Lamar Smith: “First of all, let me thank the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, Mr. Weber, the gentleman from Texas, for yielding. I…”

“First of all, let me thank the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, Mr. Weber, the gentleman from Texas, for yielding. I strongly support this bill, H.R. 5905, the Department of Energy Science and Innovation Act of 2018. This bipartisan legislation, sponsored by 12 members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee authorizes the basic research programs within the DOE Office of Science for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. The programs include research in basic energy sciences, advanced scientific computing, high- energy physics, biological and environmental research, fusion energy science, and nuclear physics. These basic research programs are the core mission of the Department of Energy and will produce the scientific discoveries that will help maintain U.S. leadership in technology. This bill also prioritizes basic research funding for solar fuels, electricity storage, bioenergy research, exascale computing, and low- dose radiation research. It provides the Office of Science funding for upgrades and construction of seven high-priority user facilities at DOE national labs. This legislation is the product of more than 4 years of bipartisan work by the Science, Space, and Technology Committee to advance basic research and set clear science priorities for the Department of Energy. H.R. 5905 builds on the initiatives included in the House-passed bill, H.R.…”