Supporting the goals and ideals of National Aerospace Day, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As the author of this resolution and as a co-Chair of the House Aerospace Caucus, along with co-Chair Congressman Norm Dicks, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 167, which supports the goals and ideals of creating a National Aerospace Day, in addition to recognizing the contributions of the aerospace industry to the history, economy, security and the educational system of the United States. I thank the gentleman from New York and the gentleman from Texas for their detailed recital of the many successes that the American aerospace industry has had, and I will not repeat those.

But as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing this year, it is appropriate that we pass this resolution recognizing the important achievements made possible by the aerospace industry. In addition to landing on the Moon, some other noteworthy achievements include leading the International Space Station project, innovative developments in meteorological forecasting, national defense, communications, and creating the Global Positioning System which has come to be used by consumers throughout the world in guiding them where they travel in their daily lives.

The United States also maintains the largest, most complex and safest aviation system in the world, comprised of more than 230,000 general aviation aircraft which use nearly 19,000 small and regional airports throughout our Nation, and more than 7,000 commercial passenger and cargo airline aircraft which utilize over 500 commercial airports. Our aviation system, especially business aviation, allows U.S. companies to stay competitive because our workers can be more productive and more efficient.

The United States aerospace industry is a powerful, reliable source of employment, innovation and export income, employing more than 840,000 people in the United States and supporting

more than 2 million jobs in related fields. Although unemployment remains high, especially in my home State of Michigan, these high- value, good-paying jobs continue to be available because of the shortage of qualified workers in this field.

Therefore, in order for the United States to remain at the forefront of aerospace development, we must do a better job of educating our children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly referred to as STEM education. Flying and space exploration remain a powerful inspiration that captures the interest of young people, and I applaud the efforts by the aerospace community to get involved with children and schools to nurture this interest and improve our STEM education programs.

I am proud to report that in my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a young gentleman, Patrick Johnson, who is a pilot, has formed the West Michigan Flight Academy, and been teaching aviation to children in the elementary schools, particularly those who are lagging behind. He has been helping them build model airplanes and fly them. Just about a month ago, I was with him when we went to a local meeting of the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter in my community.

Many of these children went up in an airplane for the first time in their life. They got to stand by the airplanes and hear an explanation of what the different parts of the airplanes were and how they work. And, believe it or not, most of those children are now very interested in studying math and science to better understand aviation, and may enter an occupation they had never thought of before. So aviation also has a very important educational impact, and I am pleased that the aerospace industry has helped schools and teachers learn more and teach more about aviation, and through that has inspired children to study science and mathematics.

I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the aerospace industry for their good service by supporting the creation of a National Aerospace Day on September 16th. I also urge all members to vote for this concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 167.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 167, supporting the goals and ideals of National Aerospace Day, introduced by my good friend Representative Vern Ehlers and cosponsored by a number of leading Members from both sides of the aisle.

Domestic aerospace products, services and technologies underpin the Nation's quality of life, our security and economic vitality. These are fundamental to our ability to travel safely and conveniently throughout this country and the world. This enables our military to reach trouble spots quickly, to monitor those who wish to do us harm, and to accurately defeat imminent threats. Just as importantly, aerospace makes it possible for people and industries all across our country to quickly and inexpensively be part of our economic mainstream.

The capabilities made possible by aerospace products in outer space are just as extraordinary. These have enabled safely landing men on the Moon, sending satellites to all the planets in our solar system, landing a satellite on an asteroid, building a permanently inhabited space station, monitoring weather, measuring changes to our planet, and providing instant communications to all parts of the globe. Space applications have enriched our lives and our understanding of the universe.

The history of aerospace is long and storied, from the Wright Brothers, to the creation of the Federal National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics and NASA, to the vigorous industrial growth and technological innovation led by the likes of companies such as Rockwell, McDonald Douglas, Grumman, North American, Boeing, Pratt and Whitney, and Beechcraft. That list could go on and on. These companies and many, many others have led the world in innovation and engineering excellence. It is because of their talented researchers, their engineers and machinists that our country leads the world in the production of aerospace products.

Before closing, it bears repeating that aerospace products and services are one of the largest sources of export income in our balance of trade. Not only is aerospace a large source of domestic sales to our airplanes and our government, it is also an extraordinarily large source of foreign income.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 167 designates September 16th as National Aerospace Day to highlight the industry's importance to our economy and our way of life and to remind Americans of the extraordinary achievements it has fostered and continues to provide. I urge all Members to support this very worthwhile bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan, Dr. Ehlers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 167), supporting the goals and ideals of National Aerospace Day, and for other purposes.

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 House Concurrent Resolution 167, the resolution now under consideration.

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

I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 167, supporting the goals and ideals of National Aerospace Day. Since it opened in 1976, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has been the most popular museum in our Nation's Capital, with over 6 million visitors each year. This is indicative of our Nation's love of flight and the importance of flight to our country's well-being.

In this museum, you can see the Wright Flyer, which was the world's first powered airplane. You can also see the X-1 that Chuck Yeager first powered past the speed of sound and the Apollo XI capsule that returned Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins from their remarkable trip to the Moon. These are truly great achievements, and they deserve their hallowed place in our Nation's history.

The industry and individuals that support our aerospace endeavors also deserve our recognition, because they are the ones that make the great achievements in flight and space exploration possible.

The aerospace industry directly employs over 800,000 people in the United States with high-paying and high-tech jobs. In addition, the industry supports more than 2 million jobs in related fields. The United States is the unquestioned leader in aerospace technology, and it is a leadership position made possible only through the dedication of the talented aerospace workforce.

I want to thank Representative Ehlers for introducing this resolution to recognize the contributions of the aerospace industry to our country and urge my colleagues to support its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would again like to commend Representative Ehlers for his outstanding work on this resolution, drawing our attention to a National Aerospace Day. It is no small feat to have seen the history of the aerospace arena grow in leaps and bounds over the last century, and certainly writing much of that history was America and Americans who have, through their investment, given great opportunities to careers, to jobs that have been developed in that arena of a high-tech capacity, and certainly that have provided great hope and inspiration to many.

With all that being said, I would strongly encourage the Members of the House to support H. Con. Res. 167.

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