Floor Statements

I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop) for his leadership in education. I rise in support of this temporary extension of the Higher Education Act and also rise to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Florida. Our hearts and prayers go out to Senator

Kennedy, his family, friends, and many supporters around the country, and look forward to his return to the other body as the lion of the Senate, with teeth and claws and roar completely intact.

I also look forward to the new Higher Education Act, which we are close to completing in conference with the other body, and the many provisions that my colleague from New York referred to. I just wanted to point out three. One is a substantial expansion of financial aid, especially to the neediest students in America. Second, a late but very appropriate recognition of the role of community colleges in higher education, and in particular the encouragement of articulation agreements between community colleges and their peers and 4-year colleges.

What articulation agreements would basically permit would be students to seamlessly go between community colleges, and between community colleges and 4-year colleges, because what we have found in Oregon is that students study and learn in a different way today, so that someone may take a class at a community college in the morning, work, and then take a class at a 4-year college at night. We want that system to work for the students and want the institutions to work together so that students do not need to fill out two financial aid forms, two entrance forms, and multiple other forms. These articulation agreements are very, very important. It's a little bit technical. But it will serve the modern education need very, very well.

Finally, I want to point out one area addressed by this higher education bill, and this is a topic on which my office has received the most mail of any topic that we have worked on in my decade in Congress, this is mail from all around the country, from college students, and that is the textbook fairness pricing issue.

Sometimes you will find a book in the college book store here selling for $150. If you go on Amazon U.K., you will find the same textbook being sold, in English, the same textbook in the U.K. for $50. In this Internet era, with a highly motivated, highly educated consumer group, namely college students, this kind of pricing unfairness just can't stand the test of either fairness or propriety anymore.

We have some minimal provisions in the House version of the higher education bill to bring some fairness, some openness to college textbook pricing. Currently, students are cooperating, professors are cooperating, bookstores are cooperating, but the textbook industry is fighting this particular provision very, very hard. I just want to say that we will not give up on this issue. We will insist on the House language because college students who can make a difference, who will make a difference, will insist upon this.

We look forward to the new version of the higher education bill and support this temporary extension.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and some of the things I

want to talk about are personal and some are of a public policy nature.

I never cease to admire the courage of my parents in bringing our family to this country, to a new country, a new language, a new culture. And interestingly enough, I have never been really able to say that to them in person across the kitchen table, and it's easier for me to say it right here on the House floor.

There are other lessons that are important, and one of them has been referred to earlier, the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II. It is not an old, cold, dead issue. We passed the Military Commissions Act just before the 2006 elections. It substantially restricted habeas corpus for all Americans. And just as we apologize to Japanese Americans for the internment during World War II, someday we'll be apologizing for actions taken under the Military Commissions Act.

So some of the lessons learned from the Asian Pacific American experience are positive ones, and others are cautionary ones that we should continue to remember.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, at 2:28 p.m. local time, a massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan Province in southwest China. Tragically, the death toll is now estimated in excess of 12,000 people, and it may rise.

There are thousands of people injured and thousands more remain trapped beneath rubble. Especially tragic are the hundreds, and, perhaps over 1,000, school children who are trapped beneath their collapsed schools.

I ask my colleagues to join me in observing a moment of silence to express our deep sympathy for those affected by yesterday's earthquake in China.

Mr. Speaker, last year 1.5 million American households entered foreclosure, and this year the number of American families in danger of losing their homes could be as high as 2 million. These foreclosures could reduce overall economic activity by $166 billion this year as the effects of the mortgage crisis spill over into other sectors of the economy.

In my State of Oregon, the foreclosure rate among subprime borrowers increased by 28 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007. Over 5,000 Oregon families are currently in foreclosure, more than half of whom hold subprime mortgages.

But this debate is not about facts and statistics. If it were, it would be over by now. By requiring that the holders of debt take a haircut down to 85 percent of current market value, we are

sharing the pain. By requiring that people who are working in order to be eligible for this program are paying at least 35 percent of their income in order to be eligible, we are exercising responsibility.

What this debate is really about is a matter of values. The values being expounded on the other side of this debate are absolutely astounding, and nothing illustrates it better than a movie I love, ``It's a Wonderful Life.'' George Bailey was the hero of that movie, and he was dealing with a hard-hearted old man named Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter said to George Bailey as he was trying to save American households, ``Have you put any real pressure on these people to pay their mortgages?''

And George Bailey relied, ``Times are bad, Mr. Potter. A lot of these people are out of work.''

``Then foreclose.''

George Bailey answers, ``I can't do that. These families have children.''

``Not my children,'' said Mr. Potter.

Well, what we hear from the other side is: not my children, these folks are irresponsible, throw them out.

We clearly have the upper hand in this debate.

Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis has devastated millions of American families who have lost their homes, but the crisis doesn't end there. Experts predict that housing foreclosures could reduce overall economic activity by over $160 billion this year thanks to sharp declines in real estate, the construction industry, and in consumer spending.

The slump in the real estate market is hurting manufacturers, construction firms and other businesses that have been forced to lay off thousands of workers. Ending the foreclosure crisis is vital to the American economy, our economic recovery, and to Americans who are hurting. And that is why it is so important that this Congress pass the bipartisan housing package that we are presenting this week. It reported out of the Financial Services Committee by both Republicans and Democrats and sent to this floor for our consideration.

Mr. Speaker, serious problems with subprime mortgages have pushed the housing market into its worst slump in decades, weakening the economy and making American families less secure. The package of bills we are presenting today will help stabilize the housing industry and give the American economy the boost it so sorely needs. And I urge every Member of the House to support these much-needed bills.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3513, the Copper Salmon Wilderness Act. This bill, introduced by my friend, colleague and Dean of the Oregon delegation, Mr. DeFazio, would set aside nearly 13,000 acres in the headwaters of the Elk River on the southern coast of Oregon, and designate more than 11 additional miles of the river as either wild or scenic under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The Copper Salmon area contains one of the Nation's largest remaining stands of low-elevation old-growth forest and in the north fork of the Elk, one of the healthiest salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout runs in the continental United States.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot talk about the health of this great river without calling attention to the fact that the Pacific Coast salmon fishermen face one of the largest salmon fishery closures ever recorded in the United States. It is legislation like this that makes us realize the importance of looking into the future and to move in a direction that not only protects the fish, but also the local economy by providing habitat for more fish to flourish and survive into adulthood.

Mr. Speaker, it was poor natural resource management that has helped to create our recent salmon disasters and this bill offers a chance to head in another direction. The Oregon delegation and their friends in California and Washington have worked hard, and worked collectively to make sure that both salmon and our fishermen are protected.

I would like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your assistance in the past for disaster relief funds for our 1,200 salmon fishermen. I ask that you keep a watchful eye this season as the salmon fishermen of the Pacific face another closed season, another disaster declaration, and lost revenue.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I don't know how we got on the subject of gasoline prices because we're here to talk about SBIR and STTR. But if we want to talk about the price of gasoline, I think that the reason why we have $4-a-gallon gasoline is because this administration got us into an unnecessary war in Iraq and that drove up the price of gasoline at least $2 a gallon. So if you want to talk about gasoline, let's talk about the war in Iraq.

Now let's return to the subject of SBIR and STTR. The last time that we authorized either one of these problems, the SBIR program, was in the 106th Congress. The bill was marked up by the Small Business Committee and discharged by the Science Committee. I would note that the bill was not even referred to a subcommittee of the Science Committee. The bill then proceeded to the floor under a suspension of the rules. And we all know that as a suspension bill, there was absolutely no opportunity to offer an amendment to the underlying legislation.

Again, the last time that we authorized STTR, which was in the 107th Congress, the bill was marked up by the full Small Business Committee and discharged by both the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards and by the full Science Committee without any Science Committee markup. The bill then proceeded to the floor under a suspension of the rules, and again there was absolutely no opportunity to amend the bill.

What do we have today? We have 17 amendments on the floor. We have 17 amendments made in order by the Rules Committee here on the floor.

Who's running an open process?

I would be happy to yield.

Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, with 17 amendments made in order under this structured rule, which I support, I think the gentleman and I will have plenty of time to share on the floor today.

I would be happy to yield.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Seventeen amendments is obviously 17 times any one amendment to the SBIR bill. Now last time there were zero amendments; so it's infinitely better than what happened last time.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 5819, this SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act. I want to commend Chairwoman Velazquez and the gentleman from Ohio for their fine work in the Small Business Committee to bring a strong bill to the floor. I also want to recognize Drs. Ehlers and Gingrey and Chairman Gordon of our Science and Technology Committee for their leadership on this issue.

SBIR and STTR are integral to our innovation agenda. Small companies are where a lot of innovation happens, and we need to support these companies to remain successful in the competitive global economy. At more than $2.3 billion a year, SBIR and STTR comprise the largest single source of Federal funding for private sector technological innovation. These funds help fund companies to turn federally funded research into new jobs, products, and services. However, SBIR and STTR were created more than 20 years ago, and we need to restructure both programs to respond to the new global innovation environment.

Last week, the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee marked up H.R. 5789, the Science and Technology Innovation Act of 2008, which also reauthorized SBIR and STTR. I am glad to see that many of the provisions from H.R. 5789 were included in the subject bill, H.R. 5819.

I thank Chairwoman Velazquez for working to include provisions that the Science Committee thought were critical to the continued success of SBIR and STTR.

Prior to coming to Congress, I practiced technology law for a number of years, and I helped a number of applicants through the SBIR application process. I can tell you that it is a long and arduous process and that frequently, grant sizes were not adequate. The bill we are considering today includes many updates which can fix some of the problems that I saw in the private sector, such as increasing the set- aside by one-half percent, increasing the award sizes, allowing for agency flexibility and granting awards, and addressing venture capital participation in the SBIR program.

Again, I want to thank the chairwoman for introducing this good legislation which improves upon existing programs that are vital to the development of innovative technologies. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington, the chairman of the Research and Education Subcommittee of the Science Committee, Mr. Baird.

Madam Chairman, at this time, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio, a member of the committee, a leader in the field of nanotechnology, Mr. Wilson.

Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, we have one further speaker, who, we are told, is on her way.

Madam Chairman, I am ready to close.

This is a finely crafted bill, which a lot of Members have worked on for quite some time. I want to especially thank those staffers who normally do not get recognition: Dennis Worden of my personal staff, Barb Jones, a detailee from the National Institute of Standards and Technology; Mike Quear from the Science Committee staff; and also Piper Largent of the Republican side on the committee staff.

I think that I would just close by saying that this is a good bill. It is a compromise bill. No one is getting everything that they want. But I think that on balance this is a bill which is good for innovation in America.

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

Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

It has been delightful to be working with the majority on the SBIR/STTR bill.

The minority has chosen to make this into a debate about energy prices. A professor at Stanford University estimates that oil prices should be at about $60 a barrel. The chairman of Exxon, I understand, says that oil should be at about $55 a barrel. And I think the only reason why oil is at twice that price is because of an unnecessary war and a Republican Congress which permitted Exxon to speculate in the energy market.

I thank the chairwoman.

I would like to inquire of the proponent of the amendment to clarify that his amendment, the net effect is to permit two corporate owned venture capital firms each to own 10 percent of an applicant as opposed to what is currently in the bill of one corporate owned venture capital firm owning 10 percent of an applicant.

If the chairwoman would yield for a moment, I would support the gentleman from Missouri's amendment.

Instead of grandstanding on gas issues, instead of taking ``yes'' for an answer, the minority would want to kill a bill that has funded NEI Corporation of Somerset, New Jersey that enables the development of batteries for hybrid vehicles; a program that funded Eltron Research for coal gasification that establishes energy independence; that funded Mohawk Innovative Technology of Albany, New York to enable the hydrogen economy.

You want energy independence? Vote for this bill. Stop the political grandstanding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act and the 120th anniversary of the Twin Oaks estate in Washington, DC, a National Historic Site and the former residence of nine ambassadors from the Republic of China.

The Twin Oaks estate, located on Woodley Road in Northwest Washington, DC, is considered the largest privately-owned estate in the District of Columbia. The land upon which Twin Oaks rests belonged originally to Uriah Forrest, an American general in the Revolutionary War, a member of the first Continental Congress, and one of Maryland's first delegates to Congress. In 1888, the property was sold to Mr. Gardiner Green Hubbard, founder and first president of the National Geographic Society. Mr. Hubbard commissioned one of America's leading architects at the time, Richard Allen, to design and construct a 26- room house in the early Colonial (Georgian) Revival style. Mr. Hubbard's son-in-law, telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, once lived at the estate.

In 1937, the Twin Oaks estate was rented to the Government of the Republic of China, and in 1947 the property was formally sold to that Government. The estate remained in possession of the Republic of China Government after it moved to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. From 1937 to 1978, the Twin Oaks estate was the official residence of nine Republic of China ambassadors, who used the estate for social gatherings and business meetings with senior members of the U.S. government and members of the diplomatic corps.

In late 1978, President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would shift diplomatic relations from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China on January 1. 1979. Fearing that the People's Republic of China would claim ownership of all its assets in the United States, the Republic of China government in Taiwan asked Thomas G. Corcoran, Sr. to help arrange for the sale of the Twin Oaks estate to a private American civic organization, the Friends of Free China Association, co-chaired by Senator Barry Goldwater.

However, the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act, signed into law on April 10, 1979, rendered the transaction unnecessary and ensured that Twin Oaks would remain under ownership of the Republic of China.

Twin Oaks is an invaluable symbol of friendship between the peoples of the United States and Taiwan. Today let us honor the 120th anniversary of the Twin Oaks estate and the 29th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would like to recognize the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell) for working diligently on this important piece of legislation, for reaching across the aisle and working with the gentleman from Georgia, and for his leadership in shaping this important piece of legislation. In fact, it was, indeed, through efforts like this that Congress first formed the United States Fire Administration in 1974 because of then reports that there are over 12,000 deaths each year in this country, and over 300,000 fire injuries. And through the hard work of the USFA, and others, we have been fortunate to see that number drop dramatically.

We are now a much safer Nation thanks to improved awareness of fire safety practices, increased use of smoke detectors and sprinklers, and other fire safety measures. Still, about 3,000 people die each year of fires, and 10,000 more are injured. We also still see too many firefighters die in the line of duty. And I want to recognize Mr. Pascrell, the gentleman from New Jersey, for his diligent work over many years to decrease that unconscionable number.

We have a lot more work to do. The USFA supports local fire departments in a variety of ways. It offers training and career development to thousands of mid-level firefighters, fire chiefs, and other emergency management officials.

USFA is a great way for the Federal Government to help coordinate efforts for local firefighters. USFA also develops fire education and awareness curriculum material to be used in training citizens across the country. It aims these messages at groups which suffer the highest fire casualties, such as the young and the elderly.

While Congress is working to reauthorize and build on this program, the President, unfortunately, is cutting the budget for USFA. Indeed, the President's fiscal `09 budget cuts USFA by more than 5 percent.

As firefighters learn to respond to new issues, such as fires and the wildland-urban interface, terrorist events and harmful materials incidents, we need to provide sufficient funds to train and prepare them for these situations.

Firefighters risk their lives every day so that they can protect ours. Passing this legislation is one way that we can not only show, but tangibly demonstrate our deep appreciation.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the underlying bill. I again recognize the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell).

Mr. Chairman, again, I would like to recognize the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona for working so hard on this important legislation, this legislation which was developed in regular order in both subcommittee and full committee.

The gentleman from Georgia, my ranking member, we held hearings last October at the subcommittee level, and then we had a full committee markup, and the bill was drafted in full consultation with both majority and minority members and majority and minority staff.

Much has been made of the work that will be done on the wildland- urban interface and the fuel loads and the biomass loads there, and the hazardous

materials, and that is very, very important.

I also want to draw attention to the sections of the bill that directs the USFA to educate local fire departments about voluntary consensus standards for firefighters health and safety. And many fire groups, especially the National Association of Firefighters, very strongly believe that adherence to these standards can help reduce the number of firefighters who die each year in the line of duty.

This bill has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Firefighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association of Arson Investigators, the North American Fire Training Directors, the International Fire Service Training Association, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute; and I would like to specifically thank all of the firefighters from home in Oregon who helped me with this legislation in shaping it and bringing it to this point on the House floor.

And with that, I would again like to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell) for his leadership on this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Do I understand the gentleman's amendment is designed specifically to increase firefighter safety within the wildland-urban interface?

I thank the gentleman. Do I further understand that the gentleman's amendment does not intend to expand the clearing of biomass beyond current force management practices outside of the wildland-urban interface?

If the gentleman would yield.

So all that information or other things to be done would be focused on the wildland-urban interface?

I thank the gentleman.

And if the gentleman would further yield, the language that has been traditionally used, it refers to ``fuel load,'' and the gentleman's amendment, I believe, sometimes uses ``biomass,'' and the gentleman has sometimes referred to fuel load.

Is the gentleman using ``biomass'' in this sense, in the traditional sense that ``fuel load'' has been used in similar legislation?

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Portland State University men's basketball team on achieving their first-ever birth to the NCAA Division I Championship Tournament. The Vikings capped off their historic season with a 67-51 win in the Big Sky Conference Championship game over Northern Arizona University at the Rose Garden in Portland. PSU finished their regular season with a 23-9 record, and were undefeated in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. On Sunday, the Vikings will learn who they will play in the first round of the ``Big Dance.''

The NCAA Tournament is one of the great institutions in all of collegiate sports. It brings together the best college teams from across our Nation to compete for basketball's greatest prize. Oregon is proud of every one of these outstanding young men and their coaches.

It is also fitting that we should take this opportunity to recognize the entire Portland State community. As Oregon's largest university, PSU is a source of pride for our State. The Viking's athletic achievements reflect the spirit and work ethic of their university, and I am proud to honor their achievement today.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize each member of the PSU men's basketball team individually, beginning with Head Coach Ken Bone, Assistant Head Coach Tyler Geving, Assistant Coaches Curtis Allen and Eric Harper, and Director of Basketball Operations Tyler Coston. Furthermore, I congratulate the 2007-2008 PSU Viking's: Kyle Coston, Brian Curtis, Jeremiah Dominguez, Justynn Hammond, Deonte Huff, Jaime Jones, Lucas Dupree, Tyrell Mara, J.R. Moore, Scott Morison, Andre Murray, Phil Nelson, Mickey Polis, Julius Thomas, Alex Tiefenthaler and Dominic Waters.

Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating these outstanding young men. On behalf of the entire State of Oregon, congratulations and good luck. Go Vikings.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Portland State University men's basketball team on achieving their first-ever birth to the NCAA Division I Championship Tournament. The Vikings capped off their historic season with a 67-51 win in the Big Sky Conference Championship game over

Northern Arizona University at the Rose Garden in Portland. PSU finished their regular season with a 29-2 record, and were undefeated in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. On Sunday, the Vikings will learn who they will play in the first round of the ``Big Dance.''

The NCAA Tournament is one of the great institutions in all of collegiate sports. It brings together the best college teams from across our Nation to compete for basketball's greatest prize. Oregon is proud of every one of these outstanding young men and their coaches.

It is also fitting that we should take this opportunity to recognize the entire Portland State community. As Oregon's largest university, PSU is a source of pride for our state. The Viking's athletic achievements reflect the spirit and work ethic of their university, and I am proud to honor their achievement today.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize each member of the PSU men's basketball team individually, beginning with Head Coach Ken Bone, Assistant Head Coach Tyler Geving, Assistant Coaches Curtis Allen and Eric Harper, and Director of Basketball Operations Tyler Coston. Furthermore, I congratulate the 2007-2008 PSU Viking's: Brian Curtis, Jeremiah Dominguez, Justynn Hammond, Deonte Huff, Jaime Jones, Lucas Dupree, Tyrell Mara, J.R. Moore, Scott Morison, Andre Murray, Phil Nelson, Mickey Polis, Julius Thomas, Alex Tiefenthaler and Dominic Waters.

Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating these outstanding young men. On behalf of the entire state of Oregon, congratulations and good luck. Go Vikings!

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, the history of America is the history of ordinary individuals who rise to extraordinary challenges and who volunteer their service in times of dire need. I rise today to recognize one such American, Major Arthur Chin.

Arthur Chin was born in Portland, Oregon in 1913. As a young man, he helped form a flying club, the Chinese Aero Club, a group of Chinese Americans who trained to fly fighter aircraft. He grew very concerned about Japan's invasion of China's northeastern provinces in 1931, and he volunteered to serve in the Chinese Air Force in 1932. Although he was safe at home in Oregon and did not need to do this, he saw the threat of fascist invasion and

the need to face it down, and he volunteered himself to face this challenge, not only to China, but to the world.

After receiving advanced fighter training, Major Chin was ultimately assigned to the 28th Fighter Squadron, and he saw his first aerial combat in 1937, four years before America entered the war. Soon he was credited with having shot down his first enemy aircraft of the war. Though he and his comrades were almost always outnumbered, Chin and his fellow aviators fought valiantly, and by mid-1939 he had downed five enemy aircraft, making him one of the first American fighter aces of the Second World War.

But Arthur Chin's heroism was not without personal sacrifice. He was shot down three times, and on December 27, 1939, he was badly burned when his Gloster Gladiator took enemy fire and exploded. Chin spent the next years of his life enduring a painful recovery in hospitals in China, India and the United States.

After America entered the war, he returned to service in 1944 as a major in the United States Army Air Force. Major Chin spent the remainder of the war flying desperately needed supplies from India to China over the Himalayas, the air route now known as ``the hump.'' For his extraordinary service, Arthur Chin received numerous medals and awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war, he returned to his native Portland where he raised a family and worked for the postal service in Beaverton. Arthur Chin passed away in September of 1997, and following his death he was honored as one of the first inductees into the American Combat Airmen's Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting that we should recognize Major Arthur Chin, both a former postal worker and a genuine war hero, with a post office named in his honor. It is an appropriate memorial to an individual who courageously answered the call of duty, whether at home or abroad, and who returned home to continue serving his country as a postal worker. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res 287, recognizing the anniversary of the launch of Explorer I. The launch of Sputnik I by the Russians in October 1957 created alarm in the U.S. Many Americans were fearful of what a Russian space program meant for our country.

However, the United States quickly responded. In just 84 days scientists built the Explorer I satellite that would begin the next 50 years of space exploration. Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory collaborated under the leadership of Dr. William Pickering to manufacture what would become Explorer I. On January 31, 1958, the United States launched its first satellite into space. Once in orbit, the satellite collected data on cosmic rays. The scientific data was important, but the beginning of our space program was also important for the assurance it provided Americans. Explorer I signaled we would not fall behind Russia in space.

Today we continue to rely on scientists, engineers, and mathematicians to solve the pressing problems of our day. These innovators continuously rise to the challenges we as a Nation face. Explorer I stands as a milestone in space, and foreshadowed what we would achieve in just 50 years.

Today, the United States remains a leader in space: landing humans on the moon; exploring our solar system; and gaining a better understanding of our land, oceans, and atmosphere. We must continue to reach for new goals in space. By doing so, we continue our leadership of this world and lead humanity to a brighter destiny.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, America has lost a great public servant. Thor Hesla died in Kabul, Afghanistan last night, a victim of the Taliban.

That Thor should pass at the hands of religious extremists is perhaps one of the great ironies of life because he was such a strong proponent of the humane, human virtues in life. He worked in tough places, tough jobs in America, in Kosovo, in Afghanistan, always promoting peace, democracy, and the general public welfare. He worked so many hard, dangerous jobs, and he was such a colorful person that he was larger than life. And I guess there are some of us who came to believe that the bullets would always go around him, and in his own particularly human way, Thor had become a touch immortal.

I owe him a deep debt of friendship and gratitude. He was my 1998 campaign manager, and we won a hard-fought campaign under his leadership. But that was the least of it. It was what he did afterwards. His friendship, his support, and his wise advice, which I was sometimes wise enough to accept, that was what for me set him apart and built our deep relationship. And I believe that there are hundreds of people across this country and perhaps thousands of people around the world who similarly feel this bond of friendship and this debt of gratitude to Thor. America and the world are better for his life and his work.

Earlier, I used the word ``victim'' in connection with Thor: and I misspoke, because Thor was no one's victim. He chose his life, he chose his work, and he chose Kabul.

Because of events earlier during the recess, I had an opportunity to speak with my son about life and its end. And while there are many ways to live well, to live a good life, there are few, if any, good ways to pass on. But if there are any, it is to pass on in the company of friends and family or to pass on for a cause. Now, Thor wasn't with his family in Atlanta or here in Washington, his sister, his brother-in- law, his niece and nephew, or his father; but he was with a family and a circle of friends, the family of those who care, the friends of those who care for others and who care to risk for others. He died in the cause of ringing some small measure of peace, prosperity, and democracy to those who are in dire need of those things.

So tonight we mourn, we remember, we celebrate the lilt of Thor Hesla. America has lost a fine public servant, but he is now a public servant for all those in all the ages who care to remember those who care and sacrifice for others.