Rep. Lucas says it’s time to include research funding in COVID-19 relief efforts

Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas is pushing legislation to invest billions more to help in the recovery of the nation’s research abilities, research that he says is ignored by Democrats in their COVID-19 relief bills.
The Republican Representative, a ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee supported the Research Investment to Secure the Economy Act. The RISE Act authorized nearly $26 billion in emergency relief to be awarded by federal science agencies to research universities, independent institutions and national laboratories.
Rep. Lucas said the bill provides funding to allow researchers to complete work halted in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The reason America leads the world in science and technology is that we’ve continually invested in it – in the facilities, the studies, and the researchers who conduct this work,” Lucas said.
He said the pandemic closed labors and shut down research.
“—and we can’t simply flip a switch and turn it back on again. It will take time and investment to recover and rebuild our research enterprise.”
Rep. Lucas said if the RISE Act isn’t passed quickly, the country will face long-term consequences and fall behind in current research and development.
Lucas first introduced the RISE Act in June of 2020 and has advocated for its inclusion in COVID-19 relief packages. He was also critical of Democrats and others in proposing nearly another $9 trillion in COVID-relief to families and business but not to the research labs.
“But in all of that spending, our research enterprise has been ignored, even as we depend on our scientists to fight the virus. It’s well past time to invest in American research.”
Source: Lucas press release