[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 82 (Thursday, May 29, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E876-E877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 28, 2014

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4660) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, 
     Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2015, and for other purposes:

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Chair, I rise today to 
discuss an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2015 that would divert $10 million 
from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to go toward the National 
Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
  The recent shooting in Santa Barbara last week underscores the 
critical need to have a comprehensive and robust background check 
system in place to screen individuals who are looking to illegally 
purchase firearms. Over the last 20 years, more than 2.1 million 
illegal firearms sales have been prevented because of NICS. However, 
there are still gaps in the system, due in part because there is 
insufficient funding for States to keep adequate records on individuals 
who are not permitted to purchase firearms under the law.
  Congress can do more to provide additional funding to help bolster 
NICS and its ability to keep firearms out of the hands of felons, 
domestic abusers, or the mentally ill. Additional funding in the CJS 
Appropriations bill will help meet the demand from States to collect 
more accurate and more complete records of individuals who are 
ineligible to purchase firearms.
  However, I have serious reservations that this amendment will 
decrease the administrative and grants management activities budget of 
the NSF by $10 million. As Ranking Member of the House Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology, I cannot in good faith support an 
amendment which proposes to cut an essential function for the premier 
STEM education research organization in the country. This cut to NSF is 
a cut to the management of research which will ultimately determine our 
Nation's global competitiveness for years to come. For decades, NSF 
grants have resulted in the most effective and inspiring STEM curricula 
and programs in and out of the classroom. I cannot in good faith 
support an amendment which does harm to these important areas.
  Madam Chair, I believe that this Congress can do more to prevent gun 
violence in order to avoid tragedies such as the recent shooting in 
Santa Barbara. However, I must object to the desire to draw critical 
funding away from the NSF's agency operations account in order to 
bolster NICS. Reducing funding for NSF is misguided, and I strongly 
urge my colleagues to reconsider their approach to this important 
amendment.

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