Expressing the sense of the Congress in recognition of the contributions of the seven Columbia astronauts by supporting establishment of a Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 57) expressing the sense of the Congress in recognition of the contributions of the seven Columbia astronauts by supporting establishment of a Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 57.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of time, a thirst for knowledge has been the greatest of motivations for discovery and exploration. Our passionate pursuit of the unknown has resulted in opening new frontiers and tremendous technological and other opportunities that benefit humankind.

There are no better examples of this spirit than the courageous crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. They made the ultimate sacrifice, we say paid the ultimate sacrifice, so we could exceed our limitations in exploring the heavens. This resolution is a fitting tribute to the Columbia crew, who dedicated their lives to scientific research and space exploration.

The fact that on their fateful mission they conducted experiments designed

by school children demonstrates the value that the Columbia crew placed on young people. They believed in the participation of young people and the involvement of young people in America's space experience.

H.J. Res. 57 will continue this exalted tradition by inspiring future generations of American children to pursue opportunities in science and engineering and by providing them a facility with a history that is tied directly to the Space Shuttle program.

I visited the Downey facility, which will become, when this resolution passes, this space learning center, as a young reporter in the 1970s. At that time, I remember that I was ushered into this aerospace facility. It was a large building, and I was ushered in there to cover my story, and I was ushered right to the first mock-up of the Space Shuttle. It was in this Downey facility where the space shuttles were put together and designed. Certainly seeing that first mock-up, before there ever was a Space Shuttle, inspired me as a young reporter; and I am certain it will inspire young people as well.

As far as my inspiration, I went on later on after my journalism career to be a speech writer for Ronald Reagan.

It was my honor to work with President Reagan on several of his remarks dealing with the return of the first shuttles that were put into orbit and into space. So that bit of inspiration that the shuttle mock-up had on me paid off with dividends for the President of the United States and for the people of the United States.

I would think that the young people who go through this center will also, with their inspiration, serve our country and the cause of humankind well into the future; and this, of course, is a wonderful gift that we can give them that is tied to this history of the shuttle.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.

I would like to pay a special tribute at this time to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) for the hard work that she put in on this effort. She has been working with local government in that area, as well as the rest of us, to try to make sure that this facility would be put to good use for the benefit of our country and for the benefit of young people.

So as we move forward with this legislation, we need to make sure that we thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) for her hard work on the project.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett), an esteemed member of our committee, and a Ph.D. whose guidance and thoughtful reflection have helped many of us on the Committee on Science on very complicated issues.

(Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, as we move forward in this discussion, I believe that the words of the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) and, of course, the words of the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) should be taken very seriously when we are talking about young people and the molding or melding here of our space program along with the education of America's youth.

This has been a great experience for me in that it may be my last time as chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics to address this House on an issue. I have been the chairman for 8 years, and let me just note that I have thoroughly enjoyed being the chairman of this subcommittee because by its nature, America's space program brings our people together, and by its nature then, we have had a tremendous bipartisan, positive relationship in our subcommittee and on our committee staff.

One of the projects I have worked on which I have yet to complete in terms of my ultimate goal, but one of the projects I have worked on and on which I have had some tremendous support from both sides of the aisle, is providing young people who want to study math and science and engineering full scholarships that would be set up by the various departments and agencies of our government, NASA in particular, in order to mold the education of young people so that they can fulfill the needs of these various departments for skilled people in the future, while at the same time providing engineering and scientific education for our young people.

These scholarships, by the way, would not be free; they would educate young people, and once the young person is done with the education, having received a full scholarship, for every 1 year of scholarship, they would be expected to work for that department or agency of government for 2 years. It would be a payback, one might say, although the student would then be receiving full pay like any other employee of that department.

Mr. Speaker, I will be working on that project for the next few years, and I would hope for this same spirit of bipartisanship that we hear today, and as we congratulate the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) for her hard work today on behalf of children and the space program, that we would work together to try to implement the scholarship program that I have just outlined. And I will be making it a priority in my next few years in Congress, although I will not be the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics anymore.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this is a fitting time for me to sort of step down because we had this tremendous success yesterday on Spaceship One. And one of my major goals as chairman of this committee was to make sure that commercial space remained an option so that in the future that we did not look at space as just an endeavor of the Federal Government, but instead looked at it as possibly offering services through the commercial sector and profit-making ventures as well as space exploration and some of the other types of things in space science that can only be done by the government itself or government working with private industry.

So this great achievement of having a commercially sponsored and designed and paid-for spaceship that went into space and was capable of carrying passengers, this was a great success. And I want to commend everyone who was involved in the spaceship program.

By the way, that was done in response to a prize, the X Prize, which offered a $10 million prize to anyone who could accomplish that mission. And I will be introducing legislation within the next few days to try to systemize the prize concept encouraging space endeavors in developing new technologies.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, let me finish with this one note about space. We were talking a lot today about this particular legislation which is aimed at providing a link between children's learning and our future and the space program and the astronauts and the space shuttle, and these are links that certainly exist. But what we hear most often when we are talking about space is, why is space worth it? Why are we so involved? Why is there a space subcommittee of the Committee on Science? Why are we spending so much time, effort and money? Is it really worth the investment?

What I would like to leave in this debate and on the record is why our investment in space has been so valuable to the people of the United States and, yes, the people of the world.

I remember when I was a young boy, that I crawled into a pit underneath a little house in North Dakota because it had been reported that tornados were expected that night. And we had to spend the entire night listening to some little radio there in a hole in the ground underneath the floor boards of this small farm. And, in fact, today, we have the small farmers and people throughout the country and people in cities that know when tornados are coming and have adequate warnings.

There has been much progress made in this area, especially in the area of tornados and hurricanes.

I sat through a hurricane when I was younger. The people of Florida, one can only wonder how many more billions of dollars would have been lost in damage and lives would have been lost if it would not have been for the satellite technology that permitted us to track the hurricanes that slammed into Florida just recently. We had ample warning to people to prepare. We now have a GPS system that will tell us where we are located on the planet which has tremendous commercial applications but also tremendous applications to make sure that, in the future, our landing systems for our airplanes will be specifically guided to protect the passengers who travel throughout the country.

I remember, before there was space imaging, and as I say, my family came from a farming background where people farmed totally different. Today's space imaging helps us improve the yield and protects the crops that we plant so it helps keep the cost of food down. In each one of these instances, we are talking about billions upon billions of dollars that are saved by the people of the United States and the world by an investment in space.

We are talking about communication satellites. When I was young, I remember calling up my grandparents in North Dakota, and it was a long distance call. We called very rarely,

maybe two or three times a year, because the call was so expensive, and we had to go through so many operators, and it was so disruptive. It was $5 at that time which was a lot of money. We rarely called. But, today, young people can call up their grandparents on cell phones from anywhere, aided of course and made possible by the investment that we made in space-based assets. Those telephone calls now cost a matter of cents. We have increased the communications between generations. People call their loved ones.

Our investment in space has increased the level of love in our society and saved us billions of dollars. And, of course, we have, the biggest issue when I first came to this Congress was what? The biggest issue was, should we regulate the cable industry, cable TV? And, of course, they said, there will never be any competition with cable TV because they have to put in the cables.

Well, I, for one, have Direct TV at my house, and that competition has kept the costs of cable down, and it has just proliferated information and entertainment, made our lives happier throughout the country and saved, again, billions of dollars because of that competition in keeping down the cost of entertainment and information.

Of course, our military assets in space have saved the lives of our soldiers and done a tremendous job of keeping the peace for the world, and that is in our hands.

This is what we have accomplished with our investment. A meager investment in space has given us tens of billions, if not hundreds of billions, of dollars worth of value back to us. And that value can be used in education. That value has been used to make our society better because of what we have achieved from our space program.

We are not at the end of the space program. We have a future to look forward to that is bright. We have a President that has offered us the guidelines for the future and the strategy for the future. We can see a possibility of generating power from space, from solar-based power in the future. We can see another colony, perhaps a colony on the moon, with its natural resources there, or on an asteroid. There are so many things that we can accomplish.

The future depends on our children which is what this amendment today is all about, and it depends on the willingness of this generation to make an investment and to keep that investment in technology and in space-related assets.

It has been my honor to serve as chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, to work with people from both sides of the aisle who are committed to this type of future for America and the world. May we always lead the world in conquering new frontiers. May we always lead the world into the unknown and make sure that America leads the world into a better tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot thank this bipartisan effort enough for honoring our friends and neighbors from Houston, Texas, who died in the Columbia Seven Tragedy; and to also thank the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) for her leadership and her vision on this issue. I look forward to hearing her remarks as she captures for us the importance of what this space science center will represent, a living testimony to the bravery of the seven Columbia astronauts who died serving their country in the name of furthering scientific research.

The establishment of this center will provide a venue that will inspire those who may be our future astronauts, scientists, and engineers and will help people of all ages enhance their knowledge of science and to value technology in their daily lives.

We were certainly excited about the successful flight yesterday of SpaceShipOne, the world's first privately funded, manned spacecraft. I know that the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) and myself, who sit on the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, and although I may be championing human space flight in a very loud tone, coming from NASA Johnson in Houston, we are all very excited about the potential of commercial space flight and the opportunities that it will bring about.

This great center, educational learning center, will hopefully train the astronauts of tomorrow and certainly be part of eliminating the fear and encouraging the excitement that space exploration brings about.

Let me say to my colleagues that America is not America without its commitment to space exploration. I am reminded of the leadership John F. Kennedy gave and the sparkle in the eyes of those who were able to hear and listen to his words and watch him speak. I believe President Kennedy said it well in 1962 in my hometown of Houston when declaring his commitment to putting a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Well, Mr. Speaker, we have had men and women who have made their journey into space since that time.

He said, ``This generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it. We mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now to look into space, to the Moon, and to the planets beyond; and we avow that we shall not see it governed by the hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.''

With that, I also say that I believe it is important for the Committee on Science and, particularly, the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

to take up the challenge that has been given to us by the naming of this great center, to ask the hard questions about safety. A number of my colleagues have written a letter to ask for a full hearing on the questions of safety of human space flight and, as well, to address the question of safety with respect to the International Space Station.

I also would ask my colleagues to help me additionally honor the Columbia Seven by joining and supporting the Columbia Seven receiving the Congressional Gold Medal with over 320 sponsors of this House, along with sponsors of the United States Senate, the other body, as I am not allowed to mention the other body. Let us honor them, for they were brave, and let us pay tribute to this great resolution, H.J. Res. 57, that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) has so ably presented before us, and pay tribute to her for her leadership and as well thank her for bringing honor to the Columbia Seven.

Let us join again in honoring them by supporting the Congressional Gold Medal for the Columbia Seven, because that brings additional tribute to their families, and let us again support the exploration of space by those learning to understand space and those still wishing to go into space.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today to support H.J. Res. 57 designating the space science learning center in Downey, California as the ``Columbia Memorial Space Science Learing Center'' as a living memorial to the seven Columbia astronauts who died serving their country in the name of furthering scientific research. The establishment of this center will provide a venue that will inspire those who may be our future astronauts, scientists, and engineers and will help people of all ages enhance their knowledge of science and to value technology in their daily lives.

Yesterday's news about the successful flight of SpaceShipOne the world's first privately funded manned spacecraft--its second flight in less than a week--is proof of the continued excitement for space travel and the science that supports it. Few were able to witness yesterday's flight. This new center will help to bring those experiences to the public.

The naming of this center will help us to remember the sacrifices that the Columbia astronauts have made to their country and in the furtherance of science. The seven astronauts whose lives were lost aboard the space shuttle Columbia were truly extraordinary people. To the world those astronauts were valiant heroes; to those of us from Houston, they were also friends, neighbors, and family. They were integral members of the community, and they paid the ultimate price to further a mission that benefited all of humanity.

The courageous astronauts aboard the Columbia were individuals of the highest caliber, always striving for excellence, and exemplifying the most noble of human traits. They were skilled professionals, scientists, clinicians, adventurers, and family men and women. The crew represented the diversity of our Nation--black and white, men and women, immigrant and native-born. The crew even included a comrade from Israel, the embodiment of the international goals of peace and cooperation.

I believe President Kennedy said it well in 1962 in my hometown of Houston, when declaring his commitment to putting a man on the moon by the end of that decade. He said,

``This generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it--we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.''

I believe that President Kennedy would have been proud to see the fantastic progress of the program that he so inspired that day. Today, NASA provides insights into the origins, destiny, and wonder of the universe and is a source of dreams for young and old alike.

Beyond the technological benefits of space exploration, NASA's courageous pioneers also inspired the youth of America in a way that only manned space missions can. The majesty and adventure of seeing people traversing the heavens sparks the natural curiosity and imagination of young people. It nudges some toward science and math and pushes all to strive for excellence. Seeing a team, like that on the Columbia inspires young engineers, scientists, and all sorts of people who want to be part of something truly great and noble. That inspiration may well be the Columbia crew's most enduring impact on humanity. Centers like the ``Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center''--itself located on an historic NASA site--are important in bringing that inspiration to the public.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I was just listening to the final remarks of the gentleman when I was standing here. I was not recognizing that we are towards the end of the session and that we are coming to an end of a tenure. I might have been one of those that put in a petition for the extension of the chairman's tenure. But I just want to join my ranking member and congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for many of the bipartisan efforts and journeys that we have taken.

We have a mutual love of space exploration. We have teased each other about unmanned and manned in space, and I will change that to womaned and unwomaned. But in any event, I, too, want to add my appreciation. I will continue to work with him as he works with me in supporting not only this great resolution but also the Congressional Gold Medal that honors our Columbia seven as well.

I thank the distinguished ranking member for yielding to me, and I thank him for his support on the Congressional Gold Medal work and the legislation before us.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of House Joint Resolution 57, which I introduced last year with my distinguished colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for his support and his assistance in bringing this resolution to the floor. This resolution, I am proud to say, has the unanimous support of the California delegation in the House of Representatives, and I thank all of them for their sponsorship.

Mr. Speaker, House Joint Resolution 57 names the proposed learning center in the city of Downey the Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center. This naming is in honor of the seven brave astronauts who lost their lives on the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003.

The city of Downey, which I am proud to say is in my 34th Congressional District, was home to the former Rockwell International plant where key components of NASA's space shuttle fleet, including the Columbia, were built. The history of America's space program runs deep through the fabric of Downey where virtually everyone in the city boasts of having a relative or a friend who played a key role in engineering or building our Nation's space shuttle fleet.

When NASA closed the shuttle manufacturing facility, it was Downey's great pride in its space heritage that motivated city leaders to incorporate a space science learning center as a cornerstone of its economic redevelopment plan. Former Representative Steve Horn's early support was key to this effort, and his ability to secure Federal resources for the center was instrumental in moving the project forward.

I am pleased to continue his work and to be able to have finalized the transfer of the former NASA site from the State of California to the city of Downey. When completed in 2006, the learning center will memorialize the Columbia astronauts, the rich space history of Downey, and all who helped realize our Nation's dream of space exploration.

To effectively teach current and future generations about this proud history, Downey has contracted an historian familiar with aeronautic development and its special context in southern California.

His or her work will be the principle source for history-oriented exhibits and programs at the center. The Columbia Learning Center, however, is also about the future of space exploration. Downey's leaders recognize that the city's legacy goes beyond astronauts and aeronautical engineers or the shuttles, Apollo modules, and moon capsules that were built in Downey during the last half century.

They know the future lies in our youth. The Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center will therefore design programs and exhibits to excite our youth about the sciences and to inspire them to become our country's future scientists, engineers and astronauts who will explore the universe and make discoveries we can now only imagine.

I cannot think of a more fitting memorial than to name the Downey Space Science Learning Center in honor of the brave men and women of the Columbia crew who gave their lives in the pursuits of space science and space exploration.

I am proud to sponsor this legislation with the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) and the entire California delegation, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I join my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), in support of H.J. Res. 57 which recognizes, through a sense of Congress, the contribution of the seven Columbia astronauts by supporting the establishment of a Columbia Memorial Science Learning Center in Downey, California.

The Columbia shuttle accident was a great tragedy in American history. These courageous astronauts were dedicated to scientific research and stimulated the interest of American children in space flight and science. The crew members gave their lives in trying to benefit the education of American children.

Accordingly, an appropriate tribute to their memory would be to expand educational opportunities in science by the establishment of a center and museum to provide children and teachers with activities and information derived from American space science and research.

A fitting site for such a memorial is the former manufacturing site of the space shuttles, including the Columbia and Challenger, in the city of Downey, California. City officials have worked diligently with the NASA officials to develop this center. As a result, it is both appropriate and important for Congress to endorse this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), the original sponsor of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as we conclude this important bill, I would just like to say that I served as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics with the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for most of those 8 years.

In my 20 years in Congress, I have not served with a more fair, decent or knowledgeable chairman as the gentleman. And I will also say that, within his discretion, which was most of the time, he could not have been more bipartisan in trying to find solutions to our joint concerns. So I very sincerely say that the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, the Committee on Science, our country is a better place for the gentleman's service to the Committee on Science.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I would say that all the men and women on our subcommittee on my side of the aisle would echo those remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, recognizing the contribution and sacrifice of our brave astronauts is certainly reason enough to support this resolution, but there may be a justification which is equally important.

For a number of years now, decreasing numbers of our young people have aspired to careers in science, math, and engineering. This puts us at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world. Indeed, many of our companies in this country must solicit overseas for workers in these technical areas because we simply are not turning out enough in this country.

For the short term, this is a threat to our economic superiority. We will not continue to be the world's premier economic power if we do not turn out scientists, mathematicians, and engineers in adequate numbers. For the longer term, it is a threat to our national security. Our military prowess is now the envy of the world. That cannot continue to be so for the future if we do not turn out well-trained scientists, mathematicians, and engineers in large enough numbers.

Hopefully, as young people come to this learning center, they will be inspired once again to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. This will be good for them. It will certainly be good for our country.