[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8868-H8872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VETERANS' HEALTH INITIATIVE ACT

  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6398) to authorize the Department of Energy to conduct 
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs in order 
to improve healthcare services for veterans in the United States, and 
for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6398

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Energy 
     Veterans' Health Initiative Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:

[[Page H8869]]

       (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
     Department of Energy.
       (2) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
     has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Energy.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this Act are to advance Department of 
     Energy expertise in artificial intelligence and high 
     performance computing in order to improve health outcomes for 
     veteran populations by--
       (1) supporting basic research through the application of 
     artificial intelligence, high performance computing, modeling 
     and simulation, machine learning, and large scale data 
     analytics to identify and solve outcome-defined challenges in 
     the health sciences;
       (2) maximizing the impact of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs' health and genomics data housed at the National 
     Laboratories, as well as data from other sources, on science, 
     innovation, and health care outcomes through the use and 
     advancement of artificial intelligence and high-performance 
     computing capabilities of the Department of Energy;
       (3) promoting collaborative research through the 
     establishment of partnerships to improve data sharing between 
     Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of 
     higher education, and nonprofit institutions;
       (4) establishing multiple scientific computing user 
     facilities to house and provision available data to foster 
     transformational outcomes; and
       (5) driving the development of technology to improve 
     artificial intelligence, high performance computing, and 
     networking relevant to mission applications of the Department 
     of Energy, including modeling, simulation, machine learning, 
     and advanced data analytics.

     SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VETERANS HEALTH RESEARCH AND 
                   DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and carry 
     out a research program in artificial intelligence and high 
     performance computing, focused on the development of tools to 
     solve big data challenges associated with veteran's 
     healthcare, and to support the efforts of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to identify potential health risks and 
     challenges utilizing data on long term healthcare, health 
     risks, and genomic data collected from veteran populations. 
     The Secretary shall carry out this program through a 
     competitive, merit-reviewed process, and consider 
     applications from National Laboratories, institutions of 
     higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and 
     other appropriate entities.
       (b) Program Components.--In carrying out the program 
     established under subsection (a), the Secretary may--
       (1) conduct basic research in modeling and simulation, 
     machine learning, large scale data analytics, and predictive 
     analysis in order to develop novel or optimized algorithms 
     for prediction of disease treatment and recovery;
       (2) develop methods to accommodate large data sets with 
     variable quality and scale, and to provide insight and models 
     for complex systems;
       (3) develop new approaches and maximize the use of 
     algorithms developed through artificial intelligence, machine 
     learning, data analytics, natural language processing, 
     modeling and simulation, and develop new algorithms suitable 
     for high performance computing systems and large biomedical 
     data sets;
       (4) advance existing and construct new data enclaves 
     capable of securely storing data sets provided by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and 
     other sources; and
       (5) promote collaboration and data sharing between National 
     Laboratories, research entities, and user facilities of the 
     Department by providing the necessary access and secure data 
     transfer capabilities.
       (c) Coordination.--In carrying out the program required 
     under subsection (a), the Secretary is authorized to--
       (1) enter into memoranda of understanding in order to carry 
     out reimbursable agreements with the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs and other entities in order to maximize the 
     effectiveness of Department of Energy research and 
     development to improve veterans' healthcare;
       (2) consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
     other Federal agencies as appropriate; and
       (3) ensure that data storage meets all privacy and security 
     requirements established by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs, and that access to data is provided in accordance 
     with relevant Department of Veterans Affairs data access 
     policies, including informed consent.
       (d) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, a report detailing the 
     effectiveness of--
       (1) the interagency coordination between each Federal 
     agency involved in the research program carried out under 
     this section;
       (2) collaborative research achievements of the program; and
       (3) potential opportunities to expand the technical 
     capabilities of the Department.
       (e) Funding.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     devote $27,000,000 to carry out the activities authorized 
     under this section during fiscal years 2019 through 2023, 
     subject to the availability of appropriations, to come from 
     amounts made available for medical and prosthetic research. 
     This section shall be carried out using funds otherwise 
     appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 5. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, DATA ANALYTICS, AND 
                   COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH PILOT PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a pilot 
     program to develop tools for big data analytics by utilizing 
     data sets generated by Federal agencies, institutions of 
     higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and 
     industry in order to advance artificial intelligence 
     technologies to solve complex, big data challenges. The 
     Secretary shall carry out this program through a competitive, 
     merit-reviewed process, and consider applications from 
     National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, 
     multi-institutional collaborations, and other appropriate 
     entities.
       (b) Program Components.--In carrying out the pilot program 
     established under subsection (a), the Secretary may--
       (1) establish a cross-cutting research initiative to 
     prevent duplication and coordinate research efforts in 
     artificial intelligence and data analytics across the 
     Department;
       (2) conduct basic research in modeling and simulation, 
     artificial intelligence, machine learning, large scale data 
     analytics, natural language processing, and predictive 
     analysis in order to develop novel or optimized predictive 
     algorithms suitable for high performance computing systems 
     and large biomedical data sets;
       (3) develop multivariate optimization models to accommodate 
     large data sets with variable quality and scale in order to 
     visualize complex systems;
       (4) establish multiple scientific computing user facilities 
     to serve as data enclaves capable of securely storing data 
     sets created by Federal agencies, institutions of higher 
     education, nonprofit organizations, or industry at National 
     Laboratories; and
       (5) promote collaboration and data sharing between National 
     Laboratories, research entities, and user facilities of the 
     Department by providing the necessary access and secure data 
     transfer capabilities.
       (c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the Senate a report evaluating the effectiveness 
     of the pilot program under subsection (a), including basic 
     research discoveries achieved in the course of the program 
     and potential opportunities to expand the technical 
     capabilities of the Department through the development of 
     artificial intelligence and data analytics technologies.
       (d) Funding.--For purposes of carrying out this section, 
     the Secretary of Energy shall devote $52,000,000 to carry out 
     this section, which shall include $26,000,000 for each fiscal 
     years 2019 and 2020, subject to the availability of 
     appropriations. This section shall be carried out using funds 
     otherwise appropriated by law after the date of enactment of 
     this Act.

     SEC. 6. SPENDING LIMITATION.

       No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and 
     this Act and such amendments shall be carried out using 
     amounts otherwise available for such purpose.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Norman) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Lipinski) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous materials on H.R. 6398, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from South Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6398, the Department 
of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
  This legislation authorizes the Department of Energy, DOE, to conduct 
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA, 
in order to solve complex, big data challenges in order to improve 
veterans' healthcare and basic research in advanced computing and data 
analytics.
  The VA hosts one of the world's largest and most valuable health 
datasets. Through its voluntary data collection program entitled the 
Million Veterans Program, MVP, the VA has collected detailed health 
information and

[[Page H8870]]

genomic data volunteered by over 600,000 veterans.
  In order to better use this data to provide better healthcare for our 
veterans, the VA needs more advanced computing capabilities, 
infrastructure, and expertise than it has in-house.
  As a world leader in high performance computing, DOE is well suited 
to meet this need. In its national laboratory system, DOE possesses a 
unique set of cutting-edge research capabilities.
  It hosts six of the world's top 10 fastest supercomputers, including 
the Summit computer in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is the 
world's fastest supercomputer. DOE also funds robust research in 
computational sciences and data analytics, which can be used to solve a 
range of complex big data challenges in the physical sciences.
  The interagency partnership authorized in my bill combines the VA's 
clinical and population science expertise with DOE's big data science 
in advanced computing expertise in order to solve critical health 
challenges for our veterans while creating another path forward for the 
advancement of big data science tools for the American researchers.
  This partnership, called the Million Veterans Program-Computational 
Health Analytics for Medical Precision to Improve Outcomes Now, or the 
MVP-CHAMPION program, will use DOE supercomputers to analyze VA health 
data and look for patterns that will help inform and improve medical 
treatment for heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and cancer.
  Ultimately, the goal of this legislation is for the DOE national 
laboratories to provide the VA with information it can use to improve 
healthcare services for veterans.
  The bill also requires the Department to establish data storage 
facilities to securely transmit and store data that the VA provides. 
This will make certain that privacy and security are maintained for 
veterans who volunteer for the program.
  In addition, this legislation establishes a pilot program within DOE 
to create a cross-cutting research initiative in artificial 
intelligence, data analytics, and computational research.
  This program will help American scientists stay on the cutting-edge 
as the computing landscape changes and international competition 
increases, and will promote the development of the computing tools 
needed to address big data challenges.
  These tools will both help improve the existing MVP-CHAMPION 
partnership and will advance key DOE mission goals in nuclear security, 
energy technology, and innovative science research.
  Our veterans should have access to better healthcare services and our 
scientists should remain leaders in advanced computing. The Department 
of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act promises to deliver on both 
fronts.
  Once again, I would like to thank Chairman Smith and the 15 other 
Science, Space, and Technology Committee members who cosponsored this 
legislation for supporting my bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

                               Washington, DC, September 20, 2018.
     Hon. Lamar Smith,
     Chairman, Committee on Space, Science, and Technology, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 
     6398, as amended, the ``Department of Energy Veterans' Health 
     Initiative Act.'' As you know, there are provisions in the 
     legislation that fall within the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
       In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed 
     expeditiously to floor consideration of this legislation, I 
     am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential 
     referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving 
     consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
     does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its 
     jurisdiction. I also request that you urge the Speaker to 
     name members of this committee to any conference committee 
     which is named to consider such provisions.
       Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 
     6398, as amended, and into the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of this legislation on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                               David P. Roe, M.D.,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, 
           and Technology,
                               Washington, DC, September 20, 2018.
     Hon. David P. Roe,
     Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs jurisdictional interest in 
     H.R. 6398, the ``Department of Energy Veterans' Health 
     Initiative Act,'' and your willingness to forego 
     consideration of H.R. 6398 by your committee.
       I agree that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has a valid 
     jurisdictional interest in certain provisions of H.R. 6398, 
     and that the Committee's jurisdiction will not be adversely 
     affected by your decision to forego consideration of H.R. 
     6398. As you have requested, I will support your request for 
     an appropriate appointment of outside conferees from your 
     Committee in the event of a House-Senate conference on this 
     or similar legislation should such a conference be convened.
       Finally, I will include a copy of your letter and this 
     response in the Committee Report and in the Congressional 
     Record during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you 
     again for your cooperation.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Lamar Smith,
                                                         Chairman.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy 
Veterans' Health Initiative Act, and I thank Mr. Norman for introducing 
this bill.
  This bill authorizes the Department of Energy to conduct 
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
address large and complex data management challenges associated with 
veterans' healthcare issues.
  H.R. 6398 also directs the DOE to carry out a 2-year research pilot 
program to advance research in artificial intelligence and data 
analytics for a broad range of applications.
  These technologies have the potential to significantly improve the 
efficiency of the use and distribution of our Nation's resources.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the majority and minority members 
of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for working with the Science, Space, 
and Technology Committee to improve this legislation. Together, I 
believe we have ensured that this bill will be a positive step toward 
tackling some of the critical problems that the VA is currently facing 
in providing our veterans with the care they deserve when they come 
home.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Weber), the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6398, the Department of 
Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
  The DOE and VA national research program, housed within the agencies' 
Big Data Science Initiative, is called the Million Veterans Program-
Computational Health Analytics for Medical Precision to Improve 
Outcomes Now, or MVP-CHAMPION. This initiative utilizes DOE's unique 
capabilities in big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and 
advanced computing by providing VA researchers access to DOE's research 
facilities and scientific expertise while the DOE receives access to a 
massive collection of data from the VA.
  Through the MVP program, VA patients volunteer genomic and healthcare 
data that is transferred into the secure enclave at Oak Ridge National 
Lab. Part of the data includes the deepest levels of DNA sequencing, 
which allows for high quality genomic research.
  With such a rich and expansive dataset, the VA MVP program provides 
an incredible opportunity to use DOE'S next-generation computing 
capabilities to solve complex healthcare challenges facing our 
veterans.
  For the DOE, this application of computer science tools could 
transform basic and early-stage research. DOE's core mission areas are 
full of complex, big data challenges like physics, environmental 
systems, combustion, and nuclear weapons modeling. DOE is also working 
to enhance its expertise in biosciences and materials design.
  Experience working with big datasets and applications in data 
science, Mr. Speaker, has the potential to improve

[[Page H8871]]

computational science methods for any big data problem. With the next 
generation of supercomputers, including the exascale computing systems 
DOE is expected to fill by 2021, DOE will be able to tackle even bigger 
challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, increasing computing power will expand DOE's 
capabilities and improve the quality of computational tools for any big 
dataset or any complex problem.
  Ultimately, the goal of MVP-CHAMPION is for the DOE national 
laboratories to provide the VA with useful information to improve 
healthcare services for our veterans. The access to the breadth, depth, 
and complexity of the VA dataset will also advance the next generation 
of data science tools.
  Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the DOE is the right partner for this 
important research. I want to encourage my colleagues to support this 
bill.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology 
Committee.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the 
gentleman from South Carolina, Congressman Ralph Norman, for yielding 
me this time to speak in support of his bill, H.R. 6398, the Department 
of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
  I also want to say, I appreciate his serving as vice chairman of the 
Environment Subcommittee on the Science, Space, and Technology 
Committee.
  This important legislation was approved unanimously by the Science, 
Space, and Technology Committee and is cosponsored by 15 members of the 
committee.
  H.R. 6398 authorizes the Department of Energy to conduct 
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
address complex challenges in veterans' healthcare by using advanced 
computational tools.
  Currently, DOE and the VA collaborate through the MVP-CHAMPION 
initiative. The VA collects genomic and healthcare data from veterans 
who have volunteered for the program and then securely transfers it to 
DOE, where it is stored and analyzed in a secure site at the Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory.
  This partnership and exchange of data benefits both DOE and the VA 
and provides valuable services to our veterans.
  DOE is the Nation's largest Federal supporter of basic research in 
the physical sciences. It funds programs in applied mathematics and 
computer and computational science.
  Under this program, authorized by Mr. Norman's bill, VA researchers 
gain access to DOE's high performance computing research facilities and 
significant resources, including DOE's extensive expertise in data 
analysis and complex modeling.
  This could help the VA make discoveries about the causes and warning 
signs of various diseases. It will also speed up care for veterans' 
critical medical needs and help the VA develop more effective 
treatments in the future.

  By giving DOE access to such a large database of information, the VA 
will help DOE researchers improve their ability to develop next-
generation computing systems, algorithms, and models. These are 
capabilities that are critical to maintaining U.S. science and 
technology leadership.
  H.R. 6398 also authorizes a 2-year research pilot program to advance 
basic research in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and 
computational science.
  This pilot program supports DOE's efforts to improve the application 
of advanced data analysis techniques to big data challenges.
  Congressman Norman's DOE Veterans' Health Initiative Act promotes 
improved healthcare for American servicemen and -women. It facilitates 
more high-yielding DOE collaborations, maximizes resources, and gives 
other Federal agencies, academia, and industry the opportunity to 
benefit from the Energy Department's R&D expertise.
  We can thank Representatives Ralph Norman and Neal Dunn for 
championing collaboration and basic research to support our veterans 
and American innovation.

                              {time}  2215

  I also want to thank Chairman Roe of the House Veterans' Affairs 
Committee for his help and cooperation in bringing this bill before the 
House this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will support this bill.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree 
that supporting technology to improve the lives of our veterans should 
be a high priority. Unfortunately, many face an uphill battle to 
overcome the physical and mental toll of war once they return home. 
Those who sacrificed so much for our country deserve our best efforts 
to provide them with the latest technologies to improve their quality 
of life.
  There are almost 20 million veterans in our Nation today, and just 
under half are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs 
healthcare system. The health records generated from decades of care 
provide a trove of information that may lead to more accurate diagnoses 
and treatment of certain conditions and diseases.
  High-performance computing and machine learning can help analyze this 
massive amount of data to make it more useful for delivering better 
health outcomes, not only for veterans, but also the general 
population.
  The Federal Government has made strategic investments over the years 
to advance data analytics in data science research and development. We 
have also invested in supercomputing facilities at our national labs, 
including the Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Lab in 
my district.
  The programs created by this bill will take advantage of these 
resources to improve health, deliver a high quality of life, and lower 
treatment costs while advancing American leadership and artificial 
intelligence and data analytics.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Smith, Representative 
Dunn, Representative Higgins, Representative Lucas, Representative 
Weber, Representative Knight, Representative Rohrabacher, 
Representative Hultgren, Representative Babin, Representative Comstock, 
Representative Abraham, Representative Biggs, Representative Marshall, 
Representative Lesko, Representative Lipinski, Representative Rosen, 
Representative Bilirakis, Representative Gallagher, Representative Bill 
Johnson, and Representative Walter Jones for their continued leadership 
in providing support for our veterans and enabling critical science 
research.
  I would also like to thank the stakeholders and researchers who have 
provided valuable feedback as we develop this legislation.
  H.R. 6398 supports a program that will encourage innovation in basic 
science and big data research at DOE, and ensure that we as a Nation 
are doing everything we can to improve healthcare for our veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this commonsense legislation and 
yield back the balance of my time.

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we are 
considering three good bills from the Science Committee: H.R. 5509, the 
Innovation in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act; H.R. 6229, 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Reauthorization Act 
of 2018; and, H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health 
Initiative Act. I support each of these bills, and look forward to 
their passage.
  I want to thank Majority leader McCarthy for introducing H.R. 5509, 
the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. This 
legislation directs the National Science Foundation to support research 
to improve STEM degree programs and apprenticeships in partnership with 
the private sector. H.R. 5509 also supports labor market research to 
draw upon lessons learned in countries already benefitting from an 
emphasis on apprenticeships and skilled-based learning. This is a good 
bill that will help to bring the education and training our students 
receive more in line with the skills employers value most. This will 
benefit those preparing to enter an ever-changing job market, employers 
seeking to innovate and increase production, and our economy as a 
whole. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.
  H.R. 6229, the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Reauthorization Act of

[[Page H8872]]

2018, is a two-year, bipartisan reauthorization of programs and 
activities for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or 
NIST. I am glad to see that this bill increases funding levels for the 
agency's laboratory programs and funds research and standards 
facilitation for important issues such as advanced communications, 
cybersecurity and privacy, internet of things, quantum information 
science, artificial intelligence research, and infrastructure 
resilience. I am glad to support this bill today, and furthermore, urge 
my colleagues to support increased funding in the future for crucial 
laboratory infrastructure enhancements on the NIST campuses.
  H.R. 6398, The Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act, 
authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct collaborative 
research with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to 
address complex, large data management challenges associated with 
veterans' health care issues. Specifically, it aims to leverage DOE's 
expertise in high performance computing in order to analyze VA-provided 
health and genomics data.
  This bill also directs DOE to carry out a two-year research pilot 
program to advance research in artificial intelligence and data 
analytics for a broad range of potential applications. It provides the 
Secretary with the authority to establish user facilities capable of 
securely storing large data sets created by Federal agencies, academic 
institutions, or industry at DOE National Laboratories. I appreciate 
the need to utilize the entire resource base of the Federal government 
to address the needs of our veterans' health care. This bill provides 
an important tool to try and make our veterans lives better, and I 
strongly support the bill's passage.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6398, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________