Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, of course, in opposition to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6. And as I've said before on many occasions, I think our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have really missed an opportunity to pass energy legislation that would actually do something to produce and enhance supplies of domestic sources of energy.

The bill before us today does absolutely nothing. It doesn't produce a barrel of oil. And I'm from an energy State. Ten of our States are energy States. I don't see how anybody from energy States can vote for a bill that calls itself an energy bill that doesn't produce any energy.

It's really a sad day. But it's not sad for people my age and the people of the average age of this body here. It's sad for those juniors and seniors in high school and those in early college, those that might be called on to go overseas and take energy away from someone when we have plenty right here at home which we could be mining.

It's sad that we're not hitting ANWR. It's sad that we're depending on Saudi Arabia for 40 percent of our energy and 20 percent from other Arab nations when they don't like us and we don't like them and we don't trust them.

This is a bill that will put our children on troop ships to go somewhere to take oil or gas or energy away from countries when we don't have to. We have plenty right here in this country. But we're turning our backs on the young people of this Nation, and we ought to be ashamed for it.

This is a lousy bill. It's a bad energy bill. It should be defeated. It won't be defeated. But I certainly ask everybody to vote against it.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the memory of John Hill, the only person in the history of the great State of Texas to serve as Secretary of State, Attorney General and Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. John was a friend of mine. He was a spellbinder and, in my opinion, the greatest and most successful trial lawyer of his day.

John entered politics as an organizer in the 1964 re-election campaign of Governor John B. Connally. Governor Connally appointed him Secretary of State in 1966, a post he would hold for 2 years. In 1972 John was elected Attorney General, where he pressed lawsuits against polluters, created an organized crime task force and persuaded the Legislature to pass consumer legislation. In 1984 he was elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. He resigned in January of 1988 to advocate his belief that the partisan election of judges fostered an environment which allowed campaign contributors to have undue influence upon the courts. He continued to campaign for

a system in which judges would be appointed until his death.

He remained engaged in public service, working as Governor George W. Bush's appointee to the Texas Lottery Commission, and supporting the Governor in his bid for the White House. The final years of John's legal career were spent as a senior partner with Locke Liddel and Sapp LLP, and later as a senior partner with the Winstead firm, where he was a shareholder.

John is survived by his wife, the former Elizabeth Ann Graham; a son, John Graham Hill; two daughters, Melinda Elizabeth Hill Perrin and Martha Hill Jamison; ten grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of a great American, outstanding public servant, and respected jurist, the Honorable John Hill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join the President and the Department of Defense in honoring Harry E. McKillop of McKinney, Texas, for more than 40 years of unselfish service to Americans in need around the world. For his humanitarianism and patriotic service, Mr. McKillop was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. This is one of the most prestigious awards given to a civilian by the Department of Defense.

In 1969, Mr. McKillop embarked upon his first humanitarian mission to provide supplies and relief to our prisoners of war in Vietnam. This first mission would be the beginning of a life-long crusade to locate, free, and bring home Americans who are held against their will. The most well-known operation was probably the 1979 rescue of 2 Electronic Data Systems employees from Iran in the wake of that country's revolution. Mr. McKillop coordinated flights and logistics for the mission later immortalized by Ken Follett in his best-seller On Wings of Eagles. Even today, Mr. McKillop actively pursues searches on a global basis.

Mr. McKillop served his country as a naval officer aboard the USS Phoenix in the Pacific during World War II. Professionally, he has worked throughout the world as an airline executive. Currently he works as an aide to Ross Perot, his closest friend and an associate for more than 35 years. I am honored to have Harry, his wife Rebecca, and his 2 beautiful daughters, Mary and Tory, as personal friends. Rebecca is a long-time American Airlines pilot, with international assignments. They are a great American family.

Mr. McKillop is a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus, and is a former Grand Knight of the New World Council 9903 in McKinney, and a member of the 4th Degree Assembly 2266 in Plano, Texas. Soon children in the Fourth Congressional District will be attending Harry McKillop Elementary School in the Liberty development in Melissa, Texas. He has also been honored by the McKinney Fire Department as an Honorary Battalion Chief.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me today in honoring a true patriot and great American, Mr. Harry E. McKillop.

Madam Speaker, it is my great privilege to stand today to celebrate the life of Norine Schuhmann, a lifelong resident of Bloomburg, Texas. Mrs. Schuhmann died recently at the age of 97, having lived all but one year of her life in Bloomburg, a town her family pioneered.

Mrs. Schuhmann, a bona fide example of a servant leader, gave of her talents and time selflessly. For 45 years she taught in public schools, all but one of those years in her home of Bloomburg. She also helped establish and organize the Cullen Baker Fair in Bloomburg, where she served as a board member until her mid-eighties.

Throughout her 97 years, Mrs. Schuhmann was a dedicated member of the community.

Her civic commitment was evidenced by the many community organizations in which she was involved. For 40 years Mrs. Schuhmann taught Sunday school at the First Baptist Church in Bloomburg. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Delta Kappa Gamma sorority and the Order of the Eastern Star. In 1997 Mrs. Schuhmann was recognized by the Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce as Woman of the Year for her extraordinary commitment to her community.

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to honor the life, accomplishments and memory of Mrs. Norine Schuhmann. With her passing, east Texas loses a pioneer, a profound educator, and a wonderful mother. Her contributions will be greatly missed throughout Cass County, but her kindness and service will not be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I have just heard Mr. Dingell mention World War II and Pearl Harbor and I heard Mr. Pearce answer him; and they are both correct in what they said, that that was an energy war.

I remember like yesterday, I was 17 years old standing on the banks of the Tombigbee River in Alabama, and a guy ran down and said the Japanese are bombing Pearl Harbor. I didn't know where Pearl Harbor was. I said, we had better hitchhike back to Dallas; those Japanese will go straight to Washington. I thought Pearl Harbor was down around Mobile somewhere. That is how ignorant I was about the Nation at that time, but I am a little smarter now. And I remember well that Cordell Hull and Henry Stimson cut the energy off from Japan. They had 13 months' national existence. They had to break out and go somewhere, and we had to know they were going to. That was an energy war. So I am a little disappointed in the majority.

During the campaign, they blamed the Republicans for high energy prices. Here, before us today, is a bill that the Democrats are touting as the end to high energy prices. There is one big obvious problem with the bill: there is nothing in this bill that will bring any relief to the citizens of our great country or that will lower the cost of a tank of gasoline or the monthly electricity bills. It will likely in fact have the opposite effect.

The bill authorizes billions and billions of dollars in new government spending programs, and mandates electric companies to use more expensive ways for electricity generation, whether they are able to or whether they are not able to. If you don't think that is going to make your electricity bill go up even more, then you are not really being realistic. Electric companies are a business just like any other business; and if their costs go up, they are going to pass them along.

We don't need to mandate Federal renewable electricity standards. Twenty-eight States and the District of Columbia already have a renewable portfolio standard in place. These standards were made on the State level based on what renewable sources are available in each State, and it is wrong for the Federal Government to enforce a one- size-fits-all standard. My home State of Texas has a very successful RPS. Since its inception in 1999, Texas has become the Nation's leader in wind energy. In June of this year, a Texan put forward plans to build the Nation's largest wind farm in the panhandle of the State. This would be four times larger than the current wind farm.

Anyone, anyone who is serious about lowering the cost of gasoline, then, along with research and development and renewable sources of energy, they would be providing incentives to the oil and gas industry to explore more areas of our country for oil and gas. They would be providing incentives to develop our domestic sources of oil and gas. They would be providing incentives to build more refineries. These

things are not only important to address today's high cost, but also for our national security.

We cannot forget that we import a huge amount of oil from OPEC countries that are willing to take our American dollars, but many are not really our friends. We are shamefully dependent on foreign sources of oil. We can't continue to compromise our national security.

Another opportunity the Democrats completely ignore in this bill is a chance to promote the use of clean coal for much-needed new power plants and as a source of transportation fuel. It has been said before that the United States is the Saudi Arabia of coal. So why are we not encouraging the environmentally friendly use of this abundant and inexpensive domestic resource? These facilities would have the best technologies to capture emissions in order to produce clean electricity and the clean fuel that can be used immediately in our Nation's pipelines, filling stations, and in our automobiles.

My constituents are doing their part to help the environment, but they need to be able to afford to put gas in their cars so they can get to work to provide food for their families and clothes for their children. A lot of my constituents don't have transportation options. There is no bus system or rail system. They live 45 miles from work, so they certainly can't take a bike. They need their cars. They need the fuel that they put into them to be affordable. I don't see a glimmer of hope for them in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I do feel very strongly that we should be looking to efficiency, conservation, and renewable alternatives of energy to become part of our portfolio. And I support the provisions in this bill that do that; however, there are so many harmful things in this bill that I think the bad, ugly highly outweighs the good.

I supported and voted for the bipartisan R&D provisions as they existed coming out of the Science and Technology Committee and generally remain supportive. However, I am concerned with some changes and additions made in this amendment, changes that came about without the opportunity for vetting or Member involvement. Participation by all Members leads to a better product, and we know that.

For example, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 garnered the support of 38 Democrats who are still in the House when initially passed by the House. When brought to the floor later that year for final passage, it garnered the support of almost 70 Democrats who are still in this House.

Mr. Speaker, I can't stress how important energy is to our country. We have urged drilling in the Outer Shelf. Yes, China drills just off the coast of Key West today. And we have urged drilling in ANWR. I urge our colleagues not to play politics with our energy future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 251, commending the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for its work promoting energy efficiency for 30 years. NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, based in Golden, Colorado, is the hub of our Nation's work into renewable and alternative energy research and development.

Since 1977, when it began as the Solar Energy Research Institute before changing its name in 1991, NREL has received many accolades and many awards. In the past 30 years, NREL has received 39 R&D 100 awards, as well as hundreds of Scientific and Technical Society honors and awards, Technology Transfer awards, and Department of Energy and other agency awards.

NREL's success has continued under the leadership of its current director, Dr. Dan Arvizu, who has made the transferring of technologies from the lab to the marketplace a real priority. It's through this ``technical transfer'' that we see inventions and discoveries at work in the real world and not sitting on a proverbial shelf collecting proverbial dust.

As we have reached a time in our energy history that we are realizing more and more the importance of and the place that renewable and alternative forms of energy have in our current and future energy mix, NREL's significance and prominence as a world leader in this field is becoming increasingly evident and appreciated. The resolution before us today recognizes NREL for its 30 years of service to our country. I am proud that such a facility exists in this great country of ours. I could only be prouder if it were in my home State of Texas.

I thank Dr. Arvizu and all the scientists and employees at NREL. You serve our country and serve our future very well.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 251.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I, of course, rise in support of H. Res. 709, recognizing and honoring the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum.

Samuel ``Sam'' Taliaferro Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee, on January 6, 1882, the eighth of 11 children, and moved west with his family to a 40-acre cotton farm in Fannin County in Texas near the little community of Flag Springs, Texas, in 1887. Many Tennesseeans like Sam Rayburn and Sam Houston were great leaders and builders of the State of Texas.

From those humble beginnings, ``Mr. Sam,'' as he became known, rose to become one of Texas' and the United States' greatest statesmen. He held elected office for 55 consecutive years beginning in 1906 with his election to

the Texas House. He was elected 24 times to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Texas's Fourth District, and spent 17 of those years as Speaker of the House, a position that put him third in line for the United States Presidency. At the time of his death in 1961, Rayburn's 48 consecutive years in the U.S. House set a congressional record for continuous service.

Sam Rayburn was selected to replace the deceased William Bankhead as Speaker of the House, a position he held for a record number 17\1/2\ years. He also served as minority leader during the 80th and 83rd Congresses, the two periods of Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Rayburn served with eight different Presidents and helped to pass several pieces of key legislation throughout his career:

One was the Selective Service Act in 1941. He cast the deciding vote to pass that act; the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and 1960; establishment of NASA; the National Defense Education Act of 1958; the Hospital Survey and Construction Act of 1958.

The Office of Speaker lacked great formal powers when he first took office, but Rayburn quickly expanded the power and influence of the office. Rayburn relied heavily on his personal prestige, persuasive skills, and personal friendships built up over decades in the House. His leadership style usually resulted in congenial relations between not only the northern and southern wings of the Democratic Party but also between Rayburn and the Republican leadership of the House. Rayburn's actions during his long tenure as Speaker increased the power of the House of Representatives in its relations with the Senate and with the executive branch.

Following his election as Speaker, Rayburn wanted to build a library to house his books, his personal papers, and memoirs. He also wanted the facility to be a reservoir center of political history available to the people of Fannin County in his congressional district. With the advice of Secretary of the Treasury John Snyder, Rayburn requested that Judge H.A. Cunningham, a good friend of Rayburn's and a great man from Bonham, Texas, arrange to have a charitable trust established for the purposes of receiving and managing funds donated to assist in building the library. The Speaker also contacted Buster Cole, a young lawyer from Bonham, to assist in the process of setting up the trust. An earlier $10,000 award from Collier's magazine served as a financial base for the foundation.

Sam Rayburn, representatives of the Sam Rayburn Foundation, and hundreds of admirers gathered to break ground for the library in December 1955. The library construction was completed in July 1957, and the Sam Rayburn Library officially opened to the public October 9, 1957, in a ceremony that garnered national attention and media coverage. Businesses were closed for the day, and downtown Bonham was decorated with banners and bunting.

Many distinguished political leaders attended the dedication, including President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess Truman; Secretary of Treasury Robert Anderson; Congressman Hale Boggs of Louisiana; Congressman Richard Bolling of Missouri; Governor of Arizona, Ernest McFarland; former Governor and current Congressman Earle C. Clements of Kentucky; and the majority of the congressional delegations from Texas and Oklahoma, among them Lyndon B. Johnson, Jim Wright, Carl Albert and Tom Steed. There were approximately 11 television and radio stations on hand to report all the activities.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the library and in recognition of the completion of phase one of the Museum Restoration Program, the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum hosted an open house and reception on Tuesday, October 9. An exhibit featuring historic images of the dedication as well as items pertaining to the recent renovation project were on display. The open house and reception honored Speaker Rayburn and recognized the many supporters and contributors who helped fund the recent renovation project.

The renovation included a new look, an improved drainage system for the building, a more efficient heating and cooling system, upgraded accessibility to the museum, and a thorough cleaning and resealing of the building exterior. These improvements will not only preserve the historic structure but also provide added protection for the valuable collections and artifacts housed in the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum.

I am pleased to offer this resolution today honoring the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, and I urge my colleagues' support in recognition of this great facility that chronicles an important era in the history of our Nation.

I am also proud to represent Mr. Rayburn's Fourth District of Texas. My mother attended Mayo College at Commerce, Texas, with Mr. Rayburn. He was a great friend, my friend, and my family's friend. He truly was one of a kind. And this resolution will go into the Congressional Record, adding more light to this man's great history.

Madam Speaker, today I am honored to pay tribute to Mrs. Ola Mae McFatridge, a long-time member of the district, on the occasion of her 100th birthday.

Born Ola Mae Kerr outside of Celina, TX, on September 25, 1907, she was raised on a farm where she learned early on the importance of education, family, and hard work. In 1931 she married the late Carl McFatridge and went on to have two children, Bill McFatridge and the late Martha Dobson.

Following graduation in 1926, she taught for 5 years before marrying Carl. While Carl was serving as a marine in the Pacific Theatre in World War II, Ola Mae assumed the role of store manager of the family business. Though she retired from full-time work in 1994 at the age of 87, she continues to be an active and valued member of her community. She is the loving and beloved matriarch of 36 descendants. Among these descendants are educators, ministers, law enforcement and safety personnel, and business professionals.

Ola Mae's life has been marked by an unwavering dedication to family, education, hard work, and faith. This last century has been a remarkable one, and she has borne witness to it all. On behalf of her family, friends, and all those she continues to touch and inspire, I would like to take this opportunity in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mrs. Ola Mae McFatridge on this, the centennial of her birth.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to proudly present the Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act of 2007, along with my friend and colleague, Representative Howard L. Berman.

Detecting this cancer early is the key to preventing deaths from this disease. In cases where ovarian cancer detection happens before it has spread beyond the ovaries, more than 93 percent of women survive longer than five years. When diagnosed in the advanced stages, the chance of five-year survival drops

to about 30 percent. Currently, early stage diagnosis occurs in only 20 percent of ovarian cancer cases in the U.S. Ovarian cancer mortality could be reduced dramatically if a majority of the women affected with ovarian cancer were diagnosed at an early stage. Unfortunately, there is no widely accepted or effective screening test for ovarian cancer currently available and it is difficult to diagnose because symptoms are easily confused with other diseases.

The Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act of 2007 would authorize the National Cancer Institute to make grants to public or nonprofit entities to establish research centers focused on ovarian cancer biomarkers. Biomarkers are biochemical features within the body that may be used to determine the presence and extent of and/or predict response to therapy and ultimate prognosis. This Act also establishes a national clinical trial that will enroll at-risk women in a study to determine the clinical utility of using these validated ovarian cancer biomarkers.

A former staff member of mine, Grace Warren, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few years ago. She has been a champion for this cause--I draw strength from her strength and faith from her faith on how she lives with and battles with this disease everyday. We must continue to raise awareness of the symptoms. Women with common symptoms such as abdominal pressure, nausea, indigestion, unusual fatigue, and unexplained weight gain or loss should not ignore these warning signs. For Grace and all the other women who fight this disease, I say to you that I will keep fighting, too, until we find a cure.

We encourage you to join with us, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in supporting the Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act of 2007.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the generosity of my constituents in Texarkana, TX, for their efforts to help children in need during back-to-school shopping last month.

For over twenty years, T.J. Maxx has partnered with Save the Children to help raise money for and awareness about their programs in the United States. These include early childhood development, literacy, nutrition and physical activity programs that are implemented through partnerships with schools and community organizations serving low- income children in rural communities.

On August 31st, T.J. Maxx concluded its in-store ``Happy Hearts'' campaign that raised $1.47 million for Save the Children. I thank all who contributed to this great cause, but I am especially pleased that the T.J. Maxx store that raised the most money per customer was in my district, in Texarkana, Texas.

Considering all the demands that individuals have on their time and money, I applaud the customers in the Texarkana area who generously donated to the worthy cause of Save the Children. T.J. Maxx is giving communities across the country the opportunity to help those in need, and I heartily applaud their efforts.

Mr. Chairman, research and development is absolutely fundamental to the mission of the Federal Aviation Administration, and the bill before us today includes a number of provisions that will ensure the agency's R&D enterprise continues to be robust and productive. Title I of H.R. 2881 reauthorizes the FAA's Research, Engineering and Development program for 4 years at levels that, for the most part, are consistent with the Administration's request. The bill also contains a number of provisions specific to R&D projects and activities, many of which are consolidated in Title IX, but are also incorporated in other parts of the bill.

The Federal Aviation Administration is a unique federal enterprise that is fully reliant on maintaining a highly sophisticated network of communications, navigation, and surveillance facilities located at many sites throughout this country. The FAA also regulates the design and operation of the aircraft that fly within our airspace. Our national airspace system, and the economic benefits that flow from it, would not be possible without a well-funded research and development program and a dedicated staff of scientists and engineers. Research results have led to the development of a huge number of products that continue to improve the safety, efficiency and capacity of our national airways system and the planes that fly in it.

The Science and Technology Committee held oversight hearings early this year in preparation for writing and reporting H.R. 2698, The Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2007, and just 3 months ago, on June 22, our committee reported the bill on a voice vote. H.R. 2881 incorporates virtually all of the bill's provisions, and for that, I want to extend my thanks to the leadership and staff of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their willingness to work together on these important issues.

While there are a number of R&D provisions in this bill, in the time remaining I want to highlight three programs. First and foremost, the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) is working to develop the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) that is--and I say this without any exaggeration--absolutely essential if we are to ensure a vibrant and growing air transportation network. The current system is at capacity and will not be able to accommodate future growth.

The JPDO is a unique federal collaboration originally authorized in the R&D title of the Vision 100 legislation signed by the President during the 108th Congress. It is led by the FAA and includes a number of other federal agencies, and its role is to coordinate and manage the research, development and implementation of technologies needed to meet future capacity, safety, efficiency, and security requirements for our national airspace system. H.R. 2881 strengthens management oversight and accountability, and directs participating federal agencies to assign a senior agency official to be specifically responsible for that agency's role in the development and implementation of NextGen. It also creates a more transparent budgeting process to help Congress determine if the Administration is providing amounts needed and requested by JPDO participating agencies. With regard to JPDO's budget, the bill before us is silent on authorization amounts, leaving this and future Congresses with the ability to fund the JPDO as needed. The fact is, at this early stage of development, too little is known about NextGen's cost and budget profile over the decade ahead to develop credible cost estimates.

At the Administration's request, H.R. 2881 includes a new start called the `CLEEN (Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise engine and airframe technology) research, development and implementation partnership.' The goals of this program are to research and develop technologies capable of significantly reducing emissions and noise produced by turbine-powered aircraft, as well as increasing their fuel efficiency. This legislation directs the FAA to coordinate its efforts with NASA.

Finally, this legislation takes important first steps to allow for the safe and routine operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in our national airspace system. All of us know the important capabilities provided by UAS systems in the Middle East. Here at home, these aircraft will vastly improve our ability to monitor our borders, to help communities recover from natural disasters, and take environmental and land-use measurements. But first we need to develop `sense and avoid' technologies, along with flight control and navigation technologies, so that unmanned aircraft can safely fly in the same airspace used by general aviation and commercial aircraft without threat of collision. H.R. 2881 gives the FAA the authority to begin the necessary research, plus to develop schedules to meet mandated deadlines.

Mr. Chairman, FAA's research and development activities are essential to its mission, and the features I've described, plus many others in the legislation before us, will strengthen the agency's capabilities to accommodate and manage our Nation's national airspace system.

Having said that, I do want to express reservations about portions of H.R. 2881 unrelated to research and development, and caution Members to carefully weigh the bill in its totality before casting their votes. I clearly understand this bill has some very contentious issues that may, on balance, leave Members no choice but to vote against final passage.

I am particularly concerned about provisions in this bill that will impose a variety of new costs on an industry that is still recovering from several years of billion-dollar losses and,

to make matters worse, could delay FAA's ability to replace its aging air traffic control system. To give two examples, H.R. 2881 would permit up to a 55 percent increase in passenger facilities charges assessed by airports, the costs of which appear as an additional fee on airline tickets. The bill also voids the current labor-management contract for air traffic controllers, forcing the agency to reinstitute its older--and more expensive--labor contract, and it requires reopening negotiations on a new contract under a new negotiating regime. This labor provision seriously jeopardizes FAA's ability to finance its new air traffic control system, which, by some estimates, could result in an additional payout to air traffic controllers of up to a half-billion dollars over the next 4 years, plus whatever additional costs are imposed by a new contract. These are just two of a number of provisions that will most certainly push up the price of air travel. The net effect of these changes will be to push the cost of air travel so high as to make it unaffordable for many working Americans to fly, seriously affecting their quality of life.

For these and other reasons, I cannot, and will not, support H.R. 2881 in its present form.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 593, congratulating scientists F. Sherwood Rowland, Mario Molina and Paul Crutzen for their contribution to atmospheric chemistry, particularly the formation and decomposition of ozone. Their pioneering research on the effects of CFCs on the ozone layer in the early 1970s was the start of a nearly 15-year campaign that would include an overwhelming consumer reaction to products containing CFCs, a national ban on aerosols and unparalleled international cooperation.

Twenty years later, the Montreal Protocol has been described as one of the most successful international agreements to date. It is the ideal illustration of what can be accomplished when scientists, policymakers and industry work together toward a common goal. Uncertainty did not stop us from looking for alternative solutions. However, action was not taken until those uncertainties were addressed through further scientific research and until viable substitutes were available. Cooperation on environmental problems requires that the outcome be beneficial for all parties. This was achieved through the Montreal Protocol.

I offer my thanks to these three scientists. The environmental consequences and economic impacts in terms of greater health costs and loss of crops and damage to vital species due to the use of CFCs could have been far worse if not for the work of F. Sherwood Rowland, Mario Molina, and Paul Crutzen.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 593.

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

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

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is the Nation's lead agency charged with conserving and managing our coastal and oceanic resources. NOAA also plays a vital role in public safety through the programs of the National Weather Service to issue weather forecasts and warnings. We must ensure that NOAA has the resources it needs to meet its statutory responsibilities and to accomplish its resource management, marine and atmospheric research, and public safety missions.

H.R. 1657 establishes a science and technology scholarship program to recruit and prepare students for careers at the National Weather Service and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This scholarship program would provide assistance through a competitive process based on academic merit to those students who desire careers in weather forecasting, marine, or atmospheric research or satellite program.

Similar to other Federal incentive programs, this scholarship program would require participants to enter into contractual agreements working at either the National Weather Service or NOAA for 2 years for each year of scholarship money they receive. This two-for-one condition is beneficial for both the government and the students in that it guarantees that highly educated individuals will be working and gaining experience at vital national organizations, particularly at a time when our most experienced scientists and researchers begin to retire. Institutional knowledge will be passed on from one generation to the next, and young scientists will gain the experience needed should they choose to leave government service for the private sector.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when our Nation is about to be short on educated and qualified scientists, we cannot ignore the benefits that this bill will provide. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1657.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on H.R. 694, the Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2007, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The legislation has been an initiative of my colleague, Mr. Forbes, for several years and I congratulate him and Representative Towns and my colleague, Representative Johnson, on getting the legislation brought to the floor for a vote.

The bill requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide grants to increase the use of digital and wireless networking technology for institutions of higher education that primarily serve minorities.

Having been on the board of a minority institution in Texas for many years, I like the intent of the legislation and I want to say a few words about it. The grants may be used for training, education and professional development programs to increase the use of digital and wireless technology or to obtain capacity-building technical assistance and distance learning services.

Additionally, the grants may be used to foster the use of digital and wireless networking technology to improve research and education, including scientific mathematics, engineering and technology instruction.

H.R. 694 will help to provide grants to promote crucial development and educational programs for minority-serving institutions. It will help to ensure that minority students will not fall behind in education on critical digital and wireless networking technology. It will also help to ensure access to the technology and the training programs on the use of these technologies.

While I am a longtime supporter of grants to improve education and training on digital and wireless networking technology, and I commend my colleagues on this very important initiative, I would be a little bit remiss if I didn't raise some concerns about the process of bringing this bill up and the price tag associated with it.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology in February of this year and received an additional referral to the Committee on Education and Labor in June of this year; yet neither of these committees has had a chance to really review the legislation and to hold hearings and to go through the markup process. I am a strong believer in proper order and the

important role that committees of jurisdiction play to make improvements to legislation.

In addition to my concerns about the process, I am concerned about the authorization levels in the bill and the fact that it does not contain any opportunities for grants for rural colleges and universities which experience similar equipment shortages and could benefit from the use of distance learning.

The bill authorizes $250 million for fiscal year 2008 and then such sums as may be necessary from 2009 to 2012. There is no CBO score, but I think we can look at the authorization levels and determine that this is a lot of money for a very limited group of institutions.

Despite these feelings and despite these problems, and because of my longtime support of these types of programs, I will be supporting the passage of the bill and will vote for it, but I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will address my concerns and the concerns others have as we move forward.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, leaving most of the time for Dr. Gingrey.

Mr. Speaker, I want to just say that the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2007 offered today by my good friend from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey, will provide for research and development of chemical products and processes so as to reduce the use of creation of hazardous substances. Advances in these areas have the potential of reducing the creation of substances that are harmful to our environment.

In particular, H.R. 2850 includes a competitive merit-based grant program to universities to incorporate green chemistry concepts into the curriculum for chemistry and chemical engineering. This will ensure that future generations will consider the importance of green chemistry ideas.

The legislation strives to build a base from which the creation of hazardous substances may be reduced. I look forward to Dr. Gingrey's comments on this bill and urge my colleagues to support it.

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

I yield 6 minutes to Dr. Gingrey.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.