Commending those individuals who contributed to the debris collection effort following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

Of course, as has been pointed out very aptly by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), our country suffered a major tragedy on February 1, 2003. Of course, that was the day that the sky over my home State of Texas was filled with fiery debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia. We all mourn the loss of the seven brave men and women who perished that day, and will never forget their sacrifice. They made the ultimate sacrifices in the cause of space exploration and, of course, in the cause of science.

In the weeks and months since the loss of Columbia and its crew, the focus has been on finding the cause of the accident, not to place blame but to prevent future tragedy. Examination of shuttle debris has been a very important part of that investigation.

We know that it has not been an easy job to collect this. It has been a tedious job, and it has been day in and day out, long hours. It was scattered over at least two States with the bulk of it spread over a wide area of my home State of Texas. Yet within hours of the accident, we had teams of people, men and women, young men and young women, out scouring the countryside for that debris; and it was a very impressive effort.

It involved people from a number of Federal agencies, including personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agencies, from NASA, from the United States Forest Service, and the EPA among others. It also involved people from State and local agencies who worked very long hours, in all kinds of weather; and it also involved citizens from many States who volunteered their time and volunteered their energy to this task. We owe all of them our thanks.

We also offer our condolences to those who perished when their helicopter crashed during the search for debris.

We know, Madam Speaker, and I also want to note, that there is another aspect of the story that needs to be highlighted, and that is the heartwarming response of my east Texas friends and my neighbors in the search in the area who comprised the search teams. There have been countless examples of folks in Texas opening their homes and hearts to those who have been engaged in the grueling work of debris recovery, and I am very proud of all of them.

The concentrated multiagency debris collection effort that was led by FEMA ended on April 30 when FEMA turned over the responsibilities for any further collection efforts to NASA. While that effort will continue, we can take stock of what has been accomplished today. It is an impressive accomplishment.

Nearly 85,000 pounds of debris, about 38 percent of Columbia's dry weight, was recovered. That was far more than had been hoped for when the search began in February. In addition, nearly 83,000 specific items have been recovered; and more than 79,000 of those have been identified. Most importantly, the board investigating the Columbia accident has said that the debris collected so far has been invaluable in helping them in their efforts to determine the cause of the accident.

Madam Speaker, I think the Nation owes a debt of gratitude to the thousands of individuals and organizations who work so tirelessly to recover the space shuttle debris. I do not personally think that that search is over because, as my colleagues know, common sense tells us and our knowledge of history, of weather facts, there is still snow on the ground in a lot of the area where the shuttle began to come apart. There are some very deep lakes that because of weather hazards we have not really been able to search those.

We need to really wait until that snow vanishes as the summer comes on, to where we can really look particularly around Fallon, Nevada, in that area, where a lot of our indications are that the very first major part of that Shuttle came apart. Then we need to get to the American people not 10 reasons that might have caused it, but get to the cause of it, because we have three more shuttles that we want to send up. We still have to have a presence in space, but we want it to be a safe presence, we want it to be safe for the men and women who will man them.

I think it is to be noted that I introduced House Resolution 222 as a way for this body to express our thanks on behalf of all America. We have a number of cosigners, and I hope we have more. I think it is the right thing to do, and I hope my colleagues will support it.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the delegate from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), who is on the Committee on International Relations, a very important committee.

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Research of the Committee on Science, and my fellow Congresswoman from the neighboring county of Dallas.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and a long-time supporter of NASA, being from the Houston area.

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

I urge the passage of this resolution. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) for his participation and his support. He is a man of medicine and a very valuable member of the Committee on Science. I thank him for his input and will expect and appreciate his support of this resolution which I know is coming.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 222) commending those individuals who contributed to the debris collection effort following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, the morning of February 1 was a tragic day for our space program, our Nation, and the world when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart upon re-entry over the skies of Texas.

Our Nation and our Congress have honored the memory of the seven astronauts who gave the last full measure of devotion to the cause of space exploration, and we pay our respects to the families of those affected by the tragedy.

Today, with this resolution, we honor over 20,000 Americans who worked long hours over the past several months under difficult weather and terrain conditions to find the remains of the Columbia crew and scattered pieces of the space shuttle. In a painstaking search over 680,000 acres, the search teams recovered over 83,000 pieces of the shuttle in order to piece together a puzzle and find answers for what went terribly wrong that morning.

This resolution honors the great Americans from NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the EPA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the United States Forest Service, the Park Service, the Texas National Guard, Louisiana National Guard, fire crews from 42 States, State and local authorities, as well as many farmers, land owners, and citizens who helped locate, document, and pick up the pieces over the past several months.

Over 20,000 Americans from over 130 Federal, State and local agencies came together as a team for this noble effort, walking their specific search grids. Their selfless acts of dedication and generosity honored the memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew and greatly aided the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. The search teams endured snow and ice storms as well as brambles and swamps in their search.

We especially honor the pilot and Forest Service Ranger who lost their lives in a helicopter crash while searching for material in the Angelina National Forest in east Texas on March 27 of this year.

To quote President Bush in honoring the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, ``This cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we choose; it is a desire written in the human heart. We are that part of creation which seeks to understand all creation. We find the best among us, send them forth into unmapped darkness, and pray they will return. They go in peace for all mankind, and all mankind is in their debt.''

Likewise, all mankind is in the debt of the search and recovery teams for their noble effort and sacrifice. Thus, the House of Representatives offers its gratitude on behalf of the American people and to the thousands of individuals who worked tirelessly to recover the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

After hearing the ranking member's remarks, I am again reminded of the valuable leadership that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) brings to the Committee on Science, and the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics in particular. I appreciate his bringing this bill to the floor for our attention.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith).

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

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 222. This resolution commends those individuals who contributed to the debris collection efforts following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.

On the early morning of Saturday, February 1, 2003, just after 9:00 a.m. a tragedy struck our nation. For the second time in 17 years we lost the crew of a Space Shuttle. This time it was the Space Shuttle Columbia, the oldest of America's four space planes.

On board was a crew of seven courageous astronauts--six Americans: Colonel Douglas Husband, Commander William C. McCool, Astronaut Kaplana Chawla, Captain David M. Brown, Lieutenant Colonel Michael P. Anderson, Captain Laurel Blair Salton Clark, MD, and one Israeli: Colonel Ilan Ramon.

The seven astronauts accepted this mission knowing the potential danger they faced. Despite the danger, they risked their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice in their dedicated efforts to advance our nation's space program. Each of these astronauts will be remembered as a pioneer and a hero.

More heroes emerged in the days and weeks following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident. These heroes collected the debris and wreckage from the Space Shuttle Columbia. Among the debris collectors were National Guard Civil Support Teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, trained to handle the aftermath of terrorist attacks. Their training made them ideal experts for protecting the public from the toxic shuttle fuels. Also helping with the collection were Department of Public safety troopers, the National Forest Service, forest fire crews, and other law enforcement agency personnel.

As impressive as the efforts of public agents was the self-sacrifice of the over 1,500 volunteers who helped with the search for debris. The volunteers are residents of Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Texas. They hiked over and through thickets, briars, forests, marshes, muddy hillsides, creeks, and barbed-wire fences for over a week looking for debris. The volunteers braved near-freezing temperatures, gusting winds, sleet, and rain. They included teachers, NASA engineers, store-owners, and housewives.

Brian Carpenter, a volunteer from Warren, Texas described his experience, and why he joined the search efforts. ``It's cold out here,'' he said, ``but knowing that the day will come when the astronaut's families will be able to smile and think about their loved ones with pride and without grieving, there's warmth in that.''

Tracy Jones of Orange, Texas said, ``We want to give the families peace of mind. That's the only reason we're out here.''

Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 222 to commend Brian Carpenter, Tracy Jones and all of the generous volunteers who helped to collect the Space Shuttle Columbia debris. I also support H. Res. 222 to commend the members of the National Guard Civil Support Teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, the Department of Public safety troopers, the National Forest Service, forest fire crews, and the other law enforcement agency personnel who sacrificed their time to collect the debris and bring a sense of needed closure to the grieving families of the astronauts. I commend everyone who helped with the debris collection efforts. They too are heroes.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the other members of our Committee on Science, and certainly our chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), we commend the adoption of this resolution.

Two words in the English language are not spoken enough, and these words are ``thank you.'' With this resolution before us, the House of Representatives, on behalf of government, on behalf of the American people, thank the thousands of search and discovery crews who scoured through thick forests and brambles, dove underwater in freezing lakes and reservoirs, trudged through swamps in icy temperatures and storms in search of the bits and pieces left over from the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. It was grim work that lasted many months, and those who undertook the solemn duty in east Texas and elsewhere deserve our thanks and praise.

Few things embody the triumph and tragedy that make up the fabric of our country more than the space program. The space program's very purpose, to discover what lies beyond our world, is at the heart of the American spirit. The thousands of Americans who aided in the Columbia debris search have become a vital part of our Nation's space program. They allow us to learn what went wrong that fateful morning of February 1 so that we can fix it and forge ahead with a stronger space program with the best balance between manned and unmanned flight.

With this resolution we honor those who walked more than 700,000 acres on foot, surveyed more than 1.6 million acres in aircraft, and swept over at least 23 square miles of lakes and reservoirs over the last several months to find what remained of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Now the 83,000 pieces of evidence are being shifted through at Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers and elsewhere, and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board is beginning to form findings and recommendations to make our Nation's space program better than it was before.

Just as the thousands of search crews took it upon themselves to have a solemn duty, we in Congress will soon be asked to perform our solemn duty to uphold the values and build on the legacy of the Columbia astronauts we lost. We have a duty to them, their families, the NASA family, the search crews, and to everyone who gains so much inspiration from the drive to discover what exists beyond our world. The lives lost cannot be in vain.

Today, with this resolution, we honor those who performed their duty. And to the thousands of men and women who engaged and congregated in east Texas in search of what remained of mission STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia, we say ``thank you.''

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution of my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall).

Human space flight is America's ultimate commitment to scientific exploration and research, and astronauts receive and deserve the most glory because they take the ultimate risk, as we know from the Columbia and the crew of Apollo 1, and the Challenger. They all made the ultimate sacrifice.

It is interesting, this resolution, because yesterday I had the opportunity in my district to visit three middle schools, Hambrick Middle School in Aldine ISP, Patrick Henry and Stevenson Middle Schools in the Houston Independent School District, with NASA astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz to encourage our young children to pursue careers in math and science and engineering so they can get great jobs and maybe even work for NASA one day. This is a great experience. I have been able to do that for a number of years with the astronauts in our community, because space exploration is not just the here and now, it is the future.

That is why this resolution, I think, is so important because it does look into the future. To get our Space Shuttles back into orbit, we need to know what went wrong and how to fix it. To do this, 30,000 people from local, State, and Federal agencies participated in the search for debris from the Columbia to try to piece together what happened. These efforts resulted in 82,000 pieces weighing 80,000 pounds, when workers covered 1.6 million acres on the ground and in the air. Importantly, many wing pieces, tiles, and the flight data box have been recovered and are being analyzed by NASA engineers right now.

Amazingly, with the tremendous efforts of the search parties, five of the nine experiments aboard Columbia have been recovered, including one experiment developing cancer treatment drugs.

I would like to close by noting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is assuming most of the $300 million tab on this important operation; $1.2 million will reimburse Texas for the over-900 Texas National Guard personnel who participated.

I urge my colleagues to remember the expense needed for human space flight when we consider NASA's funding later this year. Shuttle maintenance and safety requirements are the highest priority. We need to take the lessons learned from the Columbia recovery search to heart and put them into practice. Again, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) and urge my colleagues to suspend the rules and pass this resolution.