(Washington, DC) House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas released a statement today after Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced she would not seek reelection in 2022:
I have had the honor of serving alongside Chairwoman Johnson for more than two decades in Congress. Since 2019 we have worked closely together as the Chair and Ranking Member of the Science Committee, and there is no one I would rather have as my counterpart across the aisle. EBJ, as I affectionately call her, is a true public servant and she cares deeply about supporting American science. While we don’t always agree on the best way to do that, we are usually able to find common ground and work together to pass strong, bipartisan policies. She’s an old-school legislator who cares more about results than headlines, and I respect that deeply.Chairwoman Johnson has broken barriers her entire life. When she faced obstacles in studying nursing in the South as a Black woman, she overcame them by earning her degree in Indiana and returning home as a registered nurse. She was the first female Black Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the V.A. Hospital in Dallas and the first-ever nurse elected to the Texas State House and Texas State Senate. She is also the first nurse ever elected to Congress, and the first woman to serve as the Chair of the House Science Committee. With her drive and dedication, it’s no wonder she’s been a successful leader in Congress.Because of her willingness to work across the aisle, we have achieved great things together in her time as Chairwoman. We passed the first major overhaul of U.S. energy policy in more than a decade, we worked to make STEM education more inclusive and accessible, and we developed legislation to double down on our investment in research and development so that America can continue to lead the world in science and technology.I have many fond memories from our time together on the Committee, particularly of our travels together to visit critical science facilities like ITER and CERN. While I’ll miss those trips, I’ll miss having her in the chair next to mine at the Committee even more.I wish her well in her retirement, and I congratulate her on a truly exceptional career of service.