Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3070) to reauthorize the human space flight, aeronautics, and science programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and for other purposes.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished ranking member for his leadership. I thank the chairman for the tone of collegiality and purpose that he sets in this committee. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), chairman of the subcommittee, for his renewed vigor on the idea of space, and certainly the leadership of the ranking member of the subcommittee for his forceful support of science and the environment.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3070 allows America to dream, but at the same time it allows America to generate results. I am gratified to rise in enthusiastic support of this legislation because it is a compilation of the views and interests of a wide range of those of us who are committed to a forceful and determined vision for science in America. It is not limited to the vision of space, although we in Houston understand that though we heard the words ``Houston, there is a problem,'' we now know ``Houston, we can dream.''

I live amongst astronauts and scientists who have for decades committed themselves to the science of space and the results that come about through that. They are brave men and women and families, who every day rally around their astronauts and allow them to do things that others of us simply dream to do.

This legislation captures that spirit, but it also is a commonsense initiative. For example, I am gratified, as the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) expressed, through his leadership we have firewalls between science and human space flight so that we do have the dollars necessary to set aside for science, building up our very poor resources and engineers and physicists and chemists and biologists and at the same time we have this commitment to human space flight.

For example, we are able to give a long-term commitment to this project. Funding for fiscal year 2006 is about $6.5 billion, which is approximately $15 million more than the President's request. We go on to authorize it in the years to come to give us a sense of consistency, which I think is extremely important.

Might I for a moment say that I will be supporting the manager's amendment, and I appreciate what the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) had to do on the International Space Station; however, I want the space station to be able to house six persons and disappointed if Dr. Griffin will pull back on that, but I am gratified that this amendment, the manager's amendment, asks for proof as to why that cannot be done. That is a constructive way to look at that problem of downsizing the space station, which I think does not serve the program very well.

Let me also say that I am very pleased because of the work of the ranking member in the subcommittee, as we have worked together on this issue, concerning the constituents who live around airports; and I have in my congressional district the Houston International Airport, one of the number one airports, or one of the largest airports in the Nation, that we have in this document the ability to provide research on noise levels so that the noise levels of airports will not go beyond the contents of this particular area, so that from the research that will be in this legislation, the word shall go out to all those who live around airports, because we know that populations have grown around airports, that they might be free at least from the sound of those airplanes taking off.

Let me quickly conclude by saying that I am grateful that in this particular legislation I have amendments that provide for a report on how much money is spent on safety, how important that is as we launch our discovery. Also, a new safety commission, which I will talk about more extensively, dealing with the International Space Station that will in this legislation as well, and finally an amendment that gives us equal access to education programs that provide for those new engineers.

I think this is a good bill. I ask my colleagues to support it.

I rise as a vigorous supporter of this NASA Authorization bill, which I am proud to say, passed by a unanimous vote of the Science Committee. Let me thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon for their outstanding work in making this consensus legislation that takes into consideration all points of view. NASA is at a very pivotal moment in its history and therefore it is the responsibility of this Congress to ensure that the future of NASA is one of continued progress. After the tragic Colombia Space Shuttle accident the Science Committee and this Congress were forced to reevaluate NASA's purpose. I have stated that safety must be the number one priority of NASA; however this should not deter NASA from pushing the boundaries of technology and discovery. I feel confident that this Authorization addresses both safety and discovery in a comprehensive manner.

I have been supportive of President Bush's Vision for Space Exploration because I firmly believe that the investment we make today in science and exploration will pay large dividends in the future. Similarly, I do not want to put a cap on the frontiers of our discovery, NASA should aim high and continue to push our nation at the forefront of space exploration. The President has stated that the fundamental goal of his directive for the Nation's space exploration program is ``. . . to advance U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program.'' I could not agree more with that statement and I believe this Authorization finally

gives more detail and purpose to the overall mission.

This bill authorizes funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007. Funding for fiscal year 2006 is $16.471 billion, which is approximately $15 million more than the President's request and the same as House Appropriations. For fiscal year 2007, the bill authorizes $16.962 billion, which is the same as the President's request. This legislation also directs NASA to strive to return Americans to the Moon no later than 2020, launch a Crew Exploration Vehicle as close to 2010 as possible, and conduct research on the impacts of space on the human body to enable long- duration space exploration. These provisions give more shape to the President Vision for Space Exploration.

I am also very pleased that many of my amendments regarding safety and equal access to NASA education programs are written into this legislation. The first amendment I advocated for requires that NASA report how much money is used for safety activities on a yearly basis. This provision is designed to ensure the safety of NASA personnel through governmental transparency. It is important to examine whether proper resources are being allocated towards ensuring the safety of our NASA personnel. My amendment addresses how the money is allocated and how much is going specifically to address safety concerns.

In addition, the Science Committee included my second amendment which calls for an independent Presidentially-appointed commission to investigate safety aboard the ISS. This amendment was introduced in the form of H.R. 4522, the International Space Station Independent Safety Commission Act of 2004 which I introduced in the 108th Congress. This vital piece of legislation can potentially make all the difference for the international crew that is stationed aboard the ISS. It is one of our most important NASA programs and therefore we must ensure that all safety precautions have been met.

My final amendment that was included was meant to ensure Equal Access to NASA's Education Programs, in which the Administrator shall strive to ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students to NASA's Education programs. Space exploration is one the most amazing things we have been able to do, and such enthusiasm for exploratory ventures should continue for generations. By striving to include minority and disadvantaged students in NASA Education Programs, we are opening a truly remarkable career to those who might have missed it.

In sum, this legislation is both comprehensive and provides a strong blueprint for NASA to follow. We as a Congress must approve this legislation and once again recommit ourselves to space exploration. Truly, we as a nation have come a long way in the area of space exploration since President John F. Kennedy set the course for our Nation when he stated in a speech at Rice University in 1962:

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge

to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won

and used for the progress of all people. For space science,

like nuclear science and technology, has no conscience of its

own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends

on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of

preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be

a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war . . . The

great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on

Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said

because it is there. Well space is there, and we're going to

climb it. And the moon and the planets are there. And new

hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And therefore, as we

set sail, we ask God's blessing, on the most hazardous, and

dangerous, and greatest adventure, on which man has ever

embarked.

I hope that we can look back to today as another step in this grand journey for exploration.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes. And let me just thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), the ranking member, for their leadership on this issue; my colleagues as well, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), and the entire Science Committee that have worked extensively on this issue.

My amendment is to restore funds to Historically Black Colleges under the NASA education program and to Hispanic Serving Colleges under the NASA education program. This amendment specifically would add a funding level of $69.2 million for fiscal year 2006 and $72.2 million for fiscal year 2007. My amendment would also restore funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions under NASA education programs in the amount of $46.4 million fiscal year 2006 and $47.4 million fiscal year 2007.

Let me first of all again acknowledge the underlying bill to have included my amendment dealing with equal access to NASA's education programs in which the administrator shall strive to ensure equal access to education by minorities. Might I give you a very small example. In the opportunity to visit NASA last week on the launch of the new Discovery, I met a young lady who I had not seen for a number of years. It was a number of years ago where I recommended that she attend a NASA launch, an African American young woman in an environmental science program, Ph.D. program at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.

Lo and behold, when I went there she came up to me and introduced herself and said, I am the young lady that you allowed to go to a launch. Now I have a Ph.D. in environmental sciences. I am affiliated with NASA and I am writing a proposal to enhance the affiliation with Texas Southern University.

This works, Mr. Chairman. The funding of these colleges work. The greatest producer of scientists are those who, in fact, come from Historically Black Colleges. And I read into the Record these numbers: for S and E graduates, scientists, female in the United States only 835,000. White students, 2 million-plus. Black students 121,000; Hispanics 120,000.

We need to pass this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment, which would restore funding for historically Black colleges and universities, HBCUs, under NASA education programs to the fiscal year 2004 funding level of $69.2 million for fiscal year 2006 and $71.2 million for fiscal year 2007. My amendment would also restore funding for Hispanic serving institutions under NASA education programs in the amount of $46.4 million for fiscal year 2006 and $47.4 million for fiscal year 2007.

Unfortunately, we do not have nearly enough minority representation in the fields of science and engineering. Minorities represent only a small proportion of scientists and engineers in the United States. Collectively, Blacks, Hispanics, and other ethnic groups--the latter includes American Indian/Alaskan Natives--constituted 24 percent of the total U.S. population and only 7 percent of the total science and engineering workforce in 1999. Blacks and Hispanics each accounted for about 3 percent of scientists and engineers, and other ethnic groups represented less than 0.5 percent.

The fact is that this year HBCUs face a $13 million cut in their allotment from NASA education funds. Clearly, this money could make a significant difference in the future diversity of the science community. For most of America's history, African-Americans who received a college education could only get it from an HBCU. Today, HBCUs remain one of the surest ways for an African-American, or student of any race, to receive a high quality education. In 1998, 29 percent of the African-Americans who received science and engineering bachelor's degrees earned them at HBCUs. Seven of the top eleven producers of African-American baccalaureates in engineering were HBCUs, including No. 1 North Carolina A&T State University. The top three producers of African-American baccalaureates in health professions--No. 1 Southern University and A&M College, No. 2 Florida A&M University, and No. 3 Howard University--were HBCUs. The 12 top producers of African-American baccalaureates in the physical sciences, including No. 1 Xavier University of Louisiana, were all HBCUs.

Hispanic serving institutions, HSIs, have also suffered dramatic cuts because of lower funding this year. Despite the fact that about one- third of Hispanics who earned science and engineering bachelor's degrees did so at HSIs. According to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Hispanics are historically underrepresented in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. HSIs receive only half the Federal funding per student, on average, according to every other degree-granting institution. Indeed it seems sadly clear that HSIs are a long way from Federal funding parity with other institutions of higher learning.

I hope every Member of this body can agree on the importance of HBCUs and HSIs and I hope you will support my amendment to restore their funding to a proper level.

I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his leadership and for his support on this effort.

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

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green), a member of the Science Committee and as well a colleague from Houston, Texas.

(Mr. AL GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) for his support and for his leadership on the issue.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) and I thank the gentlewoman very much for the long-standing commitment and the legislative initiatives that she has had in creating equal opportunity access of the sciences for our students in America.

Mr. Chairman, again, let me emphasize, as my colleagues have done, the very, very clear bipartisanship of this committee. And let me specifically thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), the chairman, the subcommittee chairman, and the ranking member of the subcommittee for their work in this area.

Let me close by simply suggesting and reading that collectively blacks and Hispanics and other ethnic groups, the latter includes American Indians and Alaskan Natives, constitute 24 percent of the U.S. population but only 7 percent of the total.

My good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) emphasizes that these universities are diverse. And so out of an investment of added, if you will, support, we will diversify the base of scientists which will include women, minority women, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and others who have been, if you will, in the lesser numbers of these particular disciplines.

I ask that this amendment be considered in conference. I thank the chairman for working with me and hoping that we can work through conference to build these numbers up. I thank the gentleman for that.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that my amendment be withdrawn to further work in conference.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 3 minutes.

I think it is appropriate again to acknowledge both the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), in helping me construct both this idea and this vision. At the same time, I want to acknowledge our ranking member of the subcommittee and of course the chairman of the subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I speak in soft tones because this is a very serious issue, inasmuch as I think we learned a very definitive lesson after first Challenger and then Columbia. I started out by saying that this legislation helps America to dream, but I also mentioned the famous words ``Houston, we've got a problem.'' Of course, we now know how we can fix the problem.

I have worked on this committee to ensure that there is a safety vehicle, and I am gratified that this legislation includes my legislation for an independent Presidentially appointed commission to investigate safety aboard the International Space Station. This amendment was introduced earlier into H.R. 4522 in 2004, and this vital piece of legislation can potentially make the difference regarding safety for the international space crew.

The amendment I offer today is one that will protect the human resource. It may be called whistleblower legislation; but in actuality it is legislation that will expand and protect human space flight, for it protects employees who do raise or have raised concerns about a potentially catastrophic risk to health or safety. This issue was raised by the Columbia Space Shuttle Accident Investigation Board as part of the problem at NASA because employees often felt intimidated by raising safety concerns.

This is a sense of Congress that will allow us to have a placeholder, if you will, as this bill goes to conference, in that we will have and be able to utilize draft language which will create a safe reporting board where NASA employees and contractors can go safely to report potentially catastrophic health or safety concerns that may lead to the loss of a craft or a crew.

Mr. Chairman, when we send brave Americans into space, we also send their families and loved ones. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude, but we owe them our commitment to never doing anything to our knowledge that would make this unsafe. Reports after the tragic Columbia Space Shuttle accident indicates that this bill may serve a vital role in improving communications at NASA, protecting workers, and averting catastrophic accidents in the future. It would rapidly screen such disclosures, and either report them directly to the administrator or reject them as noneligible.

Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I thank the distinguished gentleman from Colorado very much.

Let me simply close by saying that this need for such a safety vehicle for the employees to protect themselves was documented on page 169 of the Gehman Report that said there was a broken culture of safety.

Mr. Chairman, I believe we have gone miles ahead of this report and have really constructed a safety firewall, if you will, for the employees. This amendment, added to this legislation and working through conference, will make it clear you are protected, let us know what is going on so we can save lives and continue our vision and our dream of sending men and women into space.

Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment, which offers protection for whistleblowers at NASA who raise concerns about safety. This amendment would require the NASA Administrator to transmit to the House Committee on Science and the Senate Committee on Commerce, a plan describing steps NASA will take to protect employees who do raise or have raised concerns about a potentially catastrophic risk to health or safety. This issue was raised by the Columbia Space Shuttle Accident Investigation Board as part of the problem at NASA because employees often felt intimidated from raising safety concerns.

I hope that Chairman Boehlert will work with me to go further on this issue once this bill goes in to Conference. I have draft language which would create a ``Safe Reporting Board'' where NASA employees and contractors can go to report ``potentially catastrophic health or safety concerns'' that could lead to the loss of a craft or crew. Reports after the tragic Columbia space shuttle accident indicated that this bill may serve a vital role in improving communications at NASA, protecting workers, and averting catastrophe in the future.

This Safety Reporting Board would rapidly screen such disclosures and either report them directly to the Administrator, or reject them as non-eligible--perhaps with a suggestion to seek redress through their union, OSHA representative, ombudsman, etc. Afterward, the Board would be tasked with keeping a registry of reporting workers and with dispute resolution in the event that the worker alleges retaliation by management. Coupling the reporting and anti-retaliation functions in one board should limit the scope of the board to truly vital issues, and make workers feel confident that their concerns will not be lost or buried in the bureaucracy of standard whistleblower or OSHA claims. The Board would include both NASA managers and non-managers, with diverse expertise, representing multiple Centers, and include an advocate for workers.

Admiral Gehman and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board explained how fear of retaliation by management, has lead some engineers to stifle their own concerns about the safety and well-being of NASA missions and crew. Page 169 of their report gives great insight into the broken culture of safety at NASA that impeded the flow of critical information from engineers up to program managers. I quote: ``Further, when asked by investigators why they were not more vocal about their concerns, Debris Assessment Team members opined that by raising contrary points of view about Shuttle mission safety, they would be singled out for possible ridicule by their peers.''

That reaffirms to me that strong whistleblower protections do not just protect workers. They protect lines of communication and dialog that prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and, in this case, might have saved lives. I believe strongly that my language will enhance whistleblower protections for the NASA workforce, to make sure that critical information is never lost due to intimidation or fear. This problem may have contributed to the loss of two Shuttles and 14 brave crewmembers already. Last year, an independent business consulting firm Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. reported that the problem persists at NASA even after the Columbia shuttle accident. Safety must be the number one priority of NASA and this amendment helps solve one of the biggest roadblocks we have remaining.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3070. Let me begin by thanking the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) for the magnificent work he has performed as chairman of our Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and the lead author of this bill. Without the gentleman's steadfast determination, his insight and openness to compromise, we would not be here today.

I also want to thank my ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), and our subcommittee ranking, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) for their leadership and willingness to compromise, and I want to thank all the members of the committee on both sides of the aisle who have contributed to this bill. It is truly a team effort and it shows what Congress can accomplish if we work together in an open- minded and cooperative manner.

Now, I have opened my statement by focusing on compromise but I do not want anyone to think that this bill represents some kind of random hodgepodge of competing views. H.R. 3070 is built on firm central principles that will give clear direction to NASA.

What are those principles? First, Congress endorses the President's Vision for Space Exploration. The United States will work to return to the Moon by 2020 and then will move on to other destinations. We will build a new Crew Exploration Vehicle that, among other tasks, will service the International Space Station. And the bill allows the Space Shuttle to be retired no later

than 2010, which we must do if the space program is to continue to make progress.

Obviously, we hope and pray for the safe return to flight of the Space Shuttle now scheduled for next Tuesday. The Space Shuttle is a magnificent machine and our current space program is dependent on it, but it is not our future in space.

The second principle on which this bill is founded, and it is every bit as essential as the first principle, is that NASA is a multi- mission agency with vital responsibilities in space science, earth science, and aeronautics. Those programs are NASA's most successful efforts. They bring enormous economic and intellectual benefits and they create every bit as much excitement among students and the general public as do the human space flight programs.

This bill recognize the centrality of those programs and authorizes them at a greater level than the administration has proposed. The bill specifically endorses the Hubble space telescope repair mission, assuming, and this is important, assuming the NASA Administrator determines that the mission would not impose any unreasonable risk. And the bill treats these programs as priorities to be evaluated on their own merits, not in terms of the human space flight program.

The third principle behind this bill is an understanding that NASA is in a period of transition and that Congress needs much more information before we can make detailed decisions on the future of the agency's programs. For that reason the bill asks NASA to develop a vision for aeronautics, a prioritized list of science missions and a plan for its workforce and facilities. We require more joint planning with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Energy.

We explicitly list the numerous basic reports that Administrator Griffin has promised to provide by September, including, most significantly, reports on the number of remaining shuttle flights and their mission, the final configuration of the space station, the cost of the Crew Exploration Vehicle, the plan for what we will do on the Moon, and the plan for Project Prometheus, and that is not even the full list. We have a lot of oversight work ahead of us.

The fourth principle of the bill is that NASA has to try new ways of doing business if it is to remain innovative. This is a point that the former chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) always hammered home and it is an emphasis of the gentleman from California (Chairman Calvert) as well.

NASA has to be open to entrepreneurs. NASA needs to see how much it can gain from an expanded prize program which is authorized in this bill.

NASA needs to work with international partners on the Vision for Space Exploration.

So this is a bill built on solid principles that will give NASA a solid foundation from which to launch its many missions. We can all be proud of our space program, which has been a symbol of and contributor to the Nation's technological prowess. This bipartisan bill will ensure that that remains the case, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Chairman, I submit for the Record the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate on H.R. 3070.

July 20, 2005.

Hon. Sherwood L. Boehlert,

Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3070, the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization

Act of 2005.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mike

Waters.

Sincerely,

Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

Enclosure.

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

H.R. 3070--National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005--As reported by the House Committee on Science on July 18,

2005

Summary: H.R. 3070 would authorize appropriations for

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

activities for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. Assuming

appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that

implementing H.R. 3070 would cost $33 billion over the 2006-

2010 period. The legislation would extend NASA's authority to

indemnify or insure developers of experimental aerospace

vehicles from damage claims by third parties. That provision

could increase direct spending, but CBO estimates any such

costs would be insignificant over the 2006-2015 period.

H.R. 3070 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector

mandates as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal

governments.

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated

budgetary impact of H.R. 3070 is shown in the following

table. The costs of this legislation fall within budget

functions 250 (general science, space, and technology) and

400 (transportation).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, before actually yielding to this next speaker, because I feel it is most important for Members to note that the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) took over the subcommittee and totally immersed himself in the work of it. He is traveling around to all the NASA centers; he is interacting with the employees. And not just the top guys, but all the way down the line. This guy is proving by performance that he is outstanding in his leadership, and for that I thank him very much.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee.

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

I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) for his remarks and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) for his remarks.

A lot of people will look at this bill and wonder how we got here today, with seemingly widespread support, and I think that will be proven when the vote actually occurs, because we started out with clear differences. We are not talking about petty cash, we are talking about $30-plus billion over the next 2 years, but we got to this point because we reasoned together.

The professional staffs, and I emphasize the word, and Members worked in a bipartisan manner to fashion compromise, and this is the product that we have here today.

I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.

Mr. Chairman, this is an important outstanding issue that does need to be resolved, and it is my intention to address it in the final version of the bill.

As Members know, H.R. 3070 as originally introduced mandates that prize contestants keep their intellectual property, although NASA may negotiate a license. The gentleman's substitute would require that prize contestants choose one of two alternatives: Either agree to give NASA a royalty-free license in order to accept the prize or waive the prize in exchange for the right to negotiate a royalty agreement with

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), a valued member of the committee. All members on the committee are valued, but this guy is valued for so many reasons. One is because he brings intellectual curiosity to the committee and he also brings it with a sense of wit that has us smiling even at some of the most tense times.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), the former chairman of the subcommittee who helped immeasurably to get us where we are today.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney), a very valuable

member of the committee, relatively new member; but he brings to the committee the leadership qualities he demonstrated in the Florida legislature, and we frequently turn to him for counsel as we are dealing with these thorny matters.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), who has contributed so much for so long to the workings of the committee.

Just let me say to the gentleman from Illinois how much we value his many contributions to the committee and how much we look forward to a continuing productive working relationship.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis).

Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I could not agree with the gentlewoman from Virginia more. Aeronautics R&D must remain a vital component of NASA's mission, and the bill before us contains several provisions to reverse, as the gentlewoman said, the downward trend. First, we increase the authorization numbers for aeronautics above those requested by the administration. Incidentally, the gentlewoman should take some credit for that because I know how strongly she feels about it and her representations to the committee have not gone unnoticed.

Second, we direct NASA to develop a national aeronautics policy to help guide the agency's investment in the years ahead and to ensure that we have the proper people and facilities to support these efforts.

Finally, we direct NASA to better manage its wind tunnels and test facilities to ensure they are accessible and cost competitive. The Science Committee is committed to ensuring that aeronautics remains a key part of NASA's mission, and we look forward to working with the gentlewoman now and in the years to come to keep aeronautics front and center.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Let me conclude by thanking all the staff who worked so hard on this bill. That is a lot of credit to go around. I want to thank David Goldston and John Mimikakis and our new chief counsel Sara Gray. They all worked so very hard. And our Space Subcommittee staff led by Bill Adkins. That staff includes Ed Feddeman, Tom Hammond, Johannes Loschnigg, Ken Monroe and Roselee Roberts, Shep Ryan and Kristi Karls, all of whom have put countless hours into this bill. We sometimes need to stop and think about it all. We will work maybe into the evening, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning and then we shake hands and we say, Okay, staff, take care of it. And we go home and sometimes they do all-nighters. They are truly dedicated. They are also very professional, Democrat, Republican.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I want to thank Tim Brown of the Legislative Counsel's office who was very helpful to us. I also want to thank Dick Obermann and Chuck Atkins. They worked with us to craft on a bipartisan basis a really outstanding bill. I also want to thank Dave Ramey and Deena Contreras from the personal staff of the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert). What a splendid job they did.

Let me end this by thanking the NASA team. He may be gone, but he is not forgotten, the former Administrator, Sean O'Keefe, who gave so much to the program. The new Administrator who has taken over the reins. He is providing clear direction.

So many members of the committee like to talk about the equal opportunity society we have. We have got equal opportunity in spades within the NASA program. It excites so many people. I take great pride in pointing out that when the Space Shuttle returns to flight, the commander of that ship will be a New Yorker, Eileen Collins. What a wonderful role model she is for all of us. The NASA team is just particularly good.

Chris Shank, another former member of our staff, and Tim Hughes, they did a lot to help. There are so many thank-you's to go around, but most of all we all thank this great Nation of ours for making possible this opportunity.

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

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise to support my amendment, which I am offering along with my partners in this endeavor, the gentleman from California (Chairman Calvert), the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall). This amendment makes many technical and clarifying changes to the bill, some of them sought by NASA. It includes specific language sought by a number of Members, including the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), and the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca).

Most importantly, this amendment fully funds the President's request for exploration for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, not by cutting other programs, but by adding to the bottom line of the bill. I want to thank the administration and key members of our committee, including the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) for working with us on this amendment.

The amendment also specifically recognizes our hope for return to flight. It gives NASA flexibility on the crew size for the space station and clarifies provisions relating to cost reporting on major programs, and raises the threshold for a major program to those with a life-cycle cost of at least $150 million.

The amendment, like the underlying bill, represents a bipartisan effort, and it has the full support of the administration. I urge its adoption.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from

California (Mr. Calvert), the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Space.

Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), the distinguished majority leader.

Mr. Chairman, in closing, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan manager's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not intend to oppose it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I claim the time in opposition to the amendment only because it is procedurally necessary. I do not oppose the amendment. As a matter of fact, after careful examination of not only the language but the intent, we are pleased to accept the amendment. And I want to commend the gentlewoman from New York for offering this amendment. I think it enriches the bill.

We, because of the proximity of our offices and the frequency with which we have to travel from the offices to the floor, often find ourselves on the same path at the same time. And let me say to my colleagues, I can think of no one who is more ardent in her support of small business and her determination to help us enrich bills, no matter which committee we might serve on.

So I tell the gentlewoman I thank her for offering this constructive amendment, and we accept it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate that the gentlewoman intends to withdraw this amendment as she did at committee. The bill already recognizes, and I think this is very, very important, the importance of minority colleges and universities in several other provisions. But I am happy to work with the gentlewoman to see if some version of this language might be included in the final version of the bill.

Mr. Chairman, may I ask how much time the gentlewoman has. Because I just want to demonstrate the spirit of comity and good relations.

Mr. Chairman, I will let the gentlewoman proceed with her time; and then if she exhausts her

time, I understand the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) feels very strongly about this in support of it and he would like to have a minute or so, so I would be glad to yield that time. So I will let the gentlewoman proceed.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), a valued member of the committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

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

I guess the amendment is withdrawn but let me say, I marvel at the ability of the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) to stretch 60 seconds into 5 minutes.

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

As a preamble, let me say one of the things I am proudest of in my 23 years in this great institution is the record that I have tried to establish to expand opportunity for all, and I have worked diligently on every committee on which I have served to expand opportunities for minorities.

This committee recognizes the importance of that as the members of the committee will tell the gentlewoman who has offered the amendment. We are concerned. We care. We back up our words with deed. But I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

This amendment proposes to take scarce Federal funds to build buildings for private industry. I cannot imagine why we would use taxpayer money in that way. The idea is apparently for the Federal Government to build buildings on the campuses of minority institutions, which is an undefined term by the way, that would then in some way be turned over to the private sector.

I yield to the gentlewoman from New York.

Reclaiming my time, reading from the language of the amendment. ``The Administrator shall establish and carry out a pilot program to make grants to minority institutions for the development of physical facilities and infrastructure to be provided by NASA prime contractors for use in the performance of research, development, test and evaluation.''

I am not quite sure we can understand that. We on a bipartisan basis have some real problem with this language.

Reclaiming my time, there are some real problems with the drafting of this amendment because I am reading specifically language from the amendment. ``Development of physical facilities and infrastructure to be provided to NASA prime contractors.''

Maybe then the gentlewoman should withdraw the amendment and make sure we are understanding fully the clear intent of it so that we can work on it in a constructive manner in conference. But with that let me continue my statement because I have made a clear offer.

The Federal Government has pretty much gotten out of the business of funding the construction of campus buildings because we simply do not have the money, and funding research and equipment is a better use of Federal funds. But funding construction in this manner where the final user of the building would be private industry makes the notion even more questionable. And the language of the amendment, quite honestly, is so vague that it is not clear how anyone would benefit from this unusual financial handout. That is not the way we should be handling the taxpayers' money.

Let me once again offer to the gentlewoman in the spirit that this committee always operates, we will be glad to work with her on clearly defining the language and the intent so that as we go to conference committee, then perhaps we can come to some area of agreement. But as it now stands, I strongly oppose it.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

What does ``development of physical facilities'' mean then in the author's mind?

I would propose in response to the gentlewoman that she withdraw the amendment and we work in the spirit of bipartisanship to refine it so we all clearly understand what we are talking about.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to state that we will accept the amendment, and I want to thank the gentlewoman for working with us on the language of the amendment. We will work with her and NASA to draft language in the final version of the bill that will ensure that whistleblowers have the protection they need at NASA.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I want to speak in support of H.R. 3070, the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. This bill, as reported out of the Committee on Science, is a good bill and one that I am pleased to support. It is the result of constructive negotiations between the majority and the minority that led to a bill that provides

important funding and policy guidelines to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Mr. Chairman, during the hearings the Committee on Science held earlier this year on NASA and its human exploration initiative, I laid out a series of principles I believed needed to be included in this year's NASA authorization bill. Those principles include the following:

First, NASA should continue to be a multimission agency with robust R&D activities in science, aeronautics, and human space flights.

Second, I support human exploration beyond the low Earth orbit as an appropriate long-term goal for the space flight program. However, I believe there needs to be appropriate guidelines and flexible firewalls to ensure that it is properly paid for and not funded at the expense of other important NASA programs.

Third, there needs to be clear priorities within NASA's exploration program as well as within the agency's other core missions.

Fourth, the United States should honor its international obligations to the International Space Station program.

Fifth, there needs to be funding and policy direction to ensure that the International Space Station realizes its potential for fundamental and applied scientific and commercial research and is not just a platform for exploration initiative. The American taxpayer has invested too much money in the ISS for NASA to walk away from its long-standing commitment to research that can help benefit our citizens back here on Earth.

Finally, I believe that programmatic goals should be flexible, not rigid, guidelines. The flexibility is needed to allow for the changing situations at NASA, whether they be technical, operational, or budgetary in nature.

Mr. Chairman, it was my belief that the initial version of H.R. 3070 did not properly address those essential principles and, as a result of our concerns, Democrat members of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics withheld their support for the bill when it was marked up at the subcommittee level.

Following the markup, Democrats worked to develop an alternative NASA authorization bill that would address our concerns and be credible, practical, and conferenceable. That alternative bill was introduced as H.R. 3250, with cosponsorship of all the Democratic members of the Committee on Science.

As a result, we were able to have a productive dialogue with the Committee on Science majority, which led to many of the provisions in H.R. 3250 being incorporated into the bill before us today. I am pleased at the outcome because I think it did result in a better bill, one that can provide useful congressional guidance to NASA for the coming 2 years.

Mr. Chairman, before I close, I would like to say a word about the manager's amendment that will be considered later today. I would like to focus on one particular provision, namely, the increase in the overall authorization level for NASA to allow the human exploration program to be fully funded.

That provision would result in a total of $1.26 billion being added to NASA's 2-year authorization, with all of it being allocated to the exploration initiative. It should be noted that this provision was specifically sought by the White House and that the White House indicated that failure to include it would result in an unfavorable statement of administrative policy.

I have decided to support the inclusion of the extra funding for two basic reasons: first, money is being added for the exploration in a way that is consistent with the principles I outlined earlier, that is, funds sought by the administration to increase the exploration account are coming from an augmentation to NASA's overall bottom line rather than from the cannibalizing of other important NASA activities in aeronautics and science.

Second, the White House action in seeking the additional funding for NASA provides compelling confirmation of a point I have been making all year, namely, it is not possible to provide the levels of funding needed to maintain healthy aeronautics and science programs at NASA and fully fund the Human Exploration Initiative under the budget plan put forth by the White House. The amendments sought by the White House make that point clear.

I want the exploration initiative to succeed. It is a worthwhile endeavor. But it is clear if additional resources are not forthcoming, NASA will have to adjust the scope of its exploration activities and its timetables to fit within the available funds. That is going to be challenging to accomplish, but I believe it is going to be necessary.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), the chairman of the committee; chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert); the subcommittee's ranking member, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), for all their efforts in putting this bill together.

I would also like to give a special thanks to my staff, with Dick Obermann and Chuck Atkins, who spent late nights and many hours helping us work together, and the majority staff, who spent those same hours working together trying to get a good bill here, and they were successful. Mission accomplished.

Despite a somewhat rocky start, I believe the final product is a testament to their unwavering commitment to a strong and productive civil space program. I look forward to working with them to get this legislation enacted into law.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics; and I thank him not only for his work on the bill in general but specifically in the aeronautics area, where he was a real leader.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) concerning the issue of intellectual property rights with regard to prizes.

The bill is silent on this issue, and I would like to have a better outcome. This is an issue that needs to be resolved. Is it the chairman's intention to work toward a compromise as we go forward to conference?

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's willingness to work on this issue. We have been able to accommodate other issues, and I am sure we will this one. Just as steel is made by combining iron and other elements, by combining our two bills, we have a stronger bill, and I am sure we will work this out.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), a very active member of the committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), a valuable and active member of our committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), second ranking member on the Committee on Science.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Let me just conclude by once again thanking all the parties in bringing this bill together. Also, let me say a word to my friend from Massachusetts who I think made a good point about priorities. In this bill, we tried to establish priorities. We have to make them in context to going to schools, picking up the garbage, all the things that have to be done in this country. But I hope that we have seen in the past that also benefits on Earth have come about from our efforts in space, whether it is inspiring our youth to be involved in math and science or the different products that have been involved.

But a good point has been made. We need to have this balance. We want to work with him and others to try to have that balance. If we can't explain to you and justify to you the benefits of going to Mars, going to the Moon and the other aeronautic aspects of NASA, then we haven't done our job.

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

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition under the rule, since no opponent has risen to claim that time.

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

Mr. Chairman, I want to speak in support of the manager's amendment to H.R. 3070. This manager's amendment is a result of a great deal of constructive discussion and negotiation between the majority and the minority. I believe that on balance it will make a good bill better.

The gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) has already outlined the provisions of the manager's amendment, so I will not take the time to restate them. Instead, I would like to limit myself to a few comments.

First, I am prepared to support the increased funding of NASA's exploration program that is contained in this amendment. As I said in my statement during the general debate, I think that the approach taken in the amendment to increase exploration funding is the right one. If this amendment passes, as I hope it will, it will be a clear statement that the House of Representatives believes that additional funding for the exploration program should not be obtained by cannibalizing NASA's other core missions. That is an important policy statement, and I am pleased that the House will make it by adopting this amendment.

There are other constructive provisions in the amendment; namely, provisions to ensure that the needs of NASA's workforce are addressed in the midst of all the changes occurring at NASA; provisions to encourage the participation of minorities and women in NASA's educational activities, as well as other programs; a statement of support for NASA's shuttle return-to-flight efforts; and a statement making clear that Congress is certainly not opposed to installing the life sciences centrifuge on the International Space Station to support its research agenda.

Mr. Chairman, the manager's amendment also makes a number of technical changes that strengthen the bill.

In sum, I think the manager's amendment improves an already good bill, and I urge the Members to support it.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the Ranking Member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall).

Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez). She has a longstanding interest and has been a great advocate for small and disadvantaged businesses. The amendment offered by the gentlewoman is a sensible measure that will help us to ensure that NASA's outreach efforts with small and disadvantaged businesses are reached to their full potential. I hope Members will join me in support of this measure and vote to include it in the bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). The gentlewoman has long been an articulate advocate when it comes to education. Over the years she has worked tirelessly to ensure that minority-serving institutions have adequate resources and that educational opportunities are available to all students. This amendment continues that legacy.

I understand that the gentlewoman is not going to seek a vote on her amendment today, but would like to work with the majority and minority to see that these issues are addressed during discussions with the Senate on the final version of the bill. I want to assure the gentlewoman that her concerns will receive my full support, and I look forward to working with her.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). From the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's report, it is clear that one of the underlying causes of the Columbia tragedy was a broken safety culture at NASA. While I understand that many of these cultural issues are being addressed, we need to ensure that NASA employees are in an environment where they can feel comfortable airing their safety concerns.

This is a constructive amendment that is a positive step towards fixing NASA's safety culture and ensuring the safety of the brave men and women in our space program. I am sure our chairman shares our concerns for the safety of our astronauts, and I hope we can work together to include this in the final version of the bill.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, the Federal marketplace is doing record levels today, with nearly every agency buying more than ever before. NASA alone has increased their contracting volume by 30 percent in the past 4 years.

Despite NASA's significant increase in procurement volume, small firms continue to fare poorly when it comes to working with this agency. NASA's small business contracts have declined by 50 percent in the past 4 years. The amendment I am offering today will help to change this.

Small companies represent the majority of businesses in this country, and they are the most innovative. They issue more patents per employee than their large business counterparts. One would assume that this innovation would shine through in agencies that rely on scientific knowledge and expertise. However, this has not been the case.

NASA is an agency that relies heavily on scientific expertise while, at the same time, they control a large segment of the Federal marketplace. They are consistently ranked third out of all Federal agencies in terms of procurement volume, buying more than the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Interior combined.

Clearly, NASA has the capability to meet their small business goals; however, they do need some assistance and we have no way to evaluate whether or not their efforts in increasing small business contracts are truly yielding results. This agency has an array of options when it comes to identifying small companies, whether they work with them individually, host national conferences, or connect with the SBA to identify contracting possibilities. But whatever they are doing is not yielding an increase in small business contracts.

My amendment would guarantee that these outreach methods are examined so that we can pinpoint the best way for NASA to reach out to small firms. This would allow us to truly see what works, what does not work, and what industries are more likely to successfully penetrate NASA's procurement opportunities. It will also enable the Small Business Committee and the Science Committee to move forward in ensuring NASA is taking the right steps to meet their small business contracting goal.

This amendment is a good government solution to a problem that has been facing our Nation's small companies for years now, their ability to access the Federal marketplace, and it is supported by the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce. Clearly, as stewards of taxpayer dollars, one of our most important charges is ensuring that these resources are used in the most effective and efficient manner possible. One of the best ways to go about this is to ensure accountability exists, and adoption of this amendment will achieve just that. This amendment will begin the process of identifying the barriers that prevent small companies from doing business with NASA. It will also assist NASA in honing its efforts at increasing small business access to contracts to those endeavors that have proven successful.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), the ranking member, for supporting my amendment.

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

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) for supporting my amendment.

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

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

With limited job opportunity in this country, more than ever minorities are turning to entrepreneurship, with 15 percent of this Nation's small businesses being minority owned today. Clearly this business ownership rate is well below the mainstream rate, especially in high tech fields.

My amendment will begin to change this by creating a 4-year pilot grant program focused on the development of technology laboratories at our Nation's minority institutions.

In these on-campus facilities, through a simple partnership, NASA experts will work with some of our brightest students to expose them to innovative technology development.

This will help to shore up current programs that are too narrowly focused on basic science and limited by the technological capabilities of these institutions.

This has successfully been done in more mainstream centers of learning. If you look at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, investment by the government and private sector created an environment that allowed it to become the world renown center of study that it is now.

The tie to entrepreneurship and the development of minority students in the technological field is quite clear. Entrepreneurs who have founded technology oriented enterprises emerged from institutions with a strong affiliation to government and industry applied research. These are exactly the type of facilities this amendment will create.

As ranking member of the Committee on Small Business, I am constantly talking to agencies about their small business contracting performance. One of the agencies who struggles the most is NASA, which has regularly failed to meet its goal, and awards to minorities have decreased by 25 percent in the last 4 years.

I believe that there are several reasons for this. One is we need to develop more minority technology companies capable of meeting NASA's requirements. By making sure our science and engineering students are exposed to these opportunities early in their careers, we are increasing their ability to learn and develop. This would pay dividends in the future.

The adoption of this amendment will go a long way in opening up a culture which can seem closed and intimidating when you do not know it. We also provide these future entrepreneurs with a vital opportunity to receive mentoring and develop the understanding of the inner workings of NASA.

This will greatly increase the willingness of those at the agency to take a chance on bright individuals with innovative ideas but who may not have the history that more established entities do.

This amendment is supported by the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense Fund and the Latin American Management Association.

The adoption of this amendment is a win for all those involved. NASA will win because they will have the access to the minority high tech sector they are so desperately looking for, and the minority-serving institutions and their students will win because they will be advancing technology development. But most importantly, our Nation wins as we create the next generation of high tech firms that will be so critical to advancing this Nation's economy in years to come.

I urge adoption of the amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I would like to clarify the gentleman's statement. This is not to construct buildings. This funding in this amendment will not pay for the construction of facilities. $4 million does not pay for facilities. It will give the funds that these minority-serving institutions need to do capacity building, to start the partnership, to set up the partnership, and to manage it. It will not use one penny to build physical facilities.

For clarification, it says here, ``shall enter into a cooperative agreement with a non-profit organization that has experience developing relationships between industry, minority institutions . . . ''

It does not say physical or construction of physical facilities. And ``develop'' does not mean build.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds for clarification.

I am the author of this legislation or this amendment. It does not say here

in any way to build a physical facility. It says ``development of physical.'' And I want for the Record to reflect that I do not mean to build physical facilities.

I yield to the gentleman from New York.

I mean by the minority-serving institution to develop the physical facility and develop the relationship.

I will propose to the gentleman that he adopt the amendment, and it is a matter of semantics and that we will work to clarify it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Chairman, this is a commonsense amendment. It is not only good for all those involved but it will also empower us to take a huge step toward closing the technology gap that is so prevailing among the minority population.

The truth is that this approach has already been taken with some of the most highly renowned research facilities across the country and has proven successful. The only difference now is that it will focus on bringing these advancements to minority-serving institutions and, ultimately, closing this Nation's technology gap.

The timing could not be better for this as NASA starts fresh, undertaking a review of their facilities, leasing activities, and partnership agreements. Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), for yielding me this time and also for his kind words.

I also want to acknowledge my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), the chairman, and the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), for the work we have all done together for this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I believe the legislation strikes a productive and essential balance between NASA's core missions and provides important policy direction as the agency embarks on the Mars-Moon initiative. Though I hate to use a cliche, I believe NASA is at a crossroads with its many missions: the Space Shuttle will hopefully be returning to flight next week, after being grounded for nearly 2\1/2\ years; a Hubble Servicing Mission is being considered and prepared for; and NASA is looking to accelerate the development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle; and research universities are anxiously awaiting news about the future of many of their projects with NASA.

As NASA moves forward with these initiatives, it is the opportune time for Congress to weigh in and provide NASA with long-term policy direction. The bill takes important steps to ensure that NASA continues its important investment in each of its core missions: science, aeronautics, and human space flight, including human exploration.

For example, it sets up a budgetary structure that separates NASA's human space flight and exploration accounts from its science, aeronautics, and education accounts.

In addition to establishing flexible firewalls between NASA accounts, it provides guidance on how to deal with subsequent cuts to the overall budget. Namely, any cuts to the NASA budget would reduce the authorizations for each of its accounts proportionally, ensuring one account does not make the bulk of the cut.

These provisions provide sound government policy to ensure that the intentions of Congress are followed and that NASA maintains a balance within its missions.

The bill contains a number of provisions that seek to establish better oversight of NASA. One I would specifically like to mention requires NASA to provide a transition plan to Congress and identify funds to support any transfer of programs from NASA to NOAA. This should not be considered a congressional endorsement of the transfer of Earth science missions or Earth observing systems from NASA to NOAA. Instead, it intends to ensure that all transfers are done openly.

H.R. 3070 also takes commonsense steps to review the extension of missions which have already met their original goals. With minimal investment, many missions, such as Voyager, can continue to provide useful data even though they have exceeded their original operational timelines.

The bill requires NASA to review each of the missions and assess the costs and benefits to continue these programs, thus allowing a maximum benefit from all of our investments. I would like to turn to four areas of particular importance to me in the bill: Aeronautics, education, remote sensing and the wonderful Hubble telescope.

I am pleased to see the inclusion of positive policy and funding guidance to NASA on revitalizing the aeronautics program at NASA. Historically, aeronautics has provided America with jobs, economic security, a positive input to our balance of trade, and technological advances for both commercial aviation and defense. However, recently those aeronautics investments have been declining with projections of continuing decline in the NASA budget. This all comes at a time when the European Union has announced a goal to become a leader in aeronautics by 2020 and is increasing R&D funding in aeronautics to $2.5 billion. If we are to remain competitive, we must revitalize our R&D programs to match what the European Union and other nations in the world are doing.

The aeronautics piece also names three breakthrough R&D initiatives in subsonic, supersonic and rotorcraft, as well as rejects the proposed decline in the aeronautics budget by authorizing increased R&D funding for 2006 and 2007. Overall the bill ensures that we continue to be a global leader in aeronautics.

As this body knows, and as the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) just shared with us, the United States is not graduating students in science, technology, engineering and math in the numbers required to sustain our current workforce. As we prepare for the return of flight with the Shuttle, young boys and girls are looking up to the astronaut corps and thinking one day they would like to become astronauts.

The bill provides specific emphasis on the education programs within NASA that excite and inspire our youth to continue to study in these fields. NASA's missions have the power to attract the American public, both young and old, and I believe we need to ensure that we utilize this excitement and encourage students to follow their childhood dreams of working with NASA.

I am pleased that the bill recognizes the importance of ensuring that our minority and economically disadvantaged young people have access to NASA's educational activities.

Turning to another topic, many of the American public only see NASA looking outward into space. However,

the agency's Earth science program provides valuable information about our own planet. NASA collects data about the Earth that has practical applications for States, tribal agencies, cities, and municipalities by providing geospatial data from satellites.

I am particularly interested because in my home State of Colorado, we have two of the leading companies involved in this important work, and many cities and counties in Colorado are working to address growth and sprawl. A bill that I have introduced which has been incorporated into this bill works to increase access to that data from both commercial and public sources.

Lastly, I am gratified that the bill calls for a human servicing mission to be scheduled once the Shuttle has returned to flight with appropriate safety precautions and provides authorization funding for the mission to service the Hubble telescope.

Hubble has truly become the people's telescope. Its data is accessible to scientists and nonscientists alike, and has allowed amateur astronomers of all ages to study our universe. I am pleased that NASA has already taken these steps towards a human servicing mission, and this bill affirms the congressional commitment to extending the life of Hubble.

In closing, I again want to acknowledge the great leadership of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), the ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), and the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), for their work on the bill. This legislation has truly been the result of productive and positive dialogue and negotiations on both sides of the aisle. The staff has done a marvelous job in bringing us together as well. I believe this is the right policy for NASA, and I urge Members to support its passage.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in support of this manager's amendment.

I concur with the comments of the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and believe he has accurately summarized the strengths of the manager's amendment.

I have to tell my colleagues I am particularly heartened that the amendment adds additional provisions intended to improve participation by Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans, and other minorities in NASA's educational programs. In addition, it addresses some important concerns of the NASA workforce.

Finally, as was pointed out by the gentleman from Tennessee (Ranking Member Gordon), this amendment indicates that Congress supports exploration, but also that Congress is making clear that additional funding for exploration should not be obtained by cutting NASA's important science, aeronautics, and education programs. I think this is crucial policy guidance.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, I would like to again thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), my good friend, the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), and the gentleman from Tennessee (Ranking Member Gordon) for this very important piece of legislation, and salute the staff and everybody involved in the crafting of this legislation. I urge the adoption of the manager's amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and I rise in support of her important amendment. We all know that safety is a top priority for our space program and this is a sensible measure the House should support.