Announcement By the Acting Chair

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I would ask my friend and colleague from South Carolina, does he believe his amendment is intended to impact uniformed personnel who work in these offices?

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina.

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. It is not?

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. It is not. That is what I was hoping to hear.

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Virginia for yielding. I urge adoption of this amendment. I will remind people that this commission was established for the purpose of renaming our major military installations that had been named after Confederate officers. That mission is complete.

There is no reason for us to continue to spend funding on this commission to hunt for things to do. We were told it was going to cost only a million dollars, but they have gone over $30 million. We need to just let them complete their job, which they have done. Stop this funding and adopt this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I urge a favorable vote on my colleague's amendment.

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from California. I support the gentleman's intentions, but I have concerns with the impacts if this amendment were enacted as written.

Lumber is a sustainable building product. Innovative timber products are currently being used in military construction projects throughout the country. I don't think anyone wants to limit the use of these timber products.

The American Wood Council and the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association are opposed to this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, this amendment would prohibit the Department of Defense from spending any research and development funding on solar cells and other technologies on Earth or in orbit.

Most people who know me know that I spend a lot of time on national security space. Mr. Chair, 100 percent of our U.S. satellites, both government and commercial, rely on secure communications. Missile warning and global positioning are powered by solar cells.

Ending research and development on cutting-edge solar technology does not advance national defense. In fact, it would limit our ability to confront China in space as they seek to challenge our superiority.

I agree that DOD shouldn't waste time on fake green initiatives, but advancing key space capabilities with these technologies makes our military more lethal. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment and believe it will help the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees in their ongoing investigations of the war in Afghanistan.

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Fry) having assumed the chair, Mr. Womack, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2670) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

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