Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment, which would restore funding to the Office of Technology Assessment, or OTA.

I would like to thank Representatives Foster, Esty, Delaney, Langevin, Lieu, and Lujan for offering this amendment with me.

The foundation for good policy is accurate and objective analysis, and for more than two decades, the OTA set that foundation by providing relevant and unbiased technical and scientific assessments for Members of Congress and staff. In 1995, the OTA was defunded, stripping Congress of a valuable resource.

Many of the issues OTA studied 20 years ago, like antibiotic- resistant bacteria and electronic surveillance in the digital age, are even more pressing today.

Mr. Chair, Congress needs access to unbiased technological expertise to weigh the pros and cons of policy questions surrounding cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and so many more matters. The recent Facebook hearings made it clear that many Members of Congress struggle to grasp the policy issues surrounding social media and data security.

I applaud the chairman and ranking member for including a study in the underlying bill to look into the technological expertise available to Congress. It is an important first step, but it is not enough.

Our amendment restores a modest $2.5 million to the OTA account for salaries and expenses to begin rebuilding the office. The cost is offset by a reduction to the AOC's capital construction and operations account. This administrative account will not take resources from specific construction projects.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the amendment to restore funding to the Office of Technology Assessment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster).

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), the ranking member of the committee.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the majority for including the report.

I just want to remind the majority also that the OTA was never eliminated; it just was defunded. I believe it is time to fund it again.

I refer back to the Facebook hearings in the Senate. I think people on both sides of the aisle, liberal and conservative, and think tanks observed that the first branch of government, which is the legislative branch of government, needs to have the resources and the capacity to do its own independent analysis.

That is why I believe so many of my Republican colleagues will support this tomorrow. I hope everyone on both sides of the aisle supports this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source