Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program and recognizing the significant contributions of Albert Einstein Fellows.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1322) celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program and recognizing the significant contributions of Albert Einstein Fellows.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1322 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the important role of science, technology, engineering and math--known as STEM--educators in our schools and in our country. The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program recognizes kindergarten through 12th grade teachers as critical voices in the national conversation on education policy. The program acknowledges excellence in teaching and the value of a teacher's service to the community.

This program brings outstanding teachers to the Washington, D.C. area so they can be immersed in and help shape Federal policy. Fellows combine their teaching and their fellowship experience for the betterment of students across the country. This year commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Einstein Fellowship Program.

Over the course of the past 20 years, 173 fellows have served in this important program. This year, there are 24 fellows representing math, science, technology, career and technical education, special education, and engineering teachers. They have come from 47 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with a diverse range of experience and background.

The Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship provides Congress direct access to teachers who come straight from their classrooms and bring with them a firsthand understanding of how school works. Einstein fellows have also served in most of the Federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Office of Science and Technology Policy.

In these agencies, fellows are directly involved with educational outreach activities, curriculum development, teacher training, grant proposal review, program analysis and improvement, and other activities where the experience of a STEM educator provides practical insight and vital input.

These teachers serving in our Nation's Capital lend another important voice for the students who will be tomorrow's leaders. These students are

entering a world that requires the concrete skills, creative thinking, and innovation that STEM education provides. Alumni of the program maintain leadership roles in STEM education, which amplifies the value of the fellowship.

Einstein fellows who return to their classrooms and communities bring a wealth of new skills, knowledge, and an enhanced perspective for how their teaching fits into the larger picture of our country's education policy. These teachers renew their efforts to inspire their students and encourage them to pursue STEM pathways. Einstein fellows have also gone on to teach and mentor teachers in university programs, coordinate statewide efforts on STEM curriculum initiatives, and continue serving in the administration and in Congress.

Congressman Honda, who is not here today, wanted me to express his strong support for the Einstein fellowship program, but he is feeling under the weather and can't be here. So I will submit a statement by Congressman Honda in support of the resolution into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, once again I express my support for the 20th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. I want to thank Representative Honda for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass the resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1322, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Program and recognizing the significant contributions of Albert Einstein Fellows.

For 20 years, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows have worked in the Senate and House, and Federal agencies, drafting legislation and creating innovative educational programs and interventions. Einstein Fellows are selected through a highly competitive process from among the best science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers in the field, and represent diverse geographic regions, backgrounds and communities.

Over 190 Einstein Fellows have played a critical role in helping to advance the fields of education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics in the United States by applying their classroom experience to shape public policy. Their deep understanding of both science and pedagogy has provided practical insights and ``real world'' perspectives to policy makers and program administrators.

Teachers who are chosen to be Albert Einstein Fellows demonstrate exceptional expertise in teaching in elementary or secondary schools and have an interest and willingness to be involved in public policy. Many are recognized for excellence through the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics or Science Teaching and other prestigious awards. These dedicated teachers interrupt their careers and leave their homes and classrooms behind to spend a school year in a Congressional Office, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, NSF, OSTP, applying their classroom experience to shape public policy while expanding their valuable skills.

The Einstein Fellows, during their service and later upon the continuation of their professional careers, serve as role models and example of dedication and commitment for past, current and future generations of educators and public servants:

I have had the benefit of having Einstein Fellows in my office for the past four years and I can personally attest to the tremendous contributions they have made to science education throughout the nation. For example, Luke Laurie, a middle school science teacher from California, worked on Global Warming Education legislation and an effort to congratulate Vice President Al Gore on his Nobel Prize; Ed Potosnak, a secondary school science teacher from New Jersey, who developed the Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act and the Educational Opportunity and Equity Commission Act; and Eduardo Guevara, a secondary school science teacher from Texas, who is working on the One America, Many Voices Act, which would appropriately compensate Federal workers with multilingual skills, on legislation to establish prizes for educational technology innovation, and on equity in educational opportunities for Bilingual Learners (ELLS).

President Obama himself experienced the benefits of having an Einstein Fellow in his office when he was a freshman Senator.

In conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of the program, on June 28th and 29th the Einstein Fellowship Summit will be held here in Washington, where former and current fellows will address issues related to STEM education. Members have been invited to the Congressional reception to be held at the Rayburn Gold Room, and I encourage my colleagues to attend that event to meet current and former fellows and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and the Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am, in its present form.

Mr. Speaker, with the unemployment rate stuck at nearly 10 percent, far too many Americans and small businesses are struggling to get by. While the bill before us contains some very limited benefits, it does little to help small businesses create the jobs so many Americans desperately need.

The motion to recommit the underlying bill keeps the underlying bill intact and provides real help to Americans by repealing one of the most onerous provisions of the new health care law, the individual mandate that, while exempting illegal immigrants, forces Americans to buy government-approved health insurance or pay a tax if they don't.

The Federal Government has never required its citizens to purchase a particular product before, and doing so with health insurance violates the basic principles of freedom and individual choice. No American should be forced to buy or purchase health insurance they don't want or can't afford.

This provision is so controversial that 20 States and the Nation's leading small business organization, the National Federation of Independent Business, have filed a lawsuit questioning its constitutionality. While legal experts will soon start arguing that case, we already know that the individual mandate tax penalty will fall hardest on middle- and low-income Americans.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, in 2016, nearly 75 percent of the Americans who pay this tax will have household incomes below 500 percent of the Federal poverty level. That's roughly $73,000 for a married couple with no children. CBO also tells us that the Democrats' health care law will increase premiums for millions of Americans by up to 13 percent. That's a premium increase of about $2,100.

As the Democrats' health care bill drives up the cots of health care premiums even higher, it will become more and more unaffordable for American families to comply with the mandate. Repealing this mandate will directly benefit millions of Americans and uphold the freedoms upon which this Nation was founded. It has the added benefit of eliminating the need for the IRS to hire thousands of additional employees, possibly as many as 16,000, just to enforce the new health care law.

The recently enacted health care law is bad for workers, bad for employers, and bad for America. Clearly, we need to repeal and replace this law with commonsense reforms that will actually lower health care costs and let Americans keep the plan they have and like.

And let me remind my colleagues of a quote from then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama. And I quote, ``A mandate means that in some fashion everybody will be forced to buy health insurance. . . . But I believe the problem is not that folks are trying to

avoid getting health care. The problem is they can't afford it.''

This health care law increases premiums by $2,100 for millions of American families and requires them to buy this government-approved insurance that they cannot afford.

I urge my colleagues to stand with the American people and vote for the motion to recommit.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, due to a family medical situation, I was unable to participate in the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

June 14, 2010

Rollcall vote 355, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree--H. Res. 1368, Supporting the goals of National Dairy Month--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 356, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree--H. Res. 1409, Expressing support for designation of June 20, 2010, as

``American Eagle Day'', and celebrating the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 357, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass--H.R. 5502, To amend the effective date of the gift card provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009--I would have voted ``aye.''

June 15, 2010

Rollcall vote 358, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree--H. Res. 1383, Honoring Dr. Larry Case on his retirement as National FFA Advisor--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 359, On Agreeing to the Resolution--H. Res. 1436, Providing for consideration of H.R. 5486, the Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act; and providing for consideration of H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act--I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall vote 360, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended--H.R. 4855, Work-Life Balance Award Act--I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall vote 361, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree--H. Res. 1389, Recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 362, On Motion to Recommit with Instructions--H.R. 5486, Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act of 2010--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 363, On Passage--H.R. 5486, Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act of 2010--I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall vote 364, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree--H. Res. 1322, Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program and recognizing the significant contributions of Albert Einstein Fellows--I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I missed the following recorded votes on the House floor the legislative week of Monday, June 14, 2010.

For Monday, June 14, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 355 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1368), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 356 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1409), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 357 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 5502).

For Tuesday, June 15, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 358 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1383), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 359 (on agreeing to H. Res. 1436, which provides for consideration of H.R. 5486), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 360 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 4855), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 361 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1389), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 362 (on motion to recommit H.R. 5486). ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 363 (on passage of H.R. 5486), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 364 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1322).

For Wednesday, June 16, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 365 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 242), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 366 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1422), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 367 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1414).

For Thursday, June 17, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 368 (on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 1448), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 369 (on agreeing to H. Res. 1448, which provides for consideration of H.R. 5297), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 370 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1429), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 371 (on agreeing to the Israel amendment to H.R. 5297), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 372 (on agreeing to the Cao amendment to H.R. 5297), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 373 (on agreeing to the Miller (NC) amendment to H.R. 5297), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 374 (on motion to recommit H.R. 5297), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 375 (on passage of H.R. 5297).