Honoring the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age, and the ensuing 50 years of productive and peaceful space activities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 225, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age. I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Gordon for his excellent leadership in shepherding this important legislation to passage on the House floor.

The year 2008 will mark the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age and the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). I support the resolution because it affords the Congress an opportunity to pay tribute to the extraordinary partnership between NASA and its 10 space and research centers.

Mr. Speaker, NASA has a distinguished history. The United States of America won the race to land a man on the moon and, thanks to the courage, dedication, and brilliance of NASA, America has continued to lead the world in the exploration of the solar system and the universe.

On October 1, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration began operation. At the time it consisted of only about 8,000 employees and an annual budget of $100 million. Over the next 50 years, NASA has been involved in many defining events which have shaped the course of human history and demonstrated to the world the character of the people of the United States.

Many of us remember how inspired we were when, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed: ``I believe this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.''

Always at the forefront of technological innovation, NASA has been home to countless ``firsts'' in the field of space exploration, from the 1958 launch of Pioneer 3, the first U.S. satellite to ascend to an altitude of 63,580 miles, to the January 1998 signing of the International Space Station agreement between 15 countries, establishing the framework for cooperation among partners on the design, development, operation, and utilization of the Space Station.

Over the past 50 years, NASA's accomplishments have included:

On 20 February, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to circle the Earth, making three orbits in his Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft.

On 6 April, 1965, the United States launched Intelsat I, the first commercial satellite (communications), into geostationary orbit.

On 13 November, 1971, the United States launched Mariner 9, the first mission to orbit another planet (Mars).

On 12 April, 1981, NASA launched the space shuttle Columbia on the first flight of the Space Transportation System (STS-l).

On 18 to 24 June, 1983, NASA launched space shuttle Challenger (STS- 7) carrying three mission specialists, including Sally K. Ride, the first woman astronaut. In another historic mission, 2 months later NASA launched STS-8 carrying the first black American astronaut, Guion S. Bluford.

On 22 July, 1999, the space shuttle Columbia's 26th flight was led by Air Force COL Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a Shuttle mission.

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin made the first lunar landing mission while Michael Collins orbited overhead in the Apollo command module. Armstrong set foot on the surface, telling the millions of listeners that it was ``one small step for man--one giant leap for mankind.'' Aldrin soon followed him out and planted an American flag but omitted claiming the land for the U.S., as had routinely been done during European exploration of the Americas. The two Moon-walkers left behind an American flag and a plaque bearing the inscription: ``Here Men From Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon. Jul. 1969 A.D. We came in Peace for All Mankind.''

On April 24, 1990, the Hubble space telescope was launched into space aboard the STS-31 mission of the space shuttle Discovery. The Hubble has revolutionized astronomy while expanding our knowledge of the universe and inspiring millions of scientists, students, and members of the public with its unprecedented deep and clear images of space.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to these historic events, NASA has greatly contributed to our understanding of our universe. In 1968, Apollo 8 took off atop a Saturn V booster from the Kennedy Space Center for a historic mission to orbit the Moon. As Apollo 8 traveled outward, the crew focused a portable television camera on Earth and for the first time humanity saw its home from afar, a tiny, lovely, and fragile ``blue marble'' hanging in the blackness of space.

This transmission and viewing of Earth from a distance was an enormously significant accomplishment and united the Nation at a time when American society was in crisis over Vietnam, race relations, urban problems, and a host of other difficulties.

The success of the United States space exploration program in the 20th century augurs well for its continued leadership in the 21st century. This success is largely attributable to the remarkable and indispensable partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its 10 space and research centers. One of these important research centers is located in my home city of Houston. The Johnson Space Center, which manages the development, testing, production, and delivery of all United States human spacecraft and all human spacecraft-related functions, is one of the crown jewels of NASA and a lodestar Houston area. The other nine research and space centers are:

1. The Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley provides products, technologies, and services that enable NASA missions and expand human knowledge in areas as diverse as small spacecraft and supercomputers, science missions and payloads, thermal protection systems and information technology.

2. The Dryden Flight Research Center, the leading center for innovative flight research.

3. The Glenn Research Center, which develops power, propulsion, and communication technologies for space flight systems and aeronautics research.

4. The Goddard Space Flight Center, which specializes in research to expand knowledge on the Earth and its environment, the solar system, and the universe through observations from space.

5. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the leading center for robotic exploration of the Solar System.

6. The Kennedy Space Center, the gateway to the Universe and world leader in preparing and launching missions around the Earth and beyond.

7. The Langley Research Center, which continues to forge new frontiers in aviation and space research for aerospace, atmospheric sciences, and technology commercialization to improve the way the world lives.

8. The Marshall Space Flight Center, a world leader in developing space transportation and propulsion systems, engineers the future to accelerate exploration and scientific discovery.

9. The Stennis Space Center, which is responsible for rocket propulsion testing and for partnering with industry to develop and implement remote sensing technology.

NASA's stunning achievements over the last 50 years have been won for all mankind at great cost and sacrifice. In the quest to explore the universe, many NASA employees have lost their lives, including the crews of Apollo 6, the space shuttle Challenger, and the space shuttle Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, in the centuries to come, when space travel will be commonplace and America will have successfully led the way for humanity to colonize and utilize the resources of other planets, these first 50 years of NASA's existence will be remembered as the most significant era of human space exploration. It is, therefore, important that we commemorate the great achievements of NASA's first 50 years. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this historic legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 225) honoring the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age, and the ensuing 50 years of productive and peaceful space activities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks, and to include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 225, the resolution now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the space age arrived with a roar of the Soviet launch of Sputnik, which propelled our Nation, the leader of the free world, into a space race. We recognized we faced a challenge, and we responded. We made smart investments in our people and in knowledge acquisition to enable us to compete technologically.

Specifically, we invested in what we now call STEM education, and we invested in science and engineering research. Those investments brought us preeminence in a new area of endeavor, and they inspired a generation of engineers and scientists.

And just 12 years later, two Americans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, stood on the surface of the Moon. The competition with the Soviet Union on a world stage is what drove us initially, but it was strongly coupled with America's innate yearning to explore and discover.

America was settled by people who already had lives elsewhere, but who wanted something more. They wanted to find out what was over the horizon. They wanted to determine if there was a better way. We are here today, we are the beneficiaries of that restless energy and that hard work.

An array of spacecraft high above works for us. Satellites monitor weather and climate, forest fires, pollution, the growth of cities, and even the shrinking of ice mass. They augment our infrastructure by providing positioning information, and television, radio, telephone and e-mail communications. They help our Nation remain secure. And they serve our restless need to always know more as they go on missions for us throughout the solar system and, soon, even beyond that boundary.

Every day people benefit: farmers, surveyors, pilots and sailors, and even moms using GPS to get the kids to soccer practice. For all of our relatively small investment, we get a lot back. That investment is a start-up payment that calls forth the strength of American entrepreneurship and taps America's restless energy.

Today we must not sit back, content with these benefits that we owe the previous generation. It is not American in nature to do so.

Congress recognizes that our Nation again faces a challenge. This time our adversaries are economic. In the space race we demonstrated the winning strategy and we need to maintain that commitment to a strong national space program. That includes human exploration beyond low Earth orbit, including missions to the Moon and beyond because rising to that challenge will bring out the best of us as a people.

In addition, we must renew America's investment in STEM education, in science and engineering research.

Congress got this under way with the recently enacted America COMPETES Act, and Congress will need to provide sustained support if we are going to maintain American technical superiority and if we are going to again inspire the world with our accomplishments.

I want to thank Chairman Gordon for his leadership in introducing this legislation. I also want to thank Representatives Mark Udall from Colorado and Ralph Hall from Texas and Tom Feeney from Florida who have joined me as original cosponsors of this legislation. We want to honor this historic anniversary by offering this concurrent resolution.

I would like to close by quoting a few lines and key phrases, namely: ``Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House

of Representatives, that the Congress honors the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the space age; recognizes the value of investing in America's space program; and declares it to be in America's interest to continue to advance knowledge and improve life on Earth through a sustained national commitment to space exploration in all its forms, led by a new generation of well-educated scientists, engineers and explorers.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I thank the gentleman from Florida. I thank him for his comments, they were excellent, and certainly want to commend all of us who worked on this particular piece of legislation.

You know, in a thousand years, people aren't going to remember whether it was Sputnik or whether it was the United States or Russia or any other country that entered us into this space race that took us into a new age. So I'm very proud to be a part of offering this, and I thank the gentleman for working with me on it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bipartisan concurrent resolution.

Human existence has marched through a great many generations, yet only in this last half century have humans taken to space.

We have been transformed by the space program. We live our lives differently, with long-range weather forecasts and GPS positioning and international cell phone calls and international banking.

We think of ourselves differently. Our space exploration has uncovered information about the universe that surrounds us. We now can conjecture about the first seconds of the life of the universe. We have learned much about where we are, and about what is happening around us, and about existence itself.

We think of our own planet differently. The sight of this fragile, blue ball, seen from a distance in dark space, stirred us, and provided impetus for the fledgling environmental movement. We realized that we had to sustain ``Spaceship Earth.''

As the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, I observe the unique role that NASA plays in our technology capabilities.

The aerospace industry is one of America's biggest successes, and one of the strongest contributors to our trade balance. It owes much to NASA's fundamental aeronautics research.

Harder to quantify, but just as important, NASA's incredible achievements in space inspire young people to choose careers in technology fields. NASA recognizes this and has developed fine educational initiatives.

We have many competing societal priorities that must be addressed, but it is vital that we invest in the future, too. Throughout human history, the winner has been the nation that was more technically powerful. Investing in science and technology, with the space program and STEM education, is an investment for a richer and wider future.

If we aren't willing to make the investments to lead technologically, we know that others will take that lead. That isn't the future that I would like to see. Do we want a world in which our smart people are drawn to the work done in other countries, leaving us on the periphery?

There are widespread reports that China and India are building significant R&D capacity by investing in research at universities, and are elevating their industrial policies towards higher end work.

We have been warned. The National Academies' ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' laid it out. The investments that earlier generations made brought us our prosperous and secure lifestyle. Now it is time for us to renew these investments.

I am pleased with the American COMPETES Act that Congress and the White House enacted. It boosts STEM education to prepare the next generation for the technological challenges of the future and it strengthens our country's research and innovation environment to keep America competitive in the global economy.

Today when we look back over the 50 years of the space age, we feel proud. And I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution. It tells a success story. Now it is our job to write another success story, by continuing to invest in the fundamentals of a strong technology sector: STEM education, space exploration, and technology research.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 225, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 225 honoring the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age and the ensuing 50 years of productive and peaceful space activities.

Fifty years ago, only 12 years after the end of World War II, America was enjoying the unprecedented peace and prosperity that characterized the 1950s.

But on October 4, 1957, America was shaken out of its technological complacency. The Soviet Union launched a beeping 180-pound aluminum satellite into orbit. Sputnik's capability was a wake-up call because it represented a threat to America's national security and technological preeminence.

Our early space program was born out of a clash of ideals between civilizations and systems of government, but it reinvigorated our interest in science and technology leading to increased investment in both research and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

These investments contributed to a technologically skilled generation of Americans that has led the world in innovation and accomplishments.

Our leadership over the last 50 years has encouraged international partnerships that allow us to harness the imaginations and technical talents of many nations for the benefit of all mankind. There is less direct competition and more cooperation.

Today, about 60 percent of NASA's science missions and 100 percent of its human spaceflight activities are done in partnership with other nations. In the growing world economy, developing countries are imitating many of the values and traits that have made America successful, and we are adopting policies that promote education and investment in research and technology.

They clearly understand the link between an educated workforce, technological innovation and economic preeminence. The new global competition for preeminence in science and technological innovation must be met with a renewed American commitment to research and to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education akin to that which followed the dawn of the space age 50 years ago.

Over the next 50 years, it will be more critical, and not less, that we remain world leaders. Our ability to shape our destiny and influence others will depend upon it.

Mr. Speaker, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the space age, Congress recognizes the value of investing in America's space program and declares that it is in America's interests to continue to advance knowledge and to improve life on Earth through a sustained national commitment to space exploration in all of its forms, led by a new generation of well-educated scientists, engineers and explorers.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, with that, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

During the Executive Session, Committee members will markup the following agenda items: S. 2045, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Reform Act of 2007; S. 2096, Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007; S. 1580, the Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act of 2007; S. 1853, Community Broadband Act of 2007; S. 1675, Local Community Radio Act of 2007; H. Con. Res. 225, Honoring the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age, and the ensuing 50 years of productive and peaceful space activities; and the nomination of Mr. Todd J. Zinser, Inspector General--Designate, United States Department of Commerce (PN 908)

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. in order to hold a nomination hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing entitled ``Protecting the U.S. From Drug Resistant Tuberculosis: Reinvesting in Control and New Tools Research'' during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 10 a.m. in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in order to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Role of Local Law Enforcement in Countering Violent Islamist Extremism.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 30, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. in order to hold a closed hearing.