Ranking Member Lofgren Opening Statement for Committee Meeting to Adopt Rules and Approve Authorization and Oversight Plan
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held its organizational meeting for the 118th Congress.
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below.
Thank you, Chairman Lucas, and let me congratulate you again on becoming the Chair of the Science Committee.
Some of you have already heard me say this, but I think it bears repeating. When I first ran for Congress in 1994, one of the principal reasons I ran was because I thought the issues that this Committee deals with did not get the attention they deserve.
Research investment and technology development are the engines that drive our economic growth and national prosperity. But more than this, they provide us with a path forward as our nation faces serious challenges like the climate crisis and energy security. I think fusion energy is one of those transformational technologies, and my support of fusion research and development is one of the main reasons I chose to become the Ranking Member of the Science Committee.
Over the past 4 years, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee was one of the most productive committees in Congress. One of the reasons for that productivity was the very good working relationship that Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson had with our current Chair.
That doesn’t mean that Mr. Lucas always agreed with Chairwoman Johnson. But they always maintained a respectful relationship that was focused on moving legislation forward in a bipartisan manner. It is my great hope that we can continue this tradition in the 118th Congress, and I am very much looking forward to working with the Chairman on a host of issues that he has outlined as priorities for this Congress.
Maintaining that bipartisan relationship begins with the work we are here to conduct today. The changes that the Chairman are proposing for the Committee Rules package are non-partisan and pragmatic and I’m happy to support them.
I’m also happy to support the Majority’s Authorization and Oversight plan. The plan before us today continues in the tradition of non- partisan oversight plans focused on good governance that the Committee adopted in previous Congresses.
I’ll close by simply saying that we have important work to do. While the last 4 years were extremely productive years for the Science Committee, there is still so much work left to be done. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep America’s science enterprise the envy of the world.
Thank you, and I yield back.
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