[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 9, 2019

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4373, the 
Engineering Biology Research and Development Act. Engineering biology, 
or bioengineering, applies principles of engineering to living matter 
in order to develop new technology for a variety of applications. 
Breakthroughs in bioengineering have led to technologies that help many 
patients live fuller lives, including prosthetic limbs, biologics, 
micro-implants, medical imaging technology, and other medical devices. 
The applications of bioengineering also extend beyond medicine to 
fields such as agriculture, environmental science, and robotics, and 
I'm very proud to represent Silicon Valley where such of this cutting-
edge research takes place.
  While the United States has been a global leader in bioengineering, 
we cannot be complacent as other countries, including China, continue 
to invest heavily in research and development.
  H.R. 4373 will help maintain American leadership in this critical 
field by establishing a federal bioengineering research initiative. It 
also requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to coordinate 
with several agencies including the National Science Foundation, the 
National Institutes of Health, and NASA to develop a national 
bioengineering strategy.
  The downside of this legislation is that it does not include any new 
spending. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we 
provide these agencies with the funding they need to make this 
initiative succeed. China now spends 30 times as much on research and 
development as it did 25 years ago, and while the federal government 
has also increased its spending on science in real terms over the same 
timeframe, Congress must make the necessary investments to maintain our 
country's global leadership in bioengineering and other high tech 
fields.
  I thank Chairwoman Johnson for her important work on H.R. 4373, urge 
my colleagues to support this legislation, and urge them to provide the 
resources necessary for a robust U.S. bioengineering effort.

                          ____________________