers of unelected bureaucrats at the EPA. In response to the EPA's refusal to follow the law, Congress must act to ensure that the true impact of regulations on jobs are disclosed to inform the public and Members of Congress. Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5638, the Solar Fuels Innovation Act. This legislation directs the Department of Energy to focus on basic research that provides the foundation for our technology breakthroughs. Our aim is to shed a little sunlight on this process. As for the solar fuel process, also known as artificial photosynthesis, new materials and catalysts will be needed to be developed through basic research before the private sector will ever be able to develop a commercial solar fuels system. If this research yields the right materials, Mr. Speaker, scientists might create a system that could consolidate solar power and energy storage into a cohesive process. This would potentially remove the intermittency of solar energy and make it a reliable power source for chemical fuels production. Folks, this is a game changer. Last month, we held a hearing in the Energy Subcommittee that I chair in order to examine this critical research. We heard from a panel of experts on America's basic research portfolio, which provides the foundation for development of solar fuels through the study of chemistry and advanced materials. I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Knight, the vice chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, for introducing this important legislation. I am also pleased that this legislation directs research within existing funds appropriated by Congress and does not authorize any new spending. Let me repeat: does not authorize any new spending. Mr. Speaker, we have limited Federal resources for research and development, and it is our responsibility to ensure that those are spent wisely, on basic research that can provide benefits across the entire United States economy. I urge my colleagues to support this innovative fiscally responsible legislation. You know I am right.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5640, the Electricity Storage Innovation Act. This legislation directs the Department of Energy to focus on basic research that provides the foundation for technology breakthroughs in battery storage technology. In the field of electricity storage research, there is a lot of excitement about more efficient batteries that could operate for longer durations under decreased charge times, but not enough people are asking about how we could design a battery system that moves more electrons at the atomic level--a key aspect to drastically increasing the efficiency or power in a battery. This transformational approach, known as multivalent ion intercalation, will use the foundational study of electrochemistry to build a better battery from the ground up. Mr. Speaker, in Congress, we must take the long-term view. We must be patient. We must make smart investments in research that can lead to the next big discovery. H.R. 5640 authorizes the fundamental chemistry and materials research that can lead to advanced electricity storage technology and allows us to gain new knowledge that could provide benefits across the economy. Pardon the pun, but that is our charge. DOE must prioritize basic research over grants for technology that is ready for commercial deployment. When the government steps in to push today's technology in the energy market, it competes, Mr. Speaker, against private investors and uses limited taxpayer resources to do so. But when the government supports basic research and development, everyone has the opportunity to access that fundamental knowledge that can lead to the development of future energy technologies. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith for introducing this important legislation to prioritize fundamental science research. I urge my colleagues to support this innovative, fiscally responsible legislation. You know I am right.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H. Con. Res. 129. To do so, let me share a story about a constituent of mine who is a Holocaust survivor from Lithuania. She was 11 years old when the German SS Nazis marched into her town and gathered her and her family up. She was separated right away from her family, and, I guess fortunately for her, she did not appear Jewish to the German soldiers. When she was asked her name, she told them it was Weber, which happens to be my name and the way my grandfather would have pronounced it when he came over from Germany on the boat in 1903. Anyway, the soldier thought she wasn't Jewish, so he let her go. She ran into the forest, Mr. Speaker, and she hid in barns and other places until the end of the war. She spent the years of that war hungry and frightened but somehow managed to survive. She was liberated by the Russians at the war's end. This woman, who was a young girl when she was 11 back during World War II, is now in her 90s and living in my district in her home in Galveston, Texas. Mr. Speaker, she is in need of 24-hour care to remain in her home. Unfortunately, funds are running low to keep her in her home, with the high cost of providers. She is unable to stay there, it looks like. She lives on Social Security, but fortunately the Claims Conference has been able to assist her through providing funding by the German Government for 25 regular hours a week and some exceptional hours a week provided on her increasing healthcare needs. Additionally, the Jewish community of Houston, through the generosity of a private fund which assists Holocaust survivors, through case management efforts of Jewish Family Service in Houston, has also been able to provide up to 59 hours a week of home care above that which the German Government has funded. As of June 1, 2016, Mr. Speaker, the Jewish Family Service in Houston has not been able to continue this level of care. She and other constituents of mine who are Holocaust victims would all greatly benefit from increased funding which is included in House Concurrent Resolution 129, asking the German Government to provide that funding for that very home care. This would ensure that those Holocaust survivors are able to remain in their homes with dignity for the remaining few years of their life. Thankfully, H. Con. Res. 129 passed--with bipartisan support, I might add--in the House last week. I encourage our counterparts in the Senate to pass this legislation swiftly. Mr. Speaker, you know I am right.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act, which I have cosponsored. I want to thank Congressman Olson, my good friend and fellow Texan, for introducing this important legislation. Last year, Mr. Chairman, the EPA finalized a costly new regulation to reduce ozone levels, even as States are only now beginning to implement the 2008 ozone standard. States will now have to deal with two regulations with overlapping implementation schedules. This is Federal bureaucracy at its finest, Mr. Chairman. Now that the EPA is moving full steam ahead on its regulatory freight train, in order to get States back on track, Congress must act to give them certainty. H.R. 4775 will phase in implementation of those ozone standards over a reasonable timeline. As ozone continues to fall to levels that reflect naturally occurring and even foreign-source ozone, we must also insist that the EPA report on how foreign pollution affects compliance with its overburdensome regulations. This legislation will do just that, Mr. Chairman. There is no denying that the EPA's regulations will be costly for the States and costly, in turn, for our economy. The lower ozone levels are mandated, the harder it is for economic development to occur. That's just the way it is, as Ted Poe would say. Communities across the country will be harmed, and low-income families, Mr. Chairman, are going to be harmed the most from this overburdensome regulation. It is perfectly reasonable for Congress to insist that this regulatory boondoggle is reined in. I urge all Members to support this important legislation. It is the right thing to do. You know I am right.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. I thank my good friend, Congressman Green from Houston, for yielding to me. I appreciate that. He is the consummate gentleman. I appreciate him lining this up and helping us to draw attention to it. Mr. Speaker, all the recent rains in Texas have devastated parts of up to 31 counties in our beloved State. Governor Greg Abbott has declared them a disaster area. I happen to represent the lower half of Brazoria County, from the south side of Alvin going south, and it has been the recipient of a lot of flooding. On Monday, I toured the Emergency Management Office Command Center in Angleton, Texas, which is the county seat for Brazoria County. I was privileged to meet with County Judge Matt Sebesta and others as I was introduced to the Brazoria County first responders working night and day to take care of our citizens, our citizens' animals and their livestock, and their property as much as we could. I was also privileged, Mr. Speaker, to go up in a Texas DPS helicopter with two of our great Department of Public Safety pilots. Wow. What devastation, Congressman Green, in Brazoria County. I have pictures on my iPhone. I mean, it is just unbelievable the flooded areas. The devastation and destruction is astounding. Waters from the Brazos River, the San Bernard, and other creeks and bayous are out of their banks and wreaking havoc in our area. Mr. Speaker, I want my constituents to know that our office is already on the ground in the area, already working to ensure that FEMA is in gear, and that our constituents are taken care of. I would like to give a shout out to my great staff, Ms. Dodie Armstrong, Ms. Carmen Galvan, and Jed Webb, who have been on the ground there at the Emergency Management Center monitoring this almost night and day and interfacing with the county to provide them any assistance needed. We have assured Brazoria County that anything we can do, as my good friend Joaquin Castro was saying, from our end to assist, we would be glad to do that. Let me just add that we, too, mourn the loss of the Fort Hood soldiers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families. Mr. Speaker, we will bounce back from this. Our great Brazoria County first responders are on top of the situation, and our great Brazoria County folks are resilient. I have to say that about Congressman Green's Houston constituents as well, our Texas people. I have lived on the Gulf Coast of Texas almost 63 years. In fact, it will be 63 years this July 2nd coming up. I have seen nothing quite of this magnitude in flooding in our area, but I have seen a lot of hurricanes, a lot of disasters. Texans are a resilient people. They are going to need our help. They are going to need our prayers. They are going to need some time to heal and get back to business as usual. I want to say, again, thank you to my good friend, Al Green from Houston, for setting this up in a very bipartisan way. We just appreciate that.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, in my district on the Gulf Coast of Texas, which is laden with energy--and I agree with Mr. Schiff of California that energy is a national security issue--we have to have agencies that are focused on energy, on programs, on loan guarantees, where Americans get the most bang for their buck. These agencies must be accountable. They have to understand that Congress has to be in the driver's seat and is in the driver's seat. We need to hold them accountable. They need to provide us with that list. While I appreciate my colleague from Idaho's willingness to work with us to make sure that the agency complies, I appreciate the gentlewoman's comments. We are going to have to get their attention. They have fees to continue to run their program that they collect from those companies that they actually make the loan guarantees to. I have to insist that we get their attention. My colleagues in the 14th Congressional District of the State of Texas want us to rein in some of these agencies and make them accountable to the elected representatives of the American people. So I have to insist that I push forward with this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise to offer a commonsense amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill that I would think all Members can support. First, I want to thank Chairman Simpson for his work on this legislation and for continuing to prioritize the needs of the Nation's harbors and waterways. One of the most important responsibilities of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee is to conduct oversight of the DOE programs under the committee's jurisdiction, Mr. Chairman. This includes the DOE Loan Programs Office. Our commitment to rigorous oversight has led us to request that this office provide us with their internal watch list, which describes each loan in their current portfolio that DOE has determined to have existing or potential challenges that may impact repayment or to be at risk of default. Can you say ``Solyndra,'' Mr. Chairman? This request was made in December, and, to date, the Department of Energy has refused. The DOE Loan Guarantee Program has a track record of failed loans. In March, reports surfaced that a solar power company with $1.6 billion in taxpayer loan guarantees could fail to meet its contractual obligations and be shut down. This is the kind of potential failure, Mr. Chairman, that taxpayers can least afford. Full congressional oversight of this program is absolutely necessary. The DOE has no justification for withholding this list from Congress. My amendment, Mr. Chairman, would reduce the program's administrative budget by $7 million of Treasury funds, but leave in place the $30 million the DOE collects from fees generated by existing loan guarantee recipients. These fees are used to monitor and oversee the existing loan guarantee portfolio. In the past year, DOE has announced several new loan solicitations. However, the Department's failure to respond to a congressional inquiry leaves us seeing red. That is what is wrong with our budget. Now the deficit is in the red. This requires us to act to protect taxpayer funds, Mr. Chairman. This amendment would simply prevent the Department from issuing new loans until it has complied with our investigation and provides the requested documents to our committee. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here and to work in a bipartisan fashion across the aisle for this very worthwhile cause. I will tell you, Judge Poe is exactly correct. In Texas, we like to say that things are bigger in Texas. But, unfortunately, Texas has one record that we really didn't want, and that is that we have 25 percent of the sex trafficking in the country. We are 1 of 50 States, and yet we have 25 percent of the victims of sex trafficking going on right there in Texas. We were able to pass Texas House Bill 4009, which did a number of things. It actually instructed the enforcement officials to take a look at some of these young girls that were picked up--and, I guess, for that matter, young men as well--and to not just assume that they were willfully participating in the sex trade, but to look deeper into the background there. Some of these girls we found out were actually held against their will, were drugged and beat into submission. Some, as young as 12, were dancing in some of these strip clubs and, like Judge Poe said, some of the patrons would take notice of that and would actually get them help. In Texas, we did identify that pretty early on, about 5 or 6 years ago now, and were able to pass legislation to get the HHSC to put law enforcement together, to get some training for these officers, to get these NGOs together to say, look, we need to get some programs for these young girls to rehabilitate them. How in the world do you ever get them back to normal life after something like this? We needed more facilities, more beds, more training. So I am proud to say that, in Texas, we actually did take the lead on that. One of my favorites was in the town of Waco. You mentioned three things: going after the perpetrators; going after the demand, the money; and, of course, helping the victims. Well, the town of Waco had a way of dealing with the johns. What they did was, when someone was arrested in Waco, they would put that john's picture on a billboard in the city with the headline, ``Arrested for solicitation of prostitution.'' Now, that will ruin your family life at home and in a little town like Waco. So we took some lessons from that to say, look, we are going after the demand, after the johns, to try to dry up that money stream Mr. Speaker, Judge Poe ought to be commended. It has been almost a year since the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was signed into law. This comprehensive legislation tackled a number of issues to combat human trafficking. It took a stand against the seller, which we have been talking about, and the buyer by criminally pressing charges on both for the first time. It also provided smart solutions to help victims of trafficking get back on their feet, which is what I said from my days in the Texas Legislature. They needed a program. They needed people to understand. They needed counseling. Good Lord, how do those young girls ever get back to some semblance of normalcy after something like that? Thanks to the JVTA, States are now incentivized to draft and pass what we call safe harbor legislation, which helps victims of trafficking expunge their criminal records in an effort to start fresh without the ghosts of their past haunting them. Legislation like this also addresses the need for shelter, for more beds, for facilities for those NGOs, a place for rehabilitation. As you know, currently, 34 out of the 50 States have versions of safe harbor legislation, which is an increase of 14 States just since the passage of the act. Training on the identification of trafficking victims has also increased within the airline, the hotel, and even in the medical industries. Mr. Speaker, victims of human trafficking are men, women, and children. This is not a victimless crime, I might add. We all have undoubtedly passed these victims in an airport, at a hotel, or maybe even at the fuel station. Until society at large stops sexualizing our children, we will be unable to prevent the predators' interest in our minors. We have made crucial steps, Mr. Speaker, toward combating human trafficking, as evidenced by the very success of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act we are talking about here tonight. Yet, we still have a long way to go to eradicate this scourge of human slavery. But we have a good start on it, and we are committed to seeing it through to the end and making a difference. Mr. Speaker, you know I am right.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the passing of lifelong Galveston County resident, Jimmy Hayley. A fixture in our community, Jimmy Hayley was the president and CEO of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce for almost 30 years, where he helped foster economic development that brought positive growth to our community. Jimmy was the model for other chamber leaders in our region. He set the bar for how to run the organization helping businesses around the area grow and become a positive influence in our community. Not only was Jimmy an amazing family man to his wife, two sons, and seven grandchildren, he was a great mentor and a wonderful friend to so many folks. While our community has suffered a great loss in the passing of Jimmy Hayley, it is important that we celebrate his life and all the growth and progress during his tenure that will continue in his memory. My thoughts and prayers are with Jimmy's family and friends during this difficult time. God bless them all.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. I thank my friend from Florida (Mr. Yoho) for yielding the floor and for leading this Special Order and introducing H. Res. 693. Mr. Speaker, as of yesterday, the Obama Presidency was 90 percent over. So let's do a quick recap of just what has happened over these past 7\1/2\ years. First, the President violated the Constitution by unilaterally changing sections of the Affordable Care Act at least 23 times without having congressional approval. That is Public Law 111-148. Even though he said, probably, on some 20 occasions that he didn't have constitutional authority to do things, he still did them. Two, the President and the Department of Justice were in direct violation of their constitutional responsibility to the Defense of Marriage Act, which is Public Law 104-199. The President and his department of injustice continue to choose not to enforce Federal drug laws, which are Public Law 91-513, the Controlled Substances Act, and Public Law 100-690, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. The President violated the Constitution by making Presidential appointments to the National Labor Relations Board and to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while Congress was not in session, so declared by him. I have read the Constitution, Mr. Speaker. Only the Senate majority leader can decide when the Senate is in session, not the President. I might add that the President was slapped down by the Supreme Court 9- zip. Further, the President and the department of injustice abused executive privilege in the Operation Fast and Furious scandal by refusing to comply with a subpoena that was issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the United States House of Representatives, thereby violating section 192 of title II, United States Code. The President violated the law, which is Public Law 89-236, by unilaterally changing our Nation's immigration laws with regard to deferred action, giving illegal aliens access to government programs and tax credits that are funded by our constituents, which is in contravention of our Constitution. The President and the Department of Health and Human Services failed to enforce Federal law, which is Public Law 111-5, by illegally waiving the work requirement for welfare recipients. Under this President, the IRS violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution by targeting nonprofit organizations because of their religious or political beliefs. The President and the Department of Defense knowingly violated the National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA of 2014, which is Public Law 113-66, by not providing a 30-day notice to Congress prior to transporting five Guantanamo detainees to Qatar in a prisoner swap. Some would say in military terms that the terrorists got five nuclear weapons and we got one conventional weapon, which turned out to be a dud. The President and his administration continue to move forward with his plan to close the Guantanamo detention facility and move the detainees. By the way, did you know that one out of three prisoners released rejoin their terrorist organizations and wind up at the front lines, seeking to kill yet more Americans? Folks, it is the duty of the legislative branch to write and pass laws, the judicial branch to interpret those laws, and the executive branch's duty to enforce those same laws. The very success of our form of government comes from this simple balance of powers. This critically important founding principle is currently being trampled on by this President while most of our citizens may not even be aware of its damaging implications. Our Nation's laws are not mere suggestions to be dismissed on a whim. Our laws are binding. If we in Congress allow this or any President to ignore the rule of law, then we allow the foundation of our Nation to be shattered. I thank my colleague, Mr. Yoho, for introducing this resolution of which I am a proud cosponsor. Mr. Speaker, there you have it. You know I am right.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and to celebrate the life of Kris Anne Vogelpohl of Galveston. Many know Kris Anne Vogelpohl as the matriarch of the Galveston County Republican Party. Kris Anne made her way from Colorado to Galveston, where she became chief therapeutic dietician at the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1950. It was at UTMB where she met her future husband, Dr. Elmer Vogelpohl. Kris Anne didn't waste any time getting involved in the community and local politics, too. In fact, in 1955, Kris Anne became one of the founding members of the Galveston Republican Women. From there, she solidified her GOP trailblazer status by becoming chairwoman of the Galveston Republican Party, where she thereupon built a strong foundation for the party to grow and build on. In addition to her political service, Kris Anne was an avid philanthropist within the community. One of the organizations she invested her time in was the Salvation Army, where she joined their county advisory board in 1959. Kris Anne's unwavering commitment to the betterment of society was a sight to behold, Mr. Speaker. She made everyone feel so welcomed. She empowered so many people to take charge and get involved. Her enthusiasm for making our county, our State, and our country even greater was infectious. The proof is in the pudding. Galveston has become one of the strongest Republican counties along the Gulf Coast and in Texas. Dr. Vogelpohl could often be seen with Kris Anne in event after event all over Galveston County. You talk about stalwarts, Mr. Speaker. My prayer is that we all be such sterling examples to those who come behind us. Lord knows that Dr. Elmer, as I call him, and Kris Anne were--or make that are, quite frankly. Kris Anne lived to be 90 years old. She was married for 55 years and is survived by her husband, two children, and six grandchildren. Kris Anne may be gone, but in reality she is still here. She will forever be in the hearts and minds of the people she touched. Mr. Speaker, my thoughts and my prayers are with Dr. Elmer, their children, their grandchildren, and with the great multitude of friends she served. My prayer is also may the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, even the Lord Jesus Christ, wrap them up in His loving arms and comfort them. May He bless them and keep them. May God bless them all, and may God bless the great State of Texas and Galveston County that Kris Anne loved so much. In a wonderful way, He has been blessing us. He loaned us Kris Anne.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER 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. 4084, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4084, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act. I want to thank Ranking Member Johnson and Chairman Smith for cosponsoring this important legislation and for their leadership in advocating for nuclear energy research and development. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with my fellow Texans to guide research that will keep America safe, globally competitive, and support nuclear innovation. I also want to thank my colleagues on the Science Committee who cosponsored H.R. 4084. Mr. Speaker, the Science Committee has spent over a year examining U.S. nuclear energy policy and preparation for this legislation. We have been holding hearings on supercomputing, advanced nuclear energy technology, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the DOE Energy Innovation Hubs. Witnesses from the national labs, universities, and the private sector have all testified in support of the various reforms and policies outlined in this bill. We took our time developing this legislation. By working together and listening to all the relevant stakeholders, we have developed broad bipartisan and bicameral support for this bill. We have worked with our colleagues in the Senate to develop companion legislation as well. Last month an amendment with the text of this legislation passed, Mr. Speaker, with historic overwhelming support in the Senate. For the first time in many years, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act will provide updated statutory direction to the Department of Energy's nuclear research activities to ensure that fundamental research is prioritized and precious resources are not wasted. This bill requires DOE to leverage its supercomputing infrastructure and use modeling and simulation capabilities to develop advanced fission and fusion reactors. The bill lays out a clear timeline and parameters for DOE to complete a research reactor. A research reactor is a crucial part of ensuring materials and nuclear fuels R&D can take place in the United States. This type of research requires access to fast neutrons, which, unfortunately, are currently only available for civilian research in Russia, Mr. Speaker. While modeling and simulation can accelerate R&D, nuclear energy must be validated through a physical source. The versatile neutron source under section 6 of H.R. 4084 will provide the United States with that vital capability. This legislation also directs DOE to partner with the private sector to construct and operate reactor prototypes at DOE National Labs. Nuclear reactors are expensive and highly regulated. Designing a first-of-a-kind reactor requires a blend of creative freedom for engineers to test new designs while ensuring safety throughout the entire process. DOE sites, particularly the DOE National Labs, can provide a unique environment that safely allows for this kind of creative testing and development for advanced nuclear technology, without a burdensome regulatory process which slows progress to a crawl. DOE has fundamental authority to enter into these innovative research partnerships, but won't have the confidence to act without direction from Congress, which is provided in this legislation, Mr. Speaker. America must maintain our nuclear capabilities and continue to develop cutting-edge technology right here at home. Without the direction provided in this bill, we will continue to fall further and further behind, lose the ability to develop innovative nuclear technology, and be left importing reactor designs from overseas. Today, we have the best nuclear engineers and manufacturing capacity in the world right here at home. We can't put that expertise at risk, Mr. Speaker. Even more importantly, this bill will maintain America's capability to influence security and proliferation standards around the world, as more developing nations look to nuclear energy to grow their economies. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am constantly reminded of the need for American leadership in a dangerous world. H.R. 4084 reaffirms the United States' commitment to safely advancing nuclear technology. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. I appreciate the gentleman's kind remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk).

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. I appreciate my colleagues' help. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4084) to enable civilian research and development of advanced nuclear energy technologies by private and public institutions and to expand theoretical and practical knowledge of nuclear physics, chemistry, and materials science, as amended.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have left?

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 4084 is vital to ensuring America's leadership in nuclear innovation. By harnessing the expertise of our Nation's National Labs, some of which we heard about today, its universities and entrepreneurs, the private sector can take the lead in developing groundbreaking advanced nuclear technology. I especially want to thank my colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee; of course, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson; those who have also cosponsored the bill, including Dan Lipinski, Barry Loudermilk, Ed Perlmutter, Barbara Comstock, Paul Tonko, Jim Bridenstine, Brian Babin, Dana Rohrabacher, Randy Hultgren, Bruce Westerman, Steve Knight, Bill Posey, Frank Lucas, Randy Neugebauer, and the gentleman from Virginia for his kind remarks. I also want to thank the dozens and dozens of researchers and stakeholders who came in and provided feedback as we developed this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter exchange between the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee on H.R. 4084. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, February 29, 2016. Hon. Lamar Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Smith: I write in regard to H.R. 4084, the ``Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act.'' As you are aware, the bill was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, but the Committee on Energy and Commerce has a jurisdictional interest in the bill. I wanted to notify you that the Committee on Energy and Commerce will forgo action on H.R. 4084 so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. This is done with the understanding that the Committee on Energy and Commerce's jurisdictional interests over this and similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees on H.R. 4084 and requests your support when such a request is made. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 4084 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Fred Upton, Chairman.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), my colleague, for organizing this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely important that the American people need to learn about the President's proposal and what impact it is going to have on our country. Folks, closing GTMO and transferring these dangerous terrorists to United States soil is a terrible and an illogical idea. Instead of putting America first, the President once again continues to weaken our national security by pursuing decisions apparently geared toward solidifying some form of his legacy. I am just not sure who he is trying to impress here. Did you know that as many as one in three--the gentleman from Pennsylvania said 30 percent and rising; with the latest figures I have, 33 percent--one in three former GTMO detainees have returned or are suspected of returning to terrorist organizations? One in three, Mr. Speaker. In baseball, that is a .333 batting average. That is good enough to get you into the Hall of Fame in many instances. Speaking of Hall of Famers, Mr. Speaker, the most infamous former GTMO detainee, one of their hall of famers, if you will, is Ibrahim al Qosi, once the cook for none other than Osama bin Laden himself. Al Qosi pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and providing material support to al Qaeda. Al Qosi was transferred from GTMO to Sudan, his home country, after 2 years. Well, since his release, he has become an influential leader within--you guessed it--al Qaeda in Yemen. What was the President thinking would happen? Well, the President's plan includes ``transferring the bulk of remaining detainees to other countries and moving the rest because they are deemed too dangerous to transfer abroad to an as yet undetermined detention facility in the United States.'' Mr. Speaker, a recent poll from Rasmussen confirms that the majority--56 percent, in fact--of the American people widely disapprove of the President's irresponsible plan to close GTMO. For those who side with the President's plan and attempt to rationalize the fact that these dangerous and deadly terrorists will be in supermax facilities, let us not forget about the prison break that happened in one of those facilities in New York just last year. The two men who escaped weren't masterminds. They weren't terrorists of the first order like these guys are. Can you imagine what masterminds who plot terror, who love death and violence almost as much if not more than we love life and liberty, can you imagine what these masterminds of terrorism could do? Who knows how much help they could get from the outside, what their hall of famers could help them do. Mr. Speaker, I am not willing to find out what they can do with the aid of their hall of famers on the outside, and I don't think the American public is willing to find out, either. Fortunately, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania said, Congress has already taken preventive measures by including language in the recent National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA, that would bar Guantanamo detainees from being transferred to the United States, and the President signed this legislation into law. For the President to close GTMO, current law must be changed. Oh, I forget. He doesn't seem to be hampered by the idea of current law. New legislation would have to be written, Mr. Speaker. It would have to be approved by Congress and sent to the President's desk again. Let me just tell you: I, for one, will not support any measure that will allow these dangerous terrorists to be transferred to the United States. America and Americans are far too precious to take this kind of risk. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), my friend, for hosting this Special Order hour tonight. I want to read something that was written by Michelle Jesse, where Secretary of State John Kerry testified in front of a Senate committee hearing, I think it was yesterday. It was pointed out to the Secretary that this very guy who was the cook of Osama bin Laden, al Qosi, had indeed gone back to terrorism and to trying to kill Americans yet again. I guess Mr. Kerry in seven simple words probably dismantled the President's argument about why it was a good idea, maybe unwittingly, maybe unknowingly. But when it was pointed out to him that that terrorist was back on the battlefield seeking to destroy Americans and kill Americans again, Mr. Kerry's simple response was: ``Well . . . he's not supposed to be doing that.'' Mr. Speaker, you can't make this stuff up. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding to me.