Providing for the appointment of Eli Broad as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

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

Madam Speaker, I wish to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney). As the chairman has pointed out, I am as well pleased to support Senate Joint Resolution 38 which appoints Eli Broad to a 6-year term as citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to fill that vacancy.

Senate Joint Resolution 38 passed the Senate on June 9, 2004. An identical bill, House Joint Resolution 99, was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui), who continues to serve on the board of regents with distinction.

Mr. Broad has been recommended by the board of regents to replace our former colleague, Barber Conable, as the chairman pointed out. Mr. Conable retired from the House of Representatives in 1985 and passed away on November 20, 2003.

I especially, again, want to congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui) for his leadership in bringing this nomination to the floor. He has been a regent of the Smithsonian Institution since 1999 and has been diligent in his duties to promote its effective operation, even in the face of his increasing leadership responsibilities here in the House.

Madam Speaker, the board of regents, as the chairman has noted, was created in 1846 as a governing body of the Smithsonian Institution and currently has 17 board members. Eli Broad, who has been recommended to become its newest citizen regent, is a distinguished business leader who built two Fortune 500 companies over a 5-decade career.

As founder of the Broad Foundation, he has focused on philanthropy, promoting art, education, scientific and biomedical research and civic development. Mr. Broad is well qualified for this post, and his wide array of experience will be an asset to the Smithsonian Institution in the years ahead. I urge approval of this joint resolution and its enactment so Mr. Broad may attend the next meeting of the board of regents currently scheduled for September.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support S.J. Res. 38, to appoint Eli Broad to a six-year term as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to fill a vacancy. S.J. Res. 38 passed the Senate on June 9, 2004. An identical bill, H.R. Res. 99, was introduced by Representative Matsui.

Mr. Broad has been recommended by the Board of Regents to replace our late former colleague, Barber Conable of New York, who retired from the House of Representatives in 1985 and passed away on November 20, 2003.

After his retirement, Rep. Conable was generous in his continuing contributions to the Congress, including his service on the advisory board created by the History of the House Awareness and Preservation Act, which was enacted in the 106th Congress and which I had sponsored.

The bill authorized the writing of a major new volume on the history of our institution by a major scholar in the field, and that work is currently being undertaken by Professor Robert Remini, professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois--Chicago.

Representative Matsui, who introduced the House's companion legislation (H.J. Res. 99), has been a regent of the Smithsonian since 1999 and has been diligent in his duty to promote its effective operation, even in the face of his increasing leadership responsibilities here in the House. He has been an exemplar of broad public service to the American people in a variety of roles.

On a more personal note, Bob is closely associated with his work to help the Smithsonian shape the ``More Perfect Union'' exhibit in the National Museum of American History. That exhibit examines the experiences of the Nisei, Americans of Japanese descent, many of whom, like Bob Matsui and his family, were interned during World War II. It is a significant contribution to public awareness of that tragic era.

The Board of Regents was created in 1846 as the governing body of the Smithsonian, a unique trust equity created by Congress, and is currently composed of 17 Members, including six Members of Congress, three from each chamber. The positions of the nine citizen regents of the Smithsonian were created to bring a variety of expertise from business, politics, science, education and the arts to complement the other regents and provide additional perspective in the funding and management of the Smithsonian's infrastructure and worldwide network of initiatives.

Eli Broad, who has been recommended to become the newest citizen regent, is a distinguished business leader who built two Fortune 500 companies over a five-decade career. He is chairman of AIG Retirement Services Inc., formerly SunAmerica Inc., and founder-chairman of KB Home, formerly Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation.

As founder of the Broad Foundation, he is focused on philanthropy, promoting art, education, scientific and biomedical research and civic development. Since 1984, the Broad Art Foundation has loaned portions of its extensive collection to more than 400 museums and university galleries worldwide.

Mr. Broad was the founding chairman of the board of trustees of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and is currently a trustee and member of the executive committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Since 1999, The Broad Foundation has worked to improve urban public education through better governance, management and labor relations and has committed over $400 million to support innovation in the Nation's largest urban school systems. Mr. Broad has also been active in a variety of civic projects to promote and improve the city of Los Angeles.

In June 2003, in a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and Whitehead Institute, the Broads announced the founding gift to create The Eli and Edythe Broad Institute for biomedical research. The Institute's aim is to revolutionize clinical medicine through genetic research and to make knowledge freely available to scientists around the world.

Mr. Broad is a member of the board of trustees of CalTech. He also served as chairman of the board of trustees of Pitzer College and vice chairman of the board of trustees of the California State University system.

Mr. Broad is well-qualified for this post and his wide array of experience will be an asset to the Smithsonian in the years ahead. I urge approval of the joint resolution and its enactment so that Mr. Broad may attend the next meeting of the Board of Regents currently scheduled for September.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 38) providing for the appointment of Eli Broad as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Senate Joint Resolution 38, which provides for the appoint of Eli Broad as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

The Smithsonian is governed by a board of regents which is comprised of 17 members. These 17 members include the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Vice President of the United States, three Members each of the U.S. House and Senate, and nine citizens who are nominated by the board and approved jointly in a resolution of Congress. The nine citizen members serve for a term of 6 years each, and are eligible for reappointment for one additional term.

Eli Broad will fill a vacancy on the board of regents for Barber Conable, Jr., who, sadly, passed away last year. Eli Broad is an accomplished business leader who built two Fortune 500 companies from the ground up. He serves on several boards, most notably; he is chairman of AIG Retirement Services and KB Home, formerly Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation. He is also the founding chairman of the board of trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and currently a trustee and member of the executive committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, are active philanthropists. Since 1984, the Broad Art Foundation has operated an active ``lending library'' of its extensive collection to more than 400 museums and university galleries worldwide.

One of Eli Broad's charitable contributions includes the Broad Foundation, whose mission is to improve urban public education. The foundation has committed over $400 million to support new ideas in the Nation's largest urban school systems. The Broad Foundation contributed toward the construction of the Broad Art Center at UCLA.

However, Mr. Broad's background does not end there, as he incorporates extensive involvement in the field of science as well. The Eli and Edythe Broad Institute for Biomedical Research is a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Whitehead Institute. It was created in June 2003, and the institute's aim is to realize the promise of the human genome and to revolutionize clinical medicine.

Eli Broad's ongoing leadership roles in art, education, science, and civic development make him a strong candidate for service on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents. I join with my colleague, the ranking member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), in support of Senate Joint Resolution 38.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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