That's why it's so important for us to take an all-of-the-above approach to clean energy development.

In the past 15 years, the United States has decreased its total emissions by 21 percent.

It supports innovation with an approach that keeps American energy competitive and prices low for consumers and businesses.

Investing in technological development through R&D is what I see as the carrot approach to addressing climate change.

The result of the stick approach is a cautionary tale.

My hope is that today, we can focus on the most significant action our committee can take to address this challenge: supporting breakthrough energy technologies.

Now more than ever we can appreciate the value of American energy independence.

We've proven that new technologies are critical to emissions reductions.

Last summer, the Science Committee worked together to pass H.R. 3593, the DOE Science for the Future Act, in the House with 351 votes.

The best part is that investing in this basic research spurs our economy without duplicating work that can and should be done by the private sector.

We know that DOE is uniquely positioned to meet both challenges, particularly through its Office of Science.

I intend to continue to press for a healthy funding level of for the Office of Science when Congress acts on DOE's budget request later this year.

NTSB's attempts to expand its authority would alter the long-standing commercial space accident investigation process.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We are sure we share the same goals of ensuring safety and U.S. economic competitiveness and leadership in space.

I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I believe I have the right to close, so I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Even before serving as Ranking Member of the Science Committee, I've been an advocate for an all-of-the-above approach to our energy security.

As any one of my neighbors in rural Oklahoma could tell you, droughts are getting longer, heat waves are getting hotter.

We're in the midst of an unprecedented investment in our infrastructure, and this Committee has been a driving force when it comes to increasing support for Federal research infrastructure.

Extreme weather events can take lives and destroy property if we don't prepare for them.

In addition to our work in reducing emissions and combating climate change, we must also adapt to what we are currently facing.

As many of my neighbors in rural Oklahoma can tell you, droughts are getting longer, heat waves are getting hotter, and the task of anticipating and managing risk from the environment has gotten more challenging.

Planning ahead is just as important as putting a shovel in the ground quickly.

That's right--nature IS infrastructure.

It is because of this great need that I authored the Small Watershed Rehabilitation program more than two decades ago.

We still have the most talented workforce in the world, but I'm concerned that we're missing the rest of those variables.