[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2026

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 3, 2025

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendments 
to H.R. 4553, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, and in opposition to the 
underlying bill.
  The bill itself cuts over $750 million from the FY25 spending levels, 
revokes $5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, zeroes out 
Army Corps programs that clean up radioactive waste and blocks clean 
energy initiatives. My four amendments support essential funding for 
our National Labs and our continued goal to restore the Chesapeake Bay. 
Specifically, three of my amendments support the Continuous Electron 
Beam Accelerator Facility and the High Performance Data Facility at the 
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, commonly known as JLab, 
in Newport News, Virginia, and my fourth amendment supports the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers' ongoing oyster restoration work in the 
Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, only one of these amendments will be 
considered on the floor.
  My first amendment No. 41, included in the bipartisan en bloc, 
highlights the importance of an optimal runtime for the Continuous 
Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, or CEBAF. CEBAF is a world-leading 
facility studying the inner properties of nuclei, such as the quark and 
gluon structure of protons and neutrons. The research conducted at this 
facility has vastly improved our understanding of the fundamental make-
up of matter and is actively supporting collaborative research globally 
in medium energy physics. Currently, numerous PhD students and 
researchers are waiting to use the facility for experiments, and the 
backlog continues to grow as more scientists hope to use this critical 
technology. To meet the research needs and to optimize the use of this 
facility, CEBAF requires an additional $11 million to operate for an 
optimal runtime of 34 weeks. The current level included in the bill 
seriously underfunds CEBAFs operations. A funding level of $166 million 
for CEBAF operations should be included in the final legislation.
  My second amendment No. 42, emphasizes the need for funding 
critically needed infrastructure improvements at CEBAF. The workforce 
at JLab is rapidly growing with the increased use of CEBAF and the 
installation of the Department of Energy's High Performance Data 
Facility. For JLab to effectively support its employees and 
researchers, the lab needs increased funding to build a modern 
workspace to match the research conducted at this facility. The final 
appropriations bill should include $38 million for JLab to update its 
CEBAF infrastructure.
  My third amendment No. 44, highlights the importance of the planning 
and construction of the High Performance Data Facility. The High 
Performance Data Facility will serve as a state-of-the-art computing 
facility supporting the Department of Energy's Office of Science 
Scientific User facilities. In collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley 
National Lab, this project will address the forthcoming increased 
volume of data that will need to be processed in real time and ensure 
researchers have the ability to manage large quantities of data 
reliably and efficiently. As a result of lower than anticipated funding 
in fiscal year 2025, this project, which will serve the rapidly growing 
data infrastructure needs across the National Labs, requires additional 
funding and support. The final appropriations bill should include at 
least $25 million to ensure that the High Performance Data Facility is 
completed by 2030.
  My fourth amendment No. 39 emphasizes the important work being 
conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create new oyster 
habitats in the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters' natural ability to filter 
pollutants out of water make them an ideal partner in cleaning our Bay. 
The Corps serves as the lead agency for this endeavor and providing 
them with the necessary resources to continue growing the oyster 
population in the Chesapeake Bay will enable us to meet our water 
quality goals. The final appropriations bill should include $7.5 
million for the Corps' oyster restoration work.
  I would like to thank Representatives Robert Wittman and Jennifer 
Kiggans for cosponsoring my amendments supporting JLab, and I would 
like to thank Representatives Robert Wittman and Sarah Elfreth for 
cosponsoring my amendment supporting oyster restoration in the 
Chesapeake Bay. While I was glad to see the inclusion of my first 
amendment to the bipartisan en bloc, the underlying bill does not 
adequately fund the important work being conducted at our national labs 
and by the Army Corps of Engineers. This bill abandons critical 
research in science, diminishes the importance of clean energy, and 
weakens the government's ability to restore and conserve our 
environment. For that reason, I oppose passage of this legislation.

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