Congratulating Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for being awarded the Nobel Prize in physics.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1069) congratulating Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for being awarded the Nobel Prize in physics.

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. Res. 1069, the resolution now under consideration.

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

I am very pleased today to be honoring the two Nobel Prize-winning physicists on their remarkable achievement. Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith, of Bell Labs, were recipients of the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics, along with Dr. Charles K. Kao. Drs. Boyle and Smith won the prize for their invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit, the charge-coupled device, or CCD. If this sounds familiar, it may be because it is the device that makes digital cameras work. The digital camera is already ubiquitous in consumer usage, but people may not realize the device also has been instrumental to scientific endeavors as well. The field of astronomy was revolutionized by the integration of these devices into telescopes to capture details of the cosmos in even greater detail. CCDs have also greatly aided our ability to look inward at the tiniest particles with their adaptation into microscopes.

Today, we also honor Bell Laboratories of Murray Hill, New Jersey. Bell Labs is a renowned research organization whose name is synonymous with innovation. In addition to CCDs, work at Bell Labs has led to the development of the transistor, photovoltaic cells, the laser, and the UNIX operating system. For all of these accomplishments, a total of seven Nobel Prizes for physics have been awarded for the work done at Bell Labs.

I want to thank the sponsor of this resolution, Mr. Lance of New Jersey, for recognizing these great scientific achievements. It's vitally important as we work to try and maintain America's competitiveness in the global economy that we celebrate scientific achievement and encourage young people to pursue careers in technical fields. We are quick in this body to recognize sports accomplishments. It is only fitting that we also recognize intellectual accomplishments of this caliber, particularly when they have such a dramatic impact on all of our lives. If we want as a society to do better in these areas of endeavor, it only makes sense for Congress to recognize great intellectual achievement when it happens; and these gentlemen are certainly deserving of that recognition.

So, once again, I want to thank my colleagues, and I urge passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I want to, again, commend Mr. Lance from New Jersey and my colleague and friend, Dr. Rush Holt, for his leadership on this, an absolutely fitting acknowledgment.

I again urge passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1069, congratulating Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for being awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics. These two scientists invented the charge-coupled device, or CCD, while working at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. The development of

the CCD was a breakthrough in electronic image sensing that led to today's digital cameras and other recording devices. CCDs are now integral components of modern laboratory instruments and medical sensors. The field of astronomy, in particular, benefitted from the invention of the CCD: the Hubble space telescope, the Kepler satellite, and other major astronomical instruments rely on CCDs for their spectacular images. Myself, I have used CCD detectors in physics research. I am deeply pleased that the Nobel Committee chose to reward these researchers' transformative contribution.

It is worth noting that Drs. Boyle and Smith set out to create a new tool for electronic memory, not a new imaging device. The dramatic success of their design is a reminder that research and development is a non-linear process. New products often spring from unexpected discoveries or develop from innovations that were originally intended for a different purpose. That is why our future economic success is inextricably linked to a robust, sustained federal investment in basic scientific research and a true commitment to a healthy national innovation infrastructure.

The creativity and inventiveness of Willard Boyle and George Smith were nurtured in the Bell Labs of the 1960s. That environment was responsible, in large part, for the seven Nobel Prizes that have been awarded for work carried out at Bell Labs over the years. The freedom to pursue science to unpredicted ends was a pillar of our research and development system for decades. Yet this opportunity is far too rare in today's public and private research institutions, and American competitiveness is not a given. A recent study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation ranked the United States last among forty nations and regions in terms of national improvement in international competitiveness and innovation capacity over the last decade.

With that in mind, we should remember that a Nobel Prize is a lagging indicator of success. It can take decades for the importance of a scientific discovery to be fully understood. As we applaud Willard Boyle and George Smith, we should not forget that the work for which the Nobel Committee honored them in 2009 was completed 40 years earlier--in 1969. Perhaps the best tribute to their legacy--and the best way to ensure our collective success--is to make certain that the scientists and researchers working today in our universities and laboratories have the resources they need today to bring home the Nobel Prizes of 2050.

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1069, which honors and congratulates Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for receiving the Nobel Prize in physics on December 10, 2009, for their invention of the imaging semiconductor circuit, the charge-coupled device, or CCD. This accomplishment, achieved by Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith while working at Bell Laboratories, has greatly influenced the way human beings view the world.

The invention of the charge-coupled device allows for the direct capture of images electronically rather than on the basis of film. The CCD has given the power of instantaneous imagery to people worldwide. This image-capturing device is not only more efficient but also is more accurate than conventional photography. It has allowed for the development of high-resolution picture-making and has helped create the ability to process and to develop photographs in a real-time setting.

Their design has gone on to be the core of every digital camera, camcorder, and telescope in existence today. In addition, CCD is used in various surgical cameras, as well as in cameras used by NASA. They have enabled millions of people worldwide to capture images sharply and effectively.

It's with great appreciation that we recognize these men today for their accomplishments and for their achievement in winning the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).

I congratulate Mr. Baird for his leadership.

Having no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from Washington.

I rise today to recognize Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith from Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, in my congressional district. Drs. Boyle and Smith, along with Charles Kao of Standard Telecommunications Laboratories and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, were awarded the Nobel Prize for physics for the invention of the charge-coupled device, an imaging semiconductor circuit.

The work of Drs. Boyle and Smith represents a breakthrough in telecommunications that may bring about revolutionary changes in the near future. Their significant achievements have helped advance the United States as the world leader in scientific research and development.

It should come as no surprise that their work was completed at Bell Laboratories. Founded in 1925 by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, Bell Laboratories is an internationally renowned research organization. Work at Bell Labs has led to the invention or advancement of such groundbreaking technologies as the transistor, photovoltaic cells, the laser, the UNIX operating system, and the CCD sensor. In fact, seven Nobel Prizes for physics have been awarded for research conducted at Bell Labs.

I'm very proud to commend Drs. Boyle and Smith on winning the Nobel Prize in physics and in sharing their scientific achievements with colleagues in Congress, with Garden State residents, and indeed with the American people. I also thank my colleague, Congressman Rush Holt, also from New Jersey, for his efforts to recognize this remarkable achievement and recognizing Bell Labs.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend several votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 3650, ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1069, and ``aye'' on final passage H. Res. 935.