Niki Tsongas: “Thank you, Ranking Member Visclosky. Mr. Chair, I rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy. As you are aware, our…”

“Thank you, Ranking Member Visclosky. Mr. Chair, I rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy. As you are aware, our Nation's Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, or FFRDCs, play a critical role in advancing national security goals and ensuring that our Nation stays at the cutting edge of technological innovation. Mr. Chair, I wanted to engage in this colloquy to clarify Congress' intent in section 802(3)(c), which states: ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds available to the Department from any source during fiscal year 2016 may be used by a defense FFRDC through a fee or other payment mechanism for construction of new buildings.'' {time} 1645 Mr. Chair, I am concerned that some could take an expansive interpretation of this provision and view it as preventing the execution of critical facilities modernization projects, even when authorized by Congress through military construction projects. I am also concerned about the provision's medium-and long-term implications for building maintenance and facility modernization projects that are necessary to continue important innovation programs for decades to come. Chairman Frelinghuysen, is it the committee's understanding that this provision is not intended to apply to military construction projects or to advanced planning and design funds that are authorized by Congress?”