H.Res. 441

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for his support and advocation for NASA and its work. I thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert); and of course the ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), for their leadership, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), chairman of our subcommittee; and of course the ranking member, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall).

I am especially appreciative that we would come today to acknowledge not only the leadership of women but also NASA's contributions to America. So I rise to speak as well to H. Res. 441 and H. Res. 446. I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has been steadfast in reminding us of the importance of the involvement and the empowerment of women.

Is it not exciting that we can rise today as the Discovery crew comes to the United States Capitol to be able to acknowledge that Colonel Eileen Collins was, in fact, the commander of this particular outstanding effort to return United States to space.

One would wonder with Hurricane Katrina behind us and Hurricane Rita in front of us why we can stand before our colleagues to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of women to the safety and the advancement of humankind and Americans and as well that of NASA. And I say this: NASA equates to science and scientific discovery and advancement, and I am very proud to say that our lives have been made better by the contributions that NASA has made to society.

We were told early on that the use of NASA technology could have predicted or maybe not predicted, foreseen, detected the tsunami. We know now that we have seen the constant repetitiveness of hurricanes that NASA will be a very strong partner in determining how we can better detect the coming of hurricanes and be more safe.

So it is with great pride that I rise to thank Sally Ride, a neighbor in our community in Houston; Kathryn Sullivan; Christa McAuliffe, who lost her life in the earlier Challenger flight; and Judith Resnick; Mae Jemison, of course, who served as a role model for many, many young girls; Shannon Lucid; and of course Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark, who lost their lives in Columbia in the 2003 mission.

But today we have a lot to celebrate because Eileen Collins and Wendy Lawrence were part of that great Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-114. With their leadership, we return to space; and I believe we return to the opportunities that space allows.

I am always reminded, whenever we have the opportunity to salute what

NASA does, to say that the research has generated successes in detection and cure of strokes, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, cancer. So we know that NASA is part of our society, and it has the ability to enhance our society.

My congratulations to the Discovery crew, to the many women we honor today, such as Ellen Baker, Yvonne Cagle, Tracy Caldwell, Bonnie Dunbar, Anna Fisher, Marsha Ivins, Susan L. Kilrain, Wendy Lawrence, Ellen Ochoa, Judith A. Resnick who has passed of course, Sally K. Ride, Nicole Scott, and many, many others.

It is for us to carry forth their dream by providing the support from the United States Congress but, more important, it is to announce that these women are leaders but also that NASA has laid the groundwork for this society and all around the world to be advanced to a better quality of life.

My salute to NASA and to the fellow employees and as well to the leaders, women, who have taken us into space.

I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H. Res 450 which congratulates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Discovery crew. Let me offer my own personal congratulations to this brave crew who returned NASA to flight and made history in our Nation through the advancement of aeronautics.

Being from the City of Houston, which is home to the Johnson Space Center, I take great pride in the accomplishments of NASA. I am proud to say that I was among the Congressional Delegation that was at Cape Canaveral for the anticipated launch. While the correct decision was made not to launch that day, this brave crew was able to successfully complete its mission. The launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery came more than 2 years after the tragic Columbia shuttle accident. The crew of the Discovery included astronauts Steve Robinson, Jim Kelly, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda, Eileen Collins and Soichi Noguchi. With implementation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommendations completed, this crew of seven astronauts flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-114 to test new safety techniques and deliver needed supplies to the International Space Station. Two crewmembers, Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi, ventured outside the Shuttle three times on spacewalks. The first demonstrated repair techniques on the Shuttle's protective tiles, known as the Thermal Protection System. During the second spacewalk, they replaced a failed Control Moment Gyroscope, which helps keep the station oriented properly. Finally, they installed the External Stowage Platform, a sort of space shelf for holding spare parts during Station construction. STS-114 will also be the third trip of the Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) named Raffaello to the Station. It's essentially a ``moving van'' that transports supplies to the orbital outpost.

I have consistently stated that since the Columbia shuttle accident, safety must be our number one priority. All Americans can look proudly upon the achievements of our space exploration when they look upon the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery.

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.'' Our Nation has seen great tragedy and yet we continue to move forward because that is the only path that knowledge will accept; truly it is appropriate that this shuttle was named Discovery.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to rise today to pay tribute to our female astronauts. These heroines are not only a source of pride for all Americans, but they have also inspired countless women to reach for the stars in their own lives and careers.

The space program has long been one of the best examples of America's leadership role in the world. Our astronauts are daring, brilliant, and selfless, risking their lives for the sake of scientific discovery. But like our Nation itself, they were once divided along gender lines.

Indeed, when NASA was created by President Eisenhower in 1958, there were no female astronauts. Of course, there were no women on the Supreme Court back then, and in Congress there was just one female Senator, and only 15 women serving in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, we have come a long way in the last four decades. There are now 14 women Senators, 66 female Members of Congress, and at NASA women are not just along for the ride, they have assumed leadership roles in both the agency and on its missions, as we have seen by this fine work of Eileen Collins and Wendy Lawrence.

I am especially delighted today to recognize the achievements of my fellow New Yorker, Eileen Collins from Elmira, New York, who in 1999 became the first woman to command a space shuttle.

In 2003, Ms. Collins again took to the reins of a space mission, providing steady guidance to the Space Shuttle Discovery during an incredibly difficult and perilous mission.

Mr. Speaker, women have taken part in some of the greatest NASA missions, and some of the most heartbreaking too. Some of these women gave their lives for our country.

As a former teacher, I remember feeling incredibly proud when my colleague, Christa McAuliffe, was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to become the first civilian in space, the first teacher in space.

Of course, we were all horrified when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after lift-off, cutting short the lives of Christa and the other brave astronauts who flew with her.

The loss of the Challenger and, more recently, of the Space Shuttle Columbia were staggering blows to our country. But I know that our space program will rebound from these disasters, as it always has, with a new sense of purpose, stronger and more determined than ever.

I also know that as we rebuild, American women will be leading the way, inspired by the sense of duty to our country and by the women who have come before them. Women like Sally Ride, the first woman in space; Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to perform a space walk; Mae Jeminson, the first African American woman astronaut; Shannon Lucid, who set a U.S. record for the most time living in space.

Thanks to these pioneering women astronauts, the sky is the limit for women and girls in this final frontier.

Today, we recognize the contribution of all of the women who work to realize the grand mission of NASA and who continue to contribute today.

Mr. Speaker, today our country faces an increasingly severe shortage of qualified math, science, and engineering students and professionals to fill the high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

Women have long been underrepresented in these fields, both in the workplace and in the classroom. It is essential to our economy, even to our national security, that we attract the best and the brightest to these fields.

The number of girls and young women entering math, science, and engineering is growing and moving in the right direction. And in our universities and workplaces, we need to cultivate nondiscriminatory environments to further this momentum.

NASA truly showcases the very best of what women can achieve and can contribute, and the fact that they can contribute equally. May the women pioneers we honor today inspire not only the astronauts, but the scientists, mathematicians, and engineers of tomorrow. I thank them for their wonderful contributions. I congratulate the entire team.

Mr. Speaker, I submit for printing in the Record the names of 29 current and 13 deceased or former female NASA astronauts.

Ellen Baker, Yvonne Cagle, Tracy Caldwell, Kalpana Chawla,

Laurel B. Clark, Mary Cleave, Catherine Coleman, Eileen

Collins, Nancy J. Currie, Jan Davis, Bonnie Dunbar, Anna

Fisher, Linda Godwin, Susan J. Helms, Joan Higginbotham,

Kathryn Hire, Marsha Ivins, Mae C. Jemison, Tamara E.

Jernigan, Janet Kavandi, Susan L. Kilrain.

Wendy Lawrence, Shannon Lucid, Sandra Magnus, Megan

McArthur, Pamela Melroy, Barbara Morgan, Lisa Nowak, Karen

Nyberg, Ellen Ochoa, Judith A. Resnik, Sally K. Ride,

Patricia C. Hilliard Robertson, Margaret Rhea Seddon,

Heidemarie Sefanyshyn-Piper, Nicole Scott, Kathryn C.

Thornton, Janice Voss, Mary E. Weber, Peggy Whitson, Sunita

Williams, and Stephanie Wilson.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 441) to congratulate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Discovery crew of Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly, Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda, Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi, Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, and Mission Specialist Andy Thomas on the successful completion of their 14 day test flight to the International Space Station for the first step of the Vision for Space Exploration, begun from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 26, 2005, and completed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on August 9, 2005. This historical mission represented a great step forward into the new beginning of the Second Space Age, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 441, the resolution under consideration.

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

Today, we are paying tribute to real American heroes, the crew of the return-to-flight STS-114 Discovery shuttle mission and the NASA team and community on the ground. These heroes have the right stuff that inspires a Nation, from kids studying math and science, to all of us who are awed and inspired by NASA, and our astronauts.

When I introduced this resolution less than a week ago, we had such enthusiastic support that we quickly secured 55 bipartisan cosponsors who represent communities across the Nation. When we pass this resolution today, we plan to present a copy to each member of the Discovery crew as a token of the Nation's gratitude for their heroism.

We all worry about the competitiveness of this great Nation and the fact that our schoolchildren are less competitive in math and science than many of their international peers. Currently, the U.S. share of undergraduate and graduate degrees in sciences and engineering has been falling behind those of Asia and Europe. Intuitively, we know that we need to encourage our youth to study these challenging subjects, and with heroes like Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly, Mission Specialists Charlie Camarda, Wendy Lawrence, Soichi Noguchi, Steve Robinson, and Andy Thomas, it is much easier to inspire American students to devote their time and studies to science, as we saw during the Apollo program.

The NASA family and this Discovery crew have initiated the first step of the Nation's Vision for Space Exploration. Last year, the President announced the Vision for Space Exploration which states that NASA will complete the International Space Station, will return to the Moon no later than 2020, and will extend human presence across the solar system and beyond. This week, NASA released its Exploration Architecture for this vision, which outlines the steps NASA plans to take in order to return to the Moon and explore our solar system over the next 13 years.

In the first space age, our Nation invested in the space program to gain global leadership during the Cold War. Now we are in the second space age, with our global competitiveness worldwide at stake. We must have the United States at the forefront in the exploration of our solar system and the global leader in the high-technology industries. Our preeminence in the world is dependent on our leadership in space.

We honor the STS-114 Discovery crew as true American heroes. They are strong men and women who motivate our children and inspire our Nation and the world. They have taken the historic first step of the Vision for Space Exploration and have brought us one step closer to our Nation's destiny.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from upstate New York (Mr. Boehlert), the chairman of our committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Dallas, Texas (Mr. Hall).

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 441, which congratulates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Space Shuttle Discovery's crew for their recent 14-day test flight. The mission was an important step in returning the Shuttle to flight and toward meeting our obligations in completing the International Space Station. The many NASA employees and contractors who worked to make the flight safe and successful deserve our support and praise.

The Shuttle's successful flight lays the foundation for an exciting decade for NASA and an exciting time for everyone interested in space science and exploration. I am especially looking forward to several missions that NASA will undertake through the La Canada Flintridge- based Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As my colleagues well know, I have the privilege of representing JPL and I am a strong supporter of it here in Congress. JPL' s missions have consistently generated public support and are a mainstay in NASA's scientific portfolio.

JPL's continued management of NASA's Mars program, which for the last year and a half has brought us the twin Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, has resulted in unprecedented success. In addition, the planned 2007 launch of the Phoenix Mars Scout and the 2009 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory will provide the country with a long-duration science laboratory that represents a major leap in space exploration. Specifically, MSL will collect soil samples and rock cores from Mars and analyze them for organic compounds and environmental conditions that could have supported microbial life in the past.

Through its work at JPL, NASA is also slated to begin two major missions that will give us greater insight into the origins of our universe. The first of these is the Space Interferometry Mission, or SIM PlanetQuest. Scheduled for launch in 2012, SIM will determine the positions and distances of stars several hundred times more accurately than any previous program. This precision will allow us to measure the distances to stars throughout the galaxy and to probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. The second mission, the Europa Orbiter, will discover whether an ocean exists beneath the surface of one of Jupiter's most interesting moons. This mission should launch in 2015.

JPL is also poised to conduct a series of missions that will examine Earth and lead to better predictions and understandings of our planet's climate. These missions include the launch of CloudSat later this year; the Ocean Surface Topography Mission and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory in 2008; and the 2009 launch of Aquarius, which will provide the first-ever global maps of salt concentrations on the ocean's surface. These missions will provide valuable insight into our planet's precipitation and weather patterns.

Each of JPL's current and future missions are an integral part of NASA's overall space exploration plan. With JPL's missions and other NASA initiatives, such as the agency's rollout of its new exploration architecture for returning to the Moon, there can be no doubt the next decade will be an exciting one.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to again say that the most recent Shuttle mission is just another example of what NASA is doing right. I am pleased to join my colleagues today in congratulating the crew and look forward to another successful Shuttle mission in the near future.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res 450) recognizing Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins, Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, and the contributions of all other women who have worked with NASA following the successful mission of Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-114, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res 450, the resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for her insight into the contributions of women in the NASA community and to the success of our Nation's civil space program.

House Resolution 450 goes a long way in recognizing the importance of women to our Nation's civil space program, from Commander Elaine Collins and Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence of the Discovery mission, to the other 40 women who have served in NASA's Astronaut Corps.

To all of the women who offer ground support for the launches, these women in the sciences, our Nation offers a resounding thanks.

Not all of those women are often in the spotlight, but they still serve as inspiring role models for all our daughters. What better way to have our children think they can be whatever they aspire to be than to have everyone share the opportunity to get a bite of the apple of success.

In order for the United States to retain its global competitive edge, we need the contributions from all of our citizens. Since all advanced societies now depend on technology for their economic might, the new measure of that might are those graduates with degrees in science and engineering.

The United States is slipping in this category. We are producing a shrinking share of the world's technological talent. China and India are the newest and strongest competitors. The last time the U.S. graduated more engineering and scientific Ph.D.s than Europe and three times as many as Asia was in 1975.

These trends have reversed so now the European Union graduates about 50 percent more Ph.D.s than the United States, and Asia is slightly ahead of the United States.

At the current rate, China will probably overtake us by 2010. They have already produced nearly as many engineering graduates in a month as we do in a year. Outstanding role models inspire our young ladies to pursue a life of study and work in science and engineering.

Seeing these women doing exciting important jobs in our space program is the best way that I know to encourage our children to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank again the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for her thoughtful legislation. I plan to support this important legislation when it comes to a vote and encourage all Members to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt).

(Mrs. SCHMIDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert).

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

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