Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness

Act of 2007. I was pleased to have served on the conference committee that produced this conference report, and it is the result of a 6 months or more longer process that began on the House side with a series of bills in the Science and Technology Committee.

I especially want to recognize the leadership of Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall, and on the subcommittee which I chair, Dr. Gingrey, for their leadership and cooperation in producing this bill, and also the very hardworking staff who helped produce this bill. I frequently said that you don't have to be a rocket scientist to be on the Science Committee, but you need to be a rocket scientist to be on the Science Committee staff.

These many bills were ultimately packaged into H.R. 2272, which reflect a bipartisan consensus in the House on the immediate actions and funding we need to keep American innovation strong.

The conference agreement before us today preserves the key provisions of H.R. 2272 and lays the foundation for benefits that will be reaped by our children: good jobs, strong economic competitiveness, and a better quality of life.

I want to talk specifically about title III of the conference agreement, which reauthorizes the activities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. NIST's mission is to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology. The new technologies that are producing global winners in the 21st century, including nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing and information systems, rely on tools developed by NIST to measure, evaluate and standardize. These tools are enabling U.S. companies to innovate and remain competitive, which is why NIST's mission has never been more urgent than it is today.

This conference agreement puts NIST's budget on a 10-year path to doubling as an investment in the future of American innovation. It substantially increases the NIST lab budget to enable it to expand its work in new technical areas, and it funds the completion of current laboratory construction projects in both Boulder and Gaithersburg.

Title III also places the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP, on a 10-year path to doubling. The MEP is a proven and highly successful public-private partnership that provides technical assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers to improve their productivity and competitiveness. A fully funded MEP will go far to reinvigorate our manufacturing sector, which has lost almost 3 million jobs since 2001.

Title III also responds to changes in global competition by establishing the new Technology Innovation Program, TIP, to replace the old Advanced Technology Program. TIP will help small, high-tech firms with big ideas cross the technologic valley of death by providing them with limited cost-shared funding to develop technologies that address critical national needs either alone or in joint ventures.

If you support American jobs, maintaining our economic competitiveness and a high standard of living, you should support the conference report on H.R. 2272.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the CHAMP Act and the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2272) to invest in innovation through research and development, and to improve the competitiveness of the United States, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

May I inquire of the gentleman from Texas if he has any further speakers?

If the gentleman from Texas does not have any further speakers, I believe that I have the right to close.

Madam Speaker, at this point, we have no further speakers, and

I would yield the floor to the gentleman from Texas.

Madam Speaker, I rise to make a brief closing statement.

Madam Speaker, the issues raised by the gentleman from Texas have been solved to the satisfaction of a majority of the members of the committee.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Oregon State University baseball team on winning their second-straight NCAA College World Series championship. OSU is the first team since 1997 to win back-to-back College World Series championships.

The Beavers capped off their 49-18 winning season with a ``no- nonsense'' approach to the championship games in Omaha, Nebraska. The Beavers solidly won the first two games in the final series against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, wasting no time to claim their consecutive championship trophy.

Congratulations to Head Coach Pat Casey and the Oregon State Beavers on this historic achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and of the conference report.

I was honored to serve on the conference committee. It was a good team effort. And as anyone in team sports knows, it takes a good offense and a good defense to make a good team. This bill takes important steps toward building a good defense, and good defense today is more important than ever because our offense has miscarried so badly.

There we were pursuing Osama bin Laden literally to the ends of the Earth, to Tora Bora, when this administration steered us off that course and into the cul-de-sac of Iraq.

This bill will build a better defense because we need it more than ever. We need this bill not just as legislation but as a reminder to carry forth with the oversight that this Congress has traditionally exerted.

The jurisdiction of my subcommittee and of the Homeland Security Committee over the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office is more crucial than ever as that body chooses technologies to protect this Nation going forward.

Eternal vigilance is the call for the day, and I am committed to exerting that vigilance going forward from this day.

Madam Chairman, this year's farm bill creates an education program to give college students an opportunity to participate in policy oriented internships to promote and further develop agricultural biofuels from biomass. I commend the Chairman for incorporating this program into the bill.

The biofuel industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Global climate change, and an unstable foreign oil supply, requires the United States to develop alternative energies. To do this, the United States must create leaders in alternative energies. We must recruit the best and brightest across the Nation to participate in the program.

My amendment makes the eligibility criteria fair and opens the door for more qualified students to apply.

As currently written, the program reaches only five specific states. It is important that Congress does not shut out qualified universities and students.

My amendment would expand the program to qualified universities that have fields of study related to the biomass and biofuel industry. Schools with programs in chemistry, environmental sciences, bioengineering, natural resources and public policy would be eligible to participate in the internship program.

This amendment will not add any additional cost to the bill; it will only make the internship more competitive.

Congress needs to provide all students who are studying relevant fields the opportunity to gain practical work experience and to contribute to America's move to greater energy security. As we continue toward that goal, this program will prove invaluable.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Madam Speaker, in November of 2008, citizens of the United States will exercise their constitutional and democratic right to vote in a national election and choose their president. Just eight months prior to our presidential election, our friend across the Pacific, Taiwan, will hold its fourth national direct election for its highest office.

Once a single-party state under martial law, Taiwan made a peaceful transition during the late 1980s and early 1990s to a full-fledged democracy and a multi-party political system that respects human rights and the rule of law.

For over fifty years, our two nations have fostered a close relationship, which has been of mutual political, economic, cultural, and strategic advantage. However, one vital inequity exists that prevents the exchange of views at the highest political levels: the United States government continues to adhere to guidelines from the 1970s that bar the President, Vice President, Premier, Foreign Minister, and Defense Minister of Taiwan from coming to Washington, DC.

Why, when Taiwan is a key player in the Asia-Pacific region, do we prevent their highest-level decision makers from traveling to our nation's capital? This outdated policy severely limits our direct dialogue with world leaders.

Almost any person born and raised in Taiwan has the freedom to travel to the United States. But when a person is chosen through democratic elections to become the leader of the Taiwanese people, this freedom is inappropriately rescinded by the U.S. government. While the United States attempts to promote democracy around the world, we lock the doors of our capital city to the leaders of fellow democracy.

Rather than symbolically shunning Taiwan's democratically elected leaders, we should welcome them. I meet with Taiwan's leaders--both before and after their election. Other American Leaders in Washington, D.C. should have the same opportunity. Unreasonable restrictions on visits to the United States by high-level elected and appointed officials of Taiwan should be lifted. Taiwan deserves this long overdue respect.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time.

And with just a minute or two of time, one of the saddest moments, one of the two saddest moments in my relatively brief career here in the United States House was when this Chamber acted at the President's request to cut $12 billion from college financial aid. That occurred the day after a State of the Union Address where the President talked about American competitiveness.

Today, we take a bold step in rectifying that error. And I just want to refer a moment to the other saddest day of my thus far 8 years in the House of Representatives, and that was the decision in this Chamber to go to war in Iraq.

Those were the two saddest moments in my congressional career: Begin a war in error, and now perpetuating a pride. But at least today, at this moment, we are having an opportunity to rectify, in my view, the other great error that we committed during my time in this Chamber, and that is the $12 billion cut that the Education Committee passed, the prior majority passed in this Chamber, and that went into effect without a necessary 60-vote majority in the Senate.

Now, we can propose this greatest increase in college financial aid. We may or may not have the votes for cloture in the other Chamber, but this is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. It will make America more competitive. It will help individuals, and it will help our society, and we will rectify the errors we have made in the past one by one.

I rise in support of the College Cost Reduction Act.

Affordable access to quality post-secondary education is the best tool available to ensure success and the kind of career that can support a family. It is also critical that American students have the education that will help them remain competitive in an increasingly global and knowledge-based economy.

The College Cost Reduction Act provides a major funding increase to assist students and their families achieve the goal paying for college, and much more--at no new expense to taxpayers. It provides tuition assistance to undergraduates who commit to teaching in low-income communities or high-need subject areas. It rewards those who serve their communities--first responders and law enforcement officers, for example, by providing loan forgiveness to those that serve others.

Perhaps most importantly, the bill provides a major help to students in my home state of Oregon. The bill expands Pell Grant eligibility, and the maximum Pell Grant scholarship is increased over $500. This means nearly 70,000 Oregonians could benefit from the bill. This translates into $194 million dollars in aid to Oregon students and families over five years.

College costs have skyrocketed over the past decade.

The College Cost Reduction Act is instrumental in helping more Americans achieve their dream of a college education. I strongly support this bill, and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Oregon's great higher education leaders. Daniel O. Bernstine, president of Portland State University, which is located in my district, will soon leave Oregon to become the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Law School Admissions Council.

During his ten years as president of Oregon's largest and most diverse university, Portland State University has achieved many milestones. While many refer to Dan as a builder, a fundraiser, and an inspiring leader, I know Dan to be a student-oriented university president and someone who has always worked to provide greater opportunities for people through access to higher education.

As a president who walks his talk, Dan has opened the doors of higher education to literally thousands of students. Over the past ten years, enrollment at PSU grew from 14,000 students to over 24,000 students.

Another of President Bernstine's legacies at Portland State will be the growth in faculty research. During his tenure, the University has established several national research centers, including the Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication, the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Center, and the Center for Lakes and Reservoirs. As a result of Dan's dedication to enhancing the research programs that relate directly to the economic needs of the Portland metropolitan region, Portland State's faculty research funding has grown from $17 million in 1997 to over $40 million this year. I think it is safe to say that Dan Bernstine has helped generate one of the largest business enterprises, through university research, in the Portland area.

Finally, I want to speak to the partnerships that President Bernstine has fostered. Chief among them is his work to connect Portland State University to the area's community colleges. He has been so successful in building connections with the community colleges that I modeled legislation (HR. 596) after the work that was done to provide students with co-enrollment in Portland State and their local community college. Again, this is another example of the incredible commitment Dan Bernstine has to ensuring student success in higher education.

Daniel O. Bernstine came to Portland, Oregon in 1997 having served as Dean of the Law School at the University of Wisconsin. I first met Dan informally--before he had formally started at Portland State. I was having dinner in Portland and overheard a conversation--Dan was excitedly describing the various wonders and attributes of Portland State and the region to his dinner guest. I later found out that he was convincing, successfully, one of his staff from the University of Wisconsin to join him at Portland State. Even before he had started his first day, he was already a tireless advocate for Portland State and the region. Since that time he has been a visionary leader for Portland State and an active member of the community. One of his most significant volunteer efforts involved chairing the Urban League where he stabilized the organization and brought fiscal accountability to the operations.

Dan Bernstine will be missed--for his work at Portland State, for his enduring leadership in the community, and for his passion for opening the doors of higher education to the community. I hope our friendship and our yearly banters over the Stanford/Berkeley games will continue when he moves to Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Dan Bernstine for his contributions and in wishing him well in his new leadership opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 421) honoring the trailblazing accomplishments of the ``Mercury 13'' women, whose efforts in the early 1960s demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake the human exploration of space.

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 H. Res. 421.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the trailblazing accomplishments of the Mercury 13 women, whose efforts in the early 1960s demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake the human exploration of space. The Mercury 13 women were Myrtle Cagle, Geraldyn ``Jerri'' Cobb, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Mary Wallace ``Wally'' Funk, Jane Briggs Hart, Jean Hixson, Gene Nora Stumbough Jessen, Irene Leverton, Sarah Lee Gorelick Ratley, Bernice ``Bea'' Trimble Steadman, Geraldine ``Jerri'' Sloan Truhill, and Rhea Hurrle Allison Woltman.

All of these Mercury 13 women were accomplished pilots with commercial ratings or better and at least 2,000 hours of flying time, and they passed the same rigorous physical and psychological tests that the original Mercury 7 astronauts underwent. The Mercury 13 women were prepared to continue their service to America's space program, until they were informed that their testing program was cancelled.

While the former Soviet Union flew the first woman in space in 1963, it was another 20 years before the United States flew Dr. Sally Ride as the first American woman in space in 1983.

Mr. Speaker, I seek support for H. Res. 421 to honor the Mercury 13 women pioneers and to encourage young women to follow in the footsteps of the Mercury 13 women in pursuing careers of excellence in aviation and astronautics as well as in engineering and science.

Times do change. I spent a chunk of my time last week at home during recess handing out space camp scholarships. At every stop, it wasn't clear whether the winner was going to be a boy or a girl; and the enthusiasm for space seemed to be relatively equal between the boys and the girls in the classes where we made such awards.

In an aside, I would like to welcome China as a new nation among space-faring nations. There is an old Chinese saying, as there always is, that women hold up half the sky, and this recognition that American women have been participating in space long before 1983 is very, very appropriate at this point in time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin, Dr. Kagen, and thank him for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor.

There are no further speakers on this side, either, if the gentleman would care to close.

I thank the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to recognize the good work of my colleague from Wisconsin, Dr. Kagen, for bringing this legislation to the floor. It is timely and it is timely recognition of a space program that includes everyone from America and now, because of the international space station and international space efforts, includes many people from around the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 446) honoring the life and

accomplishments of Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra and expressing condolences on his passing.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 446, the resolution now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of one of our heroes of the American space program, astronaut Walter Schirra, known as Wally Schirra. In his 84 years, spanning 1923 to 2007, Captain Schirra took great risks on behalf of his country, including while serving in the Pacific during World War II.

During the Korean War, Captain Schirra served our country as an exchange pilot with the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron and flew 90 combat missions and downed at least one MIG fighter.

In April of 1959, Wally Schirra was selected by NASA as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. On October 3, 1962, he became the third American to orbit the Earth when he piloted his Sigma 7 spacecraft on a six-orbit mission that lasted 9 hours 13 minutes and 11 seconds.

As a brand new American who had just been in this country for a year and about 8 years old, I remember that, and I just remember that as one of the signal moments that I indeed had come to a country where anything and everything was possible, and Wally Schirra and others of the Mercury 7 group demonstrated that to America and to the world.

Wally Schirra went on to pilot the Gemini 6A mission in 1965, which involved the first attempted rendezvous by two manned spacecraft in Earth orbit, and he made his third and final mission in October, 1968, as commander of the first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7.

During his career as an astronaut, Wally Schirra was the only astronaut to fly aboard all three generations of our late sixties-early seventies spacecraft, the Mercury, the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft. His outstanding service to the U.S. space program is marked by several awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Medal, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Wally Schirra was a tireless advocate for discovery and spent his later years helping to connect children with the amazing possibilities that a career in space exploration can offer.

Mr. Speaker, today, I seek the support of this Chamber to honor the life and accomplishments of astronaut Wally Schirra, to express condolences on his passing, and to recognize the profound importance of astronaut Schirra's record as a space pioneer and a long-time contributor to NASA's mission of space exploration, scientific advancement and education in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that this Chamber honor Wally Schirra's achievements, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and accomplishments of Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra, one of our heroes of the American space program.

In his 84 years of life spanning from 1923-2007, Captain Schirra took great risks on behalf of his country.

During the Korean War, Captain Schirra served the country as an exchange pilot with the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron and flew 90 combat missions and downed at least one MIG fighter.

In April of 1959, ``Wally'' Schirra was selected by NASA as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts.

On October 3, 1962, he became the third American to orbit the Earth when he piloted his Sigma 7 spacecraft on a six-orbit mission that lasted 9 hours, 13 minutes, and 11 seconds.

He went on to pilot the Gemini 6A mission in 1965, which involved the first attempted rendezvous by two manned spacecraft in Earth orbit, and he made his third and final mission in October 1968 as commander of the first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7.

During his career as an astronaut, Wally Schirra was the only astronaut to fly aboard the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecrafts, and his outstanding service to the U.S. space program is marked by several awards, including Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medals, NASA Distinguished Service Medals, and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Wally Schirra was a tireless advocate for discovery and spent the later years of his life helping to connect children with the amazing possibilities that a career in space exploration can offer.

Mr. Speaker, today I seek support to: honor the life and accomplishments of astronaut Walter ``Wally'' Schirra; to express condolences on his passing; and to recognize the profound importance of Astronaut Schirra's record as a space pioneer and a long-time contributor to NASA's mission as a catalyst to space exploration and scientific advancement in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that this House honor Wally Schirra's achievements, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Executive Communication 1370, the Department of Transportation's final rule, Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and Space Flight Participants, be rereferred to the Committee on Science and Technology.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1467) to authorize the National Science Foundation to award grants to institutions of higher education to develop and offer education and training programs.

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 H.R. 1467, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I and other Members of the Science and Technology Committee have been working on the issue of health care IT for several years. The genesis of this legislation, H.R. 1467, was a roundtable I held in Oregon in August 2005. This roundtable was followed by an Environment, Standards and Technology Subcommittee field hearing on health care information technology in February of 2006. Representative Reichert of Washington chaired the hearing, and our current ranking member, Mr. Hall, also had staff in attendance.

One of the common issues raised at both of these events was the lack of trained people who are experts in both health care and in information technology. Despite the Federal focus on developing a national electronic health care record system, there is no systematic plan for the training of current and prospective professionals in both health care and IT. Without this specialized training, the technology can sit on health care provider's desks as a box, cold and unused rather than as an integrated system of health care doing what it should do.

The need for individuals to manage health care IT is expected to grow 49 percent between 2000 and 2010, and nearly 75 percent of health care organizations indicate there are not enough qualified applicants for these positions.

I would like to point out that the Science and Technology Committee has a history of developing specific and specialized training and research programs for IT professionals.

During the 107th Congress, the committee became concerned that the lack of specialized computerized training for IT students and professionals was a contributing factor in the lack of decent computer security practices and software. As a result, the committee developed and moved H.R. 3394, the CyberSecurity Research and Development Act which subsequently became Public Law 107-305.

The bill under consideration today, H.R. 1467, consists of four components. It authorizes the National Science Foundation, NSF, to award research grants for innovative approaches enhancing health care informatics. I want to make clear that this provision builds upon existing NSF activities.

It authorizes NSF to support multidisciplinary health and medical informatics research centers to perform research and to train qualified health care informatics personnel and professionals.

Next, it authorizes NSF to establish a grant program to improve undergraduate, master's and certificate programs in health care informatics. The goal is to increase the number of students and the quality of training in their field. This program allows both 4-year and 2-year institutions to participate as well as allowing for the development of continuing education curricula.

Finally, it authorizes NSF's Advanced Technology Education Program which focuses solely on 2-year colleges to support improved education and technical training for health care informatics.

H.R. 1467 is a bipartisan product of the Science and Technology Committee. Ranking Member Hall and I introduced this bill in the last Congress. In this Congress, we introduced this legislation, along with Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Gingrey of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee.

I have spoken to Dr. Gingrey about health care IT, and he knows from his firsthand experience the challenges involved in integrating IT into health care settings.

We all recognize the benefits that an integrated health IT network could provide in terms of improved patient care, safety, privacy and potentially cost savings. However, investment in physical infrastructure and technology alone is not enough. We need research and training programs for health care and IT professionals in order to use and design the system well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for working with me, and his staff for working with our staff over a period of 3 years on this legislation.

I inquire of the gentleman whether he has any additional speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the staff on both sides of the aisle on the Science Committee for working hard through two Congresses to bring this legislation to the floor, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for adoption of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and passing of a great man and a gentleman, Harold ``Hal'' Hart. He was a teacher, a father figure, a mentor and friend to thousands across Oregon and thousands scattered indeed around the world whose lives go on as a testament to the goodness that Hal instilled in others.

A resident of Portland, Oregon, for most of his life, Mr. Hart lived a life that others could only dream of. Married to his high school sweetheart, Sally, and blessed with five daughters and eleven grandchildren, he never missed an opportunity to see the good in others. Nor did he miss an opportunity to bring out the best in others.

An attorney with an unabashed respect for the law, Mr. Hart worked tirelessly to mend the shattered lives of young people. He was seen by judges as the ``go to'' lawyer when a child was in need of help, working pro bono to aid countless adoptions, custody cases and child support cases. When asked why he cared so much and gave so much in this cause, he would say that everyone has the right to a happy childhood.

Outside of his professional life, Mr. Hart continued to give of himself. The founder and coach of Lincoln High School's Constitution program that won 13 consecutive Oregon State championships, including three national championships, and eight top 10 national finishes, he not only pioneered law-related education programs in the Portland metropolitan area, indeed, in that endeavor he was the Johnny Wooden of his field. One of his proudest moments, it was said, was when his students were given the opportunity to present their winning remarks to the U.S. Supreme Court, Members of the Senate, and to then Vice President Al Gore. Hundreds of his students have moved into the legal, teaching, government and service professions.

A noted softball coach who established girls' softball at Ainsworth Grade School and Lincoln High School, Hal Hart was coaching a women's team up to the last week of his life. He was

also a lifelong musician who supported himself through high school, college and law school playing clarinet and saxophone. As an adult, he played countless fundraisers with his jazz combo and the Providence Hospital Stage Band.

While Mr. Hart quietly went about helping others, never asking for anything in return except that those that he helped be good people, he was recognized by countless organizations for the works that he did. The effect of Hal Hart on his community and on the lives of those who knew him cannot be overstated. He was loved by his teams and beneficiaries, respected by his adversaries, and he will be universally missed.

While we have lost this great Oregonian, we find solace that so many others have been spurred on by his example. Throughout his years of teaching, he kept framed on his desk a few lines from Ralph Waldo Emerson, and they sum up his philosophy as follows:

To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of oneself; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social position; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exaltation; to know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.

Mr. Speaker, Hal Hart was a success by any measure and in so many different ways.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2272) to invest in innovation through research and development, and to improve the competitiveness of the United States.

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 H.R. 2272, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2272 is the culmination of a year-and-a-half-long bipartisan effort by members of the Science and Technology Committee to pass a package of competitiveness bills in response to recommendations in the 2005 National Academy of Sciences report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007, is simply a package of five bills, each of which already has passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority over the last 2 months.

We created a single bill as a basis for initiating discussions with the other Chamber on a comprehensive competitiveness bill that we could send to the President for his signature this year.

The five bills rolled into H.R. 2272 are H.R. 362, the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act; H.R. 363, the Sowing the Seeds through Science and Engineering Research Act; H.R. 1867, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007; H.R. 1868, the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007; and H.R. 1068, to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991.

I want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall of the Science and Technology Committee for their bipartisan leadership on this bill and, in particular, on the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act.

I also want to thank the ranking member of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee, Mr. Gingrey, and the Chair and ranking member of the Research and Science Education Subcommittee, Mr. Baird and Mr. Ehlers, for all of their hard work on the NIST and NSF bills.

I also want to thank all of the members of the Science and Technology Committee on both sides of the aisle for their contributions to these bills and for helping to move every one of them expeditiously and unanimously through the committee.

I especially want to thank the staff of the Science and Technology Committee on the majority side, Jim Wilson, Dahlia Sokolov, Colin McCormick, Mike Quear and our chief of staff, Chuck Atkins; on the minority side, Amy Carroll and Mele Williams. And

my friend from the other side may have additional names to add to that list.

Let me spend just a moment reminding my colleagues why we introduced this bill and why we urge support today.

In 2005, the National Academies assembled a blue-ribbon committee of national leaders in academia, business and government to address concerns about national prosperity in the global economy of the 21st century. The Academies' report was titled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.

That report cataloged a number of worrisome indicators about the U.S. position in an increasingly competitive world and provided recommendations to enable the Nation to maintain its competitiveness. The core recom- mendations are as follows: Recruit and train highly qualified science and math teachers; sustain and strengthen the Nation's traditional commitment to long-term, basic research; make the United States the most attractive setting in which to study and perform research so that we can develop, recruit and retain the best and brightest minds; ensure that the U.S. is the premier place in the world in which to innovate.

The bill before us today goes a long way in addressing all of those recommendations.

H.R. 2272 puts and keeps the National Science Foundation and the NIST research labs on a 10-year path to doubling their projects.

The bill helps to train thousands of new teachers and provide current teachers with content and pedagogical expertise in their area of teaching.

The bill expands programs to enhance the undergraduate education of our future science and engineering workforce.

The bill expands early career grant programs for outstanding young investigators at both the NSF and the Department of Energy.

The bill strengthens interagency planning and coordination for research infrastructure and information technology.

Mr. Speaker, in this increasingly competitive world, where jobs are rapidly being outsourced and we are importing more high-tech products than we are exporting, now is the time to act. Now is the time to strengthen our support for the creativity, innovation and talented workforce that makes the United States unique and gives us our edge.

The day our universities are no longer the most sought after in the world, the day we see a brain drain because our best and brightest young scientists and entrepreneurs can't get the funding to do their research and technology development here at home, the day that our innovation is outsourced, that is the day that truly concerns me.

H.R. 2272 is a key piece of the innovation agenda to make sure that that day never comes. It has the support of many businesses, professional associations and higher education groups and has already been passed in its five pieces by an overwhelming majority of Members of the House on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I once again want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall and all the members of the Science and Technology Committee for their hard work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support

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

I would also like to thank my colleague, Mr. Mario Diaz- Balart, for his leadership on the committee and for his good works on these bills.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate to my colleagues that these are five pieces of legislation which have already passed the House of Representatives by massive margins. I urge all of my colleagues to support this unified version of the bill.

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