Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Hearing on OSTP's FY2027 Research Priorities
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you Mr. Chairman, and good morning Mr. Kratsios. This topic of this hearing is “Unleashing the Golden Age of Science.” That title is stunningly ironic, as this Administration is systematically destroying U.S. science, while our allies and adversaries alike look on astonished. So let me propose an alternative title: “Unleashing the Golden Age of Science in the People’s Republic of China” - because … Continue Reading
July 21, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Markup of H.R. 3168, H.R. 8437, H.R. 9326, and H.R. 8981
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Babin for holding this markup today. It’s a busy day on the Hill so I hope we can move through the bills and amendments quickly. The first bill on the roster is the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025. Earthquakes are an unfortunate fact of life in California. Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Hawaii reported that the San … Continue Reading
July 15, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren Opening Statement at Hearing on Space Commerce's Mission Authorization Proposal
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Haridopolos, for holding this hearing, and thank you to Mr. Jordan for appearing before us today. The United States has an international obligation under the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 to authorize and supervise non-governmental activities in space conducted by U.S. individuals or entities. Currently, the U.S. policy framework for authorizing and supervising space activities pertains … Continue Reading
July 15, 2026Ranking Member Foushee's Opening Statement at Hearing on Space Commerce's Mission Authorization Proposal
Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Valerie Foushee (D-NC) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Good morning, and thank you Chairman Haridopolos for holding today’s hearing to review the Trump Administration’s mission authorization proposal. I want to welcome Director Jordan and thank you for being here to testify before the Subcommittee. Mission authorization and a regulatory framework for novel space activities may seem far removed from the concerns most Americans face … Continue Reading
June 25, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Full Committee Markup of Ten AI Bills
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Babin. We have many bills to get through so I will be brief. The pieces of legislation before us are focused on the challenges and opportunities presented by the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence technology. This Committee as well as last Congress’s Bipartisan AI Taskforce have explored in depth both the challenges and opportunities associated with AI. These bills … Continue Reading
June 24, 2026Ranking Member Sykes' Opening Statement at Hearing on Safeguarding Federal Research Funds
Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Emilia Sykes (D-OH) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman McCormick, for holding this hearing. It is certainly an interesting time to be talking about fraud in this country. We’ll get back to that in a minute. I’m a lawyer by training. I always enjoy a good legal discussion. But it does strike me as odd that we are holding an oversight hearing about the Department of Justice. We have a broad … Continue Reading
June 24, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Hearing on Safeguarding Federal Research Funds
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman McCormick and Ranking Member Sykes. It’s certainly odd to have a Justice Department witness before me today in the Science Committee - this topic and witness would be far more familiar to me in the Judiciary Committee. Nevertheless, I am more than happy to talk about fraud - I am just a bit surprised that my colleagues across the aisle feel that the “fraud” theme this month is a … Continue Reading
June 10, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at DOE FY2027 Budget Request Hearing
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Good morning and thank you, Chairman Babin, for holding this hearing today. Mr. Wright, it has been over 16 months since you were sworn in as the Secretary of Energy, yet this is the first time you have testified before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This is completely unacceptable. As you and your team should understand by now, this Committee has sole jurisdiction in the House of … Continue Reading
June 04, 2026Ranking Member Amo's Opening Statement at EPA Research and Technology Hearing
Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) opening statement as prepared for the record: Thank you, Chairman Franklin, for holding today’s hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s science and technology activities. I also want to thank Dr. Maureen Gwinn for appearing before the Committee today. Before I begin, I want to make something clear. Dr. Gwinn, my frustration today is not directed at you. You have spent over a decade serving the American people as a scientist and … Continue Reading
June 04, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at EPA Research and Technology Hearing
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record: Good morning, Chairman Franklin, Ranking Member Amo, and Dr. Gwinn. What a fascinating topic we have before us today: “Advancing Environmental Protection Through Science and Technology.” I would argue this EPA has done precisely the opposite. In fact, Science Committee Democrats have been arguing that for over a year. In March 2025, the New York Times broke the news that EPA’s reorganization plan proposed to … Continue Reading
May 21, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Water Cybersecurity Hearing
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Franklin and Ranking Member Amo for convening today’s hearing. This hearing is an opportunity for us to better understand the challenges local communities face in securing our water systems from cyber-attacks, and how science and technology can potentially address some of those challenges. Thank you to the witnesses for appearing today to share your expertise. Access to clean water … Continue Reading
May 21, 2026Ranking Member Amo's Opening Statement at Water Cybersecurity Hearing
Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Chair Franklin, thank you for holding this hearing, and thank you to our witnesses for joining us today. Every American depends on safe and reliable water. It powers our hospitals, our schools, our military installations, and our homes. Our nation's 324 million citizens are served by nearly 170,000 public water systems. Yet, the systems we depend on every day are increasingly … Continue Reading
May 20, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Markup of H.R. 8748, H.R. 8790, H.R. 7129
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Good morning. Chairman Babin, thank you for holding today’s markup. I would like to commend the Chairman for his continued commitment to bipartisanship. I enthusiastically support all three bills before us today. I am also happy to see the first Democratic Member led bill on the docket since June of last year. However, I remain concerned about how few Democratic Member led bills have been brought up … Continue Reading
April 29, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Markup of the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Babin. Today the Science Committee will consider a bill that advances quantum technology, the next frontier in computing, communications, and sensing. Introduced by Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber, the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act (NQIA) continues the work this committee began eight years ago, and I am very eager to build upon our prior accomplishment. … Continue Reading
April 28, 2026Ranking Member Amo's Opening Statement at NOAA Budget Hearing
Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo's (D-RI) opening statement as prepared for the record: Thank you, Chairman Franklin, for holding this hearing. And thank you, Dr. Jacobs, for being before our committee. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, protects Americans’ lives, livelihoods, and property. From the forecast families check before starting their day, to the safety of our flights, to the fisheries that feed our communities, NOAA's work is woven into … Continue Reading
April 28, 2026Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's Opening Statement at NOAA Budget Hearing
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Franklin and Ranking Member Amo for holding this important hearing on NOAA’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request. And thank you Dr. Jacobs for appearing before us today. As Members of this Committee, we understand the importance and significance of NOAA. The agency is tasked with providing critical information for our communities to prepare, respond, and adapt to severe weather events and … Continue Reading
April 22, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at NASA Budget Hearing
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Babin, for holding today’s hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for NASA. I want to give a special welcome to Administrator Isaacman, who is still newly minted in his role after only four months. I appreciate the passion and vigor you are bringing to your service, and I look forward to today’s discussion on NASA’s future. With the thrilling Artemis II mission still … Continue Reading
April 21, 2026Ranking Member Stevens' Opening Statement at Hearing on Robotics
Research and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Haley Stevens' (D-MI) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Obernolte, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. For decades, Michigan’s auto industry led the world in the engineering, manufacturing, and safe adoption of robotics. Fun fact: industrial robots were deployed in General Motors plants as early as 1961. Over the decades, the United Auto Workers have negotiated thoughtful robotics … Continue Reading
April 21, 2026Ranking Member Lofgren Opening Statement at Hearing on Robotics
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Thank you, Chairman Obernolte and Ranking Member Stevens, for holding today’s hearing. I would also like to thank our expert panel of witnesses for your testimony today. Significant progress in artificial intelligence has led to major innovation in robotics. Computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning have accelerated robotics development and allowed robots to be deployed … Continue Reading
April 16, 2026Ranking Member Ross Opening Statement at Hearing on Subsurface Energy
Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Deborah Ross' (D-NC) opening statement as prepared for the record is below: Good morning and thank you, Chairman Weber, for convening this hearing. And thank you to the expert witnesses appearing before the subcommittee today to talk about the current landscape of subsurface energy and critical materials research. It has been nearly three years since this subcommittee last held a hearing on this topic. But it is still clear that understanding how we can … Continue Reading