The Biotechnology Innovation Organization is pleased to submit a statement for the record to the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change hearing entitled, "Back in Action: Restoring Federal Climate Leadership." BIO is committed to working with the committee, congress, and the administration to address the climate crisis. We urge you to support policy that advances pioneering technology breakthroughs. With science, we can return our Nation and the world to health and prosperity by taking bold and drastic action to address the climate crisis. 

We encourage you to formally withdraw the proposed rule from the previous administration to remove IER, and to fully implement IER for the first time.  The International Entrepreneur Rule would allow world-class foreign entrepreneurs to launch high-growth companies in the United States by utilizing the parole authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  Unfortunately, the Trump Administration repeatedly sought to remove IER and block implementation before the program launched, thereby costing the United States jobs and innovation that are needed for our country to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.