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

Madam Speaker, I was not present for the following roll call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

On rollcall No. 454, on H. Con. Res. 292, Supporting the goals and ideals of National

Aerospace Week, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 450, on H. Res. 1219, Expressing support for designation of September as National Child Awareness Month, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 449, on H. Con. Res. 126, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Title VI international education programs within the Department of Education, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 448, on H. Res. 1472, Expressing support for designation of the week of September 13, 2010, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 372, on H.R. 5297, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 293, on H.R. 5330, To Amend the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 to Extend the Operation of Such Act for a 5-Year Period Ending June 22, 2015, and for Other Purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 292, H.R. 1017, Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 291, H. Con. Res. 278, Expressing the Sense of Congress That a Grateful Nation Supports and Salutes Sons and Daughters in Touch on Its 20th Anniversary That is Being Held on Father's Day, 2010, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, the District of Columbia, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 213, H. Res. 1271, Honoring the Life and Achievements of Rev. Benjamin Lawson Hooks, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 212, H. Res. 1257, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Financial Literacy Month, 2010, and for Other Purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 172, H. Res. 1205, Providing for Consideration of the Bill (H.R. 4849) to Amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to Provide Tax Incentives for Small Business Job Creation, Extend the Build America Bonds Program, Provide Other Infrastructure Job Creation Tax Incentives, and for Other Purposes (On Ordering the Previous Question), I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 153, On Approving the Journal, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 84, H. Res. 699, Expressing the Appreciation of Congress for the Service and Sacrifice of the Members of the 139th Airlift Wing, Air National Guard, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 50, H.R. 4238, To Designate the Facility of the United States Postal Service Located at 930 39th Avenue in Greeley, Colorado, As the ``W.D. Farr Post Office Building'', I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 49, H.R. 4425, To Designate the Facility of the United States Postal Service Located at 2-116th Street in North Troy, New York, As the ``Martin G. `Marty' Mahar Post Office'', I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 19, H. Res. 1003, Expressing Support for the Designation of January 10, 2010, Through January 16, 2010, As National Influenza Vaccination Week, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 18, H. Res. 1011, Recognizing the Importance of Cervical Health and of Detecting Cervical Cancer During Its Earliest Stages and Supporting the Goals and Ideals of Cervical Health Awareness Month, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 17, H. Res. 990, Expressing Support for Designation of January 2010 As ``National Mentoring Month'', I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 5, H.R. 3892, To Designate the Facility of the United States Postal Service Located at 101 West Highway 64 Bypass in Roper, North Carolina, As the ``E.V. Wilkins Post Office'', I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 858, H. Res. 868, Honoring and Recognizing the Service and Achievements of Current and Former Female Members of the Armed Forces, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 381, H.R. 2847, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 109, H.J. Res. 38, Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2009, and for Other Purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 108, H.J. Res. 38, Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2009, and for Other Purposes, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall No. 107, On Approving the Journal, I would have voted ``aye.''

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to also say we have appreciated the service of Bart Gordon as chairman of the Science and Technology Committee and Mr. Ralph Hall for allowing this bill to come to the floor.

I want to congratulate Mr. Ehlers, my colleague and cochair of the House Aerospace Caucus, on introducing this important resolution.

I strongly support the goal of this legislation to call attention to the importance of the aerospace industry in our Nation. The aerospace sector provides our economy over 840,000 jobs and constitutes over $210 billion in annual sales and $78 billion in exports. It is a vital sector that we appreciate all the more when other significant segments of the economy are struggling.

Because I come from the Puget Sound region in the State of Washington, it is hard not to have an awareness of the aerospace industry. In my

home State, there are many companies developing and producing a wide range of aerospace products. But, of course, the dominant presence is Boeing. The Boeing company directly employs over 72,000 people in Washington State, and they draw on over 2,700 suppliers in the State while buying over $3.3 billion of goods and services per year.

I want to note that just this past December 15, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner made its first flight. This revolutionary aircraft is the first major airliner to use composite materials throughout most of its structure, which will yield significant efficiencies, reductions in fuel consumption, and enhanced passenger comfort.

Aerospace also is critical to our national defense. From my position as chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I am keenly aware of the role that aerospace plays for our national defense and our intelligence community. Our Nation relies heavily on technology to give us the military advantages that we enjoy over potential adversaries; and aerospace is an area where our technological advantage gives us unmatched capabilities and systems, such as air-to-air missiles, stealthy platforms, supersonic fighters, and satellites that can detect missile launch.

In many cases, the technologies that are developed and used for our national security are unique because only the military has a use for it. However, I want to point out that it is also not unusual for military technologies to eventually have wide and dramatic benefits in our lives. One example is the Global Positioning System, GPS, first developed for military purposes, but now in use in a constantly expanding range of applications across the entire world. GPS now is a vital part of the safety and efficiency of the world's transportation systems, the productivity of our farms, the management of our resources, and the protection of our environment.

In closing, I want to mention that despite our national successes in aerospace, there are a couple of issues that we must pay attention to if we are going to continue to have a thriving aerospace sector that contributes to our economy and our national defense. I continue to be concerned about the health of our overall industrial base. One example is our space launch industrial base. I also firmly believe that we must pay more attention to educating and inspiring the future generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians that will keep making important technical advances and producing state-of-the-art products. Dr. Ehlers mentioned the importance of education not only for our students, but at the universities in our country.

Again, I want to thank Dr. Ehlers for introducing this resolution, and I want to thank him for his leadership on the Aerospace Caucus and for his friendship. We are going to miss him as well.

I urge my colleagues to join us in recognizing the important contributions of the aerospace sector to our lives by voting for this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 292) supporting the goals and ideals of National Aerospace Week, and for other purposes.

Madam 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. 292, the concurrent resolution now under consideration.

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

No matter how many times you fly, there is still something magical about the first moment of takeoff when acceleration gives way to the sudden lift and you soar into the clouds. Behind that moment of wonder lies over a century of hard work, long hours, and sacrifice spent uncovering the secrets of aerodynamics and mastering the engineering of heavier-than-air flight. It should be a point of great pride that the United States was a leader in making aviation a reality. So in recognition of National Aerospace Week, we honor a national history of achievement in both aeronautics and in space.

America's achievements in aerospace inspire awe and admiration around the world. From the very first heavier-than-air flight in 1903 to the Moon landing in 1969, America has led the way in aerospace.

Today, we continue to move forward by sending robotic probes to the far reaches of the solar systems, sending observatories into space, and leading the international team that constructed the international space station.

American superiority in aerospace is part of the foundation on which our security rests. Satellites provide our troops in distant lands with everything from vital intelligence about local weather and terrain to updates on NBA finals. Unmanned aerial vehicles and communications, and satellite-based navigation and position systems are essential tools that members of the Armed Forces rely on to do their job safely and effectively.

Space-derived systems like GPS and weather satellites have become integral to civil society as well.

The aerospace industry employs many hundreds of thousands of Americans and is one of the most vibrant and innovative sectors of our economy. Industry sales are estimated to reach $215 billion in 2010.

In addition to the 831,000 Americans who work in the aerospace industry, an additional 11 million work in the field of commercial aviation.

For its contributions to science and engineering, to our national security and economy, as well as to the general well-being and progress of humankind, the aerospace industry deserves recognition. With this resolution, we take a moment to remember the glories of the past and the anticipation of wonders for the future.

I want to thank the sponsor of this resolution, Dr. Vern Ehlers, for his long support of our Nation's aerospace industry and for his support for science and technology generally during his tenure in Congress on the Science and Technology Committee. We think of him as the conscience of science, and we thank him for this good resolution today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, let me say all the accolades that Dr. Ehlers has received have been well deserved. He has left a thick trail of accomplishments in this body.

I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Dicks), the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

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

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

I thank my good friend for yielding to me.

As the author of this resolution and cochair of the House Aerospace Caucus, along with Congressman Norm Dicks, who has just arrived on the floor, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 292, which supports the goals and ideals of creating a National Aerospace Week. Last year, the House voice voted a similar resolution supporting an Aerospace Day. However, considering the aerospace industry's contribution to our history, economy, security, and educational system, we believe an entire week is more appropriate.

Last year, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, and this year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of continuous human presence in orbit on the international space station. These important achievements are made possible by the aerospace industry.

In addition to landing on the moon, living in space, innovative developments in satellites, meteorological forecasting, national defense, and communications, the United States also maintains the largest, most complex, and safest aviation system in the world.

Our aviation system, especially business aviation, allows U.S. companies to stay competitive because our workers can be more productive and efficient. In fact, aviation is becoming so widespread that this evening I will be taking an exam toward my own pilot certificate, and I hope to spend the remaining years of my life learning more and more about aviation.

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 in demand because of the shortage of qualified workers.

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 hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the aerospace industry by designating the third week in September as National Aerospace Week. I urge all Members to vote for H. Con. Res. 292.

Let me also express my appreciation to both the chairman of the Science Committee, Mr. Gordon, and also to Mr. Hall, the ranking member of that committee. They have done an excellent job of leading the committee this year, and we have accomplished great things in the Science Committee.

I also wish to thank them as friends for the kind words they have just uttered about my pending departure. In fact, I am receiving so many accolades for my work in the Congress that I have decided I may retire again and again, but I suspect I am limited to doing it only one time.

But in any event, I have deeply appreciated my time in the Congress of the United States. I strongly support the aerospace industry and what it means to this country and, frankly, to this world, and we pray that we will continue to serve well in exploring this marvelous universe that the Lord has given us to explore.

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

I rise today, of course, in support of House Concurrent Resolution 292, designating the third week of September as ``National Aerospace Week'' to recognize the contributions of the aerospace industry to the history, economy, security, and educational system of the United States.

This bill was introduced by my good friend, Representative Vern Ehlers, who, as I am sure many Members know, is retiring at the end of this Congress. I hate to lose this good man, and I will miss Vern very greatly. He has been a steady voice of reason in the House of Representatives and in the Science Committee. Dr. Ehlers has been a tireless and articulate advocate for policies and programs aimed at attracting the talents of our young people into the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. He will be greatly missed.

This Nation has always been preeminent in the international aerospace industry and continues to lead the way today through the support of the international space station by offering cutting-edge products and services throughout the world and by fostering the development and operation of the largest and safest aviation system in the world. The United States' aerospace industry serves as a powerful, reliable source of employment for 831,000 people and supports more than 2 million other jobs in related fields.

Among its many diverse innovations, the aerospace industry developed the Global Positioning System, sensors that give us the capability to make long-range, reliable meteorological forecasts; aircraft and other surveillance systems that help defend our shores; and tools to increase economic productivity, improve our quality of life, and save lives. The aerospace industry also assists and protects members of the Armed Forces with military communications systems, unmanned aerial systems, high-performance aircraft, and satellite-based precision surveillance and navigation systems.

Finally, let me add that high-technology goods and services produced by the aerospace industry help capture the interest of young people here at home and around the world. It gives them tremendous inspiration to tackle the more difficult class work that science and engineering professions demand and which, in turn, will ultimately lead these people to a much more enriching and rewarding life.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 292.

I yield such time as he may consume to Dr. Ehlers.

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