Lamar Smith: “I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to host today's Special Order in honor of my friend…”

“I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to host today's Special Order in honor of my friend and colleague from Texas, Representative Randy Neugebauer. Representative Neugebauer is a consistent Conservative. In fact, the National Journal named him the ``most conservative Member of Congress'' in 2011. He has also been a valuable member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which I chair. He has been a member of that committee for over a decade. I am grateful for his work on the committee to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and efficiently. Representative Neugebauer has actively pushed back against burdensome EPA regulations that limit affordable, reliable energy. He has also championed research and development efforts that benefit all forms of energy. This isn't surprising since Representative Neugebauer's district has oil and gas development and produces the most wind energy of any district in the country. In this Congress, Representative Neugebauer's National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act authorized coordinated research to minimize the effects of windstorms on local communities. It will help save lives and property damage. This legislation was inspired by Representative Neugebauer's personal experience with a tornado that devastated his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, some years ago.…”