U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) recently appointed U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Randy Weber (R-TX) to a bipartisan conference committee that will work with the Senate on legislation to modernize the country’s energy laws.
The committee specifically will address S. 2012, the Senate's Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, and an amendment to the bill added by the House that contains measures form bills previously advanced by the House, including a bill that would promote the federal government’s role in funding basic research.
“We must make strategic investments in basic research and development to remain the global leader in science and innovation,” Smith, chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, said. “The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 prioritizes taxpayer investments in basic research without increasing overall federal spending. The reprioritization of basic research will help ensure future U.S. economic competitiveness and security, and it will spur private-sector technological innovation.”
Smith introduced the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015.
“America must maintain our R&D capabilities and continue to develop cutting-edge nuclear technology here at home,” Weber, chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, said. “Without the prioritization outlined in this bill, we’ll lose the ability to develop innovative nuclear technology and be left importing reactor designs from overseas. Right now, we have the best nuclear engineers and manufacturing capacity in the world. America’s export economy is a key to our global strength and this bill will provide a long-term plan to ensure that we do not lose our talent.”
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