Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 205, I missed the vote on H. Res. 1062, due to an important vote.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I am sorry I arrived late for this debate, but I was speaking at the National Academy of Engineering.

I simply want to speak on the record in support of this bill. It is essentially the same bill that I introduced several years ago when we were in the majority, and it did pass then. The major change now is of course increased funding because of the increased need that has occurred.

The hypoxia and harmful algal blooms, also known as HABs, are nationwide problems that have grown tremendously in the last decade, not just in the Gulf of Mexico, but also in the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, California, the Pacific Northwest, and elsewhere. This is a problem that just simply has to be dealt with. It is hurting the fishing industry tremendously.

I recognize that there is concern about the cost of the bill. First of all, I am sure we will not be appropriating as much money as is authorized. But secondly, you have to measure the effect on commerce of this bill, particularly the commercial fishing industry, but also the safety of the tourist industry. If we do not correct this problem and it continues to spread, we will soon find the tourist industry off the southern coast, particularly Florida and the Gulf States and also Texas, will be injured because people will simply not be able to use the waters and will vacation elsewhere.

This could create additional problems. I won't go into all the details on that. I do have a prepared statement which I will submit. But I just wanted to go on record as supporting this bill very strongly. I have worked with Mr. Baird. I was the sponsor a few years ago, and he helped me then. He is the sponsor now, and I have helped him. And I just want to encourage the body to vote for this bill and adopt it.

The cost issue is certainly a legitimate one. It always is. But I think that is best addressed through the appropriations process. But certainly there is the need to go after this HAB problem scientifically and find out why the problem is becoming so much worse, and what we can do to stop it. I am hoping that through research we can stop it at far less cost than we are talking about in this bill. But we won't know until we do the research and get into the details of the problem.

I again thank the ranking member, Mr. Hall, who has done yeoman work on the committee this year. I thank him for yielding time to me, and thank him for all the good work he has done.

I urge the body to adopt this particular bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today the House is considering H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2010.

Hypoxia and harmful algal blooms, also known as HABs, are nationwide problems that affect our coastal and Great Lakes communities. The damaging effects of HABs and hypoxia are felt in locations including the Chesapeake Bay, California, the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. Less than two weeks ago, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a warning indicating the potential for a major bloom in New England this summer that may threaten the shellfish industry. These blooms have major economic consequences for our country, and must be prevented.

In 1998, Congress passed a three-year bill authorizing HAB and hypoxia research programs, with a focus on the ``dead zone'' in the Gulf of Mexico and Pfiesteria in the Chesapeake Bay. The Act was reauthorized in 2004, and added freshwater, such as the Great Lakes, as an important area for HAB and hypoxia research. It also increased the participation of local resource managers in developing HAB and hypoxia research plans; ensuring that the research was prioritized to address the questions facing people working with HABs and hypoxia on a daily basis. Also, the bill required that all research funding be administered through a competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed process.

The amendments we are considering today strengthen the algal bloom research activities at NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and improve the communication and coordination between the many federal, state and local stakeholders. The bill would facilitate a clear national strategy for research in both marine and freshwater environments, and reauthorize activities through 2015.

One comment on the process; I am aware that modifications have been made to the legislation since it was considered by the Science and Technology Committee, and that some of these modifications fall within this committee's jurisdiction. While I understand there are necessary technical changes following markups, I do believe the consideration of substantive changes should take place in a manner that all committee members have the opportunity to voice their input. I understand that Subcommittee Chairman Baird will detail these changes on the floor, and I thank him for his efforts to share this information with all Members.

I am pleased that Chairmen Baird and Gordon and Ranking Member Hall have worked diligently within the Science and Technology Committee and other Committees of jurisdiction to bring this bill expeditiously to the floor of the House. This bill will help us improve our understanding of these phenomena so that we can accurately predict their occurrence and develop tools for improved detection and mitigation of these problems. I urge the House to pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my thanks to Congressman Dale Kildee for his honorable service to the State of Michigan over the last 33 years. It has been a privilege to serve with him for half of that time.

Congressman Kildee's diligence and commitment to voting is unrivaled, having missed only 27 votes in his entire career.

His consecutive vote streak of 8,141 votes is admirable, not only for its unprecedented nature, but because it shows his commitment to taking a stand on the issues.

Of the votes that Congressman Kildee has cast, many have been in support of important education reforms and our auto and manufacturing industries. I have enjoyed working with him on the Education and Labor Committee and, as a fellow educator, I have always appreciated his approach and commitment to improving our nation's schools.

On a personal note, Congressman Kildee has been a great friend and a good example to me and every Member of Congress.

The State of Michigan has been well represented by Congressman Kildee, and I hope he will be able to cast another 20,000 votes!

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4462. On January 12, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7 earthquake, which devastated the country and people of Haiti. I have lived for approximately a dozen years in earthquake country, and I know how serious an earthquake of this magnitude is. I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones in this horrible tragedy. Even in the face of this disaster, the people of the world have united in response through prayer, monetary donations, and critical humanitarian aid. In fact, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported yesterday that over $275 million has already been generously donated worldwide.

I am again humbled by the efforts of humanitarian aid groups based in west Michigan, which has a long history of charitable giving in times of need. The response to this natural disaster has proved no different. I'm grateful to my constituents for their compassion and generosity, which has existed for many years. Humanitarian aid groups in Grand Rapids that are contributing to the relief effort include Rays of Hope for Haiti, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the Red Cross, and countless others. Even a global corporation located in my district is en route with several flights this week to Haiti, transporting medical supplies and a medical team. The extraordinary efforts by all of these groups are to be commended.

While our country and the world respond to emergency needs in Haiti, I have heard from many in my community who echo my fervent requests to provide additional assistance to the orphans in Haiti. I ask for your continued prayers for the children of Haiti who will soon be united with their adoptive families here in the United States, and especially for those who have been orphaned in the wake of last Tuesday's tragedy. I also urge the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to greatly speed up the adoption process and visa procedures for not only the orphans already in process but also for all the children who became orphans due to the death of their parents in the horrible earthquake.

I urge my constituents and all Americans to donate to a reputable charity organization for earthquake relief in Haiti. I am very pleased that former Presidents Bush and Clinton are leading efforts through the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. This bill, H.R. 4462, will allow taxpayers to deduct their donations from their 2009 taxes, and it is my hope that all people who are able will offer their support to the people of Haiti.

May God bless and comfort the people of Haiti.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Republican Leadership standards, I am submitting the following information regarding projects I received funding for as part of as part of the conference report to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288), which were not included in House-passed appropriations bills:

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3288

Agency: Department of Health & Human Services

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--Health Facilities and Services.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Cherry Street Health Services

Address of Requesting Entity: 550 Cherry St., SE., Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Description of Request: The bill provides $400,000 for Cherry Street Health Services for facilities and equipment. Cherry Street (community health center), Touchstone Innovare (mental health services) and ProAction (substance abuse/mental health treatment) are developing an integrated care system in which patients in need of both mental health and physical health care will be involved in an integrated plan of treatment in which both medical and mental health professionals from different agencies work together in the same office space to complete a plan of treatment, a valuable use of taxpayer funds. In order to provide services to an increased number of patients, the three agencies are building a 92,000 sq. ft. building that will house the operations of the three organizations. The medical, dental and vision care equipment requested will be used in the operation of a federally qualified health center for the treatment of low- income patients most of whom would otherwise not have access to primary health care services.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3288

Agency: Federal Transit Administration

Account: Buses and Bus Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The Rapid

Address of Requesting Entity: 300 Ellsworth Ave., SW., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503

Description of Request: The bill provides $1,948,000 for the Rapid's Wealthy Operations Center Expansion in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The funding was requested by the Rapid. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will allow the Rapid, the region's largest public transportation service, to expand to accommodate growth needs over the next 30 years.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly support making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. Perhaps I'm naive, but I had hoped that we would have been able to produce a bipartisan bill that I could gladly vote for. Such is not the case. We were not even given the courtesy by the other party of taking part in writing this bill and presenting ideas which could be included in the bill.

The status quo in the health care system is unacceptable. We must make health care more affordable and accessible than it is. But this bill is even less acceptable than the current health care system. This bill will result in large tax increases, as we've heard, which is absolutely the last thing that my State of Michigan needs because we are struggling so hard with the economy the way it is. This proposed bill is basically a government takeover.

What am I looking for? I'm looking for health care quality. That, to me, means getting the treatment you need, when you need it, from the doctor you choose. This bill does nothing to provide that.

Time is a great health care killer among governments. We looked at other countries. They may have very good plans, but if you need an MRI today and you have to wait for 6 months, you are not getting good health care. We want to make sure that the plan we develop provides the health care you need, when you need it, from the doctor you choose.

I truly hope that, in the future, as we go through the conference process with the Senate, that our Republican ideas will be incorporated as well as the Democratic ideas, and that we really produce the best bill we can. We did that with Medicare. We tried to do it with Medicare part D, and I would hope that the Democratic Party, instead of just glorying in their bill, and doing their own thing, and ignoring the Republicans, would, in fact, work with us and try to produce a bill that is good for the country, for the people, and especially for those who need medical care.

Mr. Speaker, on November 14, 2009, Northrop Grumman will lay the keel of the first ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), in Newport News, Virginia. Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of President Ford, is the ship's sponsor and will serve as the keel authenticator for the ceremony.

President Ford was a good friend of mine, and I am honored to hold his former seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006, I supported an amendment to the 2007 national defense authorization bill, offered by then Senator John Warner, which expressed the sense of Congress that the CVN-78 should be named after President Gerald R. Ford. On January 16, 2007, the U.S. Navy followed Congress's instruction and announced that CVN-78 would be so named. Consequently, CVN-78 and other carriers built to the same design all will be referred to as ``Ford class carriers.''

The Gerald R. Ford class carrier design is the successor to the Nimitz class design, and it incorporates several improvements, such as allowing more sorties per day and requiring fewer sailors for its operations and maintenance. Expected to enter into service in 2015, the U.S.S. Gerald Ford, and its Ford class successors, will ensure that the U.S. Navy, and policymakers, will continue to have the assets they need to adequately defend our nation and protect our allies and interests around the globe.

President Ford served his country honorably and faithfully for more than 60 years, first as a Navy officer during World War II, then as a Congressman, Vice President and finally as President and former President. I believe it is fitting that we name this next class of aircraft carriers after President Ford, and I look forward to monitoring the future success of the U.S.S. Ford.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in support of this bill, the Coast Guard reauthorization for fiscal year 2010. It is a shame that Congress has not been able to pass this reauthorization for the past 3 years, although it is not due to a lack of effort on the part of the House of Representatives.

Although there are many good provisions in this bill worth noting, I would like to talk briefly about a provision that was not included in this year's bill, ballast water management.

As an environmentalist and a protector of our Great Lakes, I believe we must act quickly and properly on ballast water management. Although aquatic invasive species enter into our ecosystems through many different pathways, such as natural migration, attaching themselves to ships and aquaculture, the most common pathway is through ballast water.

Ballast water is pumped onboard a ship to control its stability at sea. Ships often take on ballast water at a foreign port and discharge it at their USA destination port. When a ship pumps harbor water into its ballast tanks, it usually also sucks up aquatic species from that harbor. When those ballast tanks are emptied, those often-dangerous species are introduced into a new ecosystem and they may perpetuate as an invasive species.

Since some ships are capable of holding millions of gallons of ballast water, the potential for spreading invasive species is unavoidable. Once an invasive species takes hold in a new environment, it has the ability to disrupt the balance of an ecosystem and cause significant environmental and economic harm.

The amount of harm caused to this Nation enters the tens of billions of dollars in damage each year. For example, zebra mussels have cost the various entities in the Great Lakes Basin an estimated $5 billion for expenses related to cleaning water-intake pipes, purchasing filtration equipment and so forth. Sea lamprey control measures in the Great Lakes cost approximately $10 million to $15 million annually. On top of these expenses, there is the cost of lost fisheries due to these invaders.

For these reasons, combating aquatic invasive species is a central element of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration strategy and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

Last year, I worked closely with Chairman Oberstar to include a title on Ballast Water Management in the Coast Guard bill, which would have created a uniform national standard for ballast water treatment. The goal was to have no living organisms in ballast water discharged by ships after 2013.

Although I would have liked this bill to once again include a provision on ballast water management, I am cognizant that this provision may be one of the reasons this bill has been held up in the Senate. However, I believe Congress must act, and that there must be a uniform national standard. A patchwork of different State laws is untenable, especially in the Great Lakes where a ship may visit numerous ports in numerous different States, not to mention Canada.

Therefore, I look forward to working with the Chairman to address ballast water management in another bill very soon. By spending millions of dollars preventing aquatic invasive species from entering our waters now, we can avoid spending billions of dollars trying to control and manage them once they are here. The adage, ``an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'' may have never been more appropriate.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3819, extending the current commercial space transportation liability regime through the end of 2012.

The economic competitiveness of the U.S. commercial launch industry is vital to our national interests. Domestic commercial launch services are an integral part of our Nation's infrastructure and high-technology economy. Commercial launch services are used to launch a variety of U.S. civil and national security payloads, including communications, weather, remote sensing, GPS, and other systems. We can scarcely imagine a society today which does not need to have those particular devices available.

The current commercial space launch indemnification regime has been in place since 1988 and has been renewed four times. It has helped protect U.S. commercial launch providers against catastrophic third- party liability when conducting FAA-licensed launch activities. Since its inception, there has never been a loss that would trigger this regime, and Congress has never had to appropriate any funds.

By ensuring adequate liability coverage, this system has strengthened U.S. competitiveness in a global space launch market, and it has enabled private-sector investment to develop new entries into the market. In other words, this regime has worked well by not being used. It has cost nothing, and it has given our space enterprises a big boost.

Over the last 20 years, competition from foreign launch providers, including China, France, India, and Russia, has grown significantly. At the same time, the overall number of launch opportunities has decreased. The commercial space transportation liability regime enables U.S. launch providers to operate without ``betting the company'' with every launch. In a competitive market with narrow returns, this has been a vital link in strengthening this vital industry.

I join with the Chair of the Science Committee in urging my colleagues to support the U.S. commercial launch industry and to vote for H.R. 3819.

I have no other speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 793, supporting the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of National Chemistry Week. It is a concept that was first introduced in 1987 by the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society and one of the premier scientific societies in our Nation. Over the past 20 years, this annual event has proven to be a great success, and it will continue this week with various events, celebrating the impact chemistry has made on our society from the very beginning.

Designed to reach out to the public, especially elementary and secondary schoolchildren, the National Chemistry Week program will emphasize the importance of chemistry in everyday life with this year's theme, ``Chemistry--It's Elemental,'' which will celebrate the Periodic Table of Elements. Created 140 years ago this year by Dmitri Mendeleev, the Periodic Table of Elements articulates the very basis of the universe, and it consists of common elements used in our everyday lives as well as some fairly exotic elements which are rarely used in our everyday lives.

Activities for the week will highlight the history of elements, the roles elements play in everyday life, the common and not-so-common uses of elements, and the history of the periodic table. This week is a wonderful opportunity for the public to engage in various events designed to increase the knowledge and awareness of chemistry's everyday effects.

More than 10,000 volunteers from local areas, businesses and schools will unite this week to educate millions of children across the country. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring all those who are volunteering their time and who are promoting these various activities through National Chemistry Week.

I would just like to add a few personal observations of things that I've encountered during my lifetime as a

scientist. I'm a physicist, not a chemist; but I have learned some chemistry. I remember speaking to a group about environmental issues sometime back, and a lady came up to me afterwards, and was very concerned--actually, I would say distressed.

She said, I'm terribly concerned about all these chemicals today and what's happening to us and what it's doing to us and our bodies.

I said, Well, that's certainly something to be concerned about. Do you have any chemicals specifically that you're worried about?

She said, No, no. All of them.

So I asked her if she liked to eat oranges. She said, Oh, yes, I love oranges.

I said, In spite of the fact that they're filled with chemicals?

She said she didn't know they were filled with chemicals.

I said, Well, yes, things like vitamin C and lots of other foods and chemicals that are very useful to your body.

The point that I made to her is that the question is not so much the chemicals; it's which chemicals. We have to recognize which are bad chemicals for individuals to ingest or to breathe and which ones are very good for us and are, in fact, very healthy. That's the point of what the Chemical Society is trying to develop here, that chemistry is an integral part of life. It is not bad in and of itself. In fact, it can be good in and of itself, but we should be aware as legislators and as scientists of the many great things that we have developed using chemistry which have improved living for people in this Nation and in other nations throughout the world.

So let's all join in this particular effort. Let's recognize the tremendous strides we have taken forward thanks to chemistry and, for that matter, physics and other sciences. Let's recognize that these are, by and large, good for the people and good for the Nation. Let's all join in this great event which recognizes what the American Chemical Society and chemists in general have done for the past few years.

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

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

First of all I want to commend the previous speaker, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa). We work together on the Education Committee, and I have always admired his deep interest in science and his desire to make science available to and comprehensible to everyone in this Nation, including those who have not had the opportunity to study it in elementary or high school.

I commend him for his deep interest. Whenever I have needed help on this issue of science and science education, Mr. Hinojosa has jumped into the fray with me, so I want to take a minute to commend him on that.

I also want to commend the Chair of the Science Committee, who has also been very helpful in these efforts. As most Members know, I was a professor for many years, a professor of physics. I taught every course at the college level, from the simplest to the most complicated. I have never lost my love for teaching, and particularly my effort to improve science education in the elementary and secondary schools.

Mr. Hinojosa pointed out that if we do not produce a generation of scientists out of those students who are currently in elementary and secondary school, our Nation in the future will suffer because of that. On the next topic which will be coming to the floor, I will say more about that.

It's absolutely essential that we recognize how important it is for our students to learn these subjects. Parents must realize that. I always tell the students, if you really want to make certain you have a job after you get out of college, study science. You may end up in medicine, as the Speaker pro tempore has, or you may end up in other fields. But it's quite likely you are not going to get as good a job if you don't bother to learn science. This is just the nature of the world today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 558, supporting computer science and the designation of National Computer Science Education Week, and I yield myself so much time as I may consume.

The purpose of this particular resolution is multifold. One, it's to recognize the importance of computer science and computer science education. Secondly, it is to recognize that we are falling behind as a nation in the number of computer scientists that we graduate. I had no idea of this until last year when I was visited by one of my constituents. The purpose of this resolution is also to honor that constituent, as well as Dr. Grace Hopper.

The constituent who took the time to visit me was Professor Joel Adams. He is the Chair of the Computer Science Department at Calvin College, a stellar liberal arts college located in my district in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He pointed out to me something that I was totally unaware of, even though I thought I kept up with all the problems in science. He told me he was very concerned about the small number of computer scientists that we are graduating, and was particularly concerned about the lack of students entering into computer science, either taking computer science courses in high school or majoring in computer sciences in their college or university careers.

Without the students enrolling in this field we are, of course, going to have a shortage of individuals in the future to develop computer science theory and practice in the United States of America. Therefore, I commend Professor Adams for bringing this to my attention. I also will commend in a few moments Dr. Hopper, who has been very effective in bringing computer science down to the level of elementary students.

I am very pleased today that we are considering this resolution, which turns our attention to the issue of computer science education. As you know, I have spent much time in Congress fighting for research in education, particularly education in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, all of which are collectively called STEM.

I believe these STEM subjects hold special promise for the future of our Nation, and that it is very critical that all of our Nation's students receive a foundation in STEM. This helps develop well-rounded citizens and also may prepare some students to become the innovators of tomorrow.

As a former teacher, I always enjoy speaking to students in high schools, and I always have a little bit of fun with them, too, because high school students, out of custom, I think, tend not to want to study too hard and tend not to want to study too much science. Some people would say those go hand in hand.

But I always remind them of one thing. I ask them a question, first of all, who is the richest person in the world? Well, they all know that. Bill Gates.

How did he start out? Computer science.

Is he a nerd? No, he's not a nerd.

I said, Yes, he is. I know him personally, and he is a nerd of the first order. I say it's very important what courses you take in high school, because I can tell you one thing. When you get out and start looking for a job, you either are going to be a nerd or you are going to work for a nerd. Now which would you rather do?

Of course at that point they say, Well, I guess I'd rather be a nerd.

At any rate, somehow we have to reach the high school students and make them recognize that these issues are very important to their future.

It is very nice to have acronyms to catch these general areas, as we do in talking about STEM education, but the lines between these disciplines blur quickly when you step into the classroom and into the real world. One of the areas where we are facing a really unique challenge is in computer science.

It is very important that students in K-12 are exposed to computer science, and we have a shortage of teachers in high schools who are able to teach it in a meaningful way. Many students do not get a chance to learn about it in school, and even when they have a chance, they may not learn it as well as they should. The lack of understanding of computer science and how it fuels innovation in STEM disciplines contributes to a lack of interest in computing careers, especially among women and underrepresented minorities, whose participation rates in computer science are among the lowest of any scientific field.

By introducing students to computer science at an early age and providing them with learning experience in computer science at all educational levels, we can reverse this trend and expand and diversify our technology workforce.

Computing technology and the innovation it yields are transforming our world and are critical to our global competitiveness, particularly our economic competitiveness. However, we are not preparing an adequate and diverse workforce to meet the ever-growing demand for the information technology sector, which includes some of the country's most innovative and successful companies.

A 2009 Computer Science Teachers Association study shows that even in schools which employ computer science teachers, only a little more than half of the schools offer introductory courses in computer science, and the number of course offerings are declining. Given the enormous importance of these skills, we need to understand how to attract more students to these courses early in their education.

To raise awareness about the challenges facing computer science education, the resolution before us today

designates National Computer Science Education Week. The week of December 7 has been chosen to honor the birthday of Grace Murray Hopper, one of the first female computer scientists.

Dr. Hopper is best known for her 1953 invention of the compiler, the intermediate computer language that translates English language instructions into computer language. She came up with the compiler, she said, because she was ``lazy'' and hoped that ``the programmer may return to being a mathematician.'' Her work on compilers and getting machines to understand language instructions ultimately resulted in the COBOL business language.

I can say from personal experience I deeply appreciate the work she did, because when I first started using computers in 1957, I was writing programs in assembly language. It is just one step above the computer language itself. It was laborious, painstaking work to try to get the computer to understand what I was trying to do. Today, of course, we program in English or some other language and are able to accomplish much more as a result.

A mathematician by training, Dr. Hopper taught mathematics, served in the military, and held a vast variety of positions throughout her life in both the public and private sector. Her pioneering work, particularly in computer languages, underpins many of the tools used in today's digital computing.

I would like to share a quick anecdote about Dr. Hopper, as recounted by Merry Maisel of the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

``Most of us remember seeing Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper on television. We recall a charming, tiny white-haired lady in a Navy uniform with a lot of braid, admonishing a class of young naval officers to remember their nanoseconds. The `nanoseconds' she handed out were lengths of wire, cut to not quite 12 inches in length, equal to the distance traveled by electromagnetic waves along the wire in the space of a nanosecond--one billionth of a second. In teaching efficient programming methods, Rear Admiral Hopper wanted to make sure her students ``would not waste nanoseconds,'' and we are talking about the nanoseconds of computer operation.

``Occasionally, to make the demonstration even more powerful, she would bring to class an entire `microsecond,' a coil of wire nearly 1,000 feet long that the rear admiral, herself tough and wiry, would brandish with a sweeping gesture and a steady wrist.''

Dr. Hopper passed away in 1992. I am glad to honor her legacy with the designation of National Computer Science Education Week, as I also honor Professor Adams for calling to my attention the current shortfall in computer scientists.

This resolution also promotes cutting-edge professional development for teachers in order to encourage students to be exposed to computer science concepts and support researching ways to increase participation in this field. Without professional development, we will not train and retrain the necessary workforce to provide the education students need in computer science.

I hope my colleagues will join me today in recognizing the importance of computer science education and honoring the memory of Grace Murray Hopper. I would particularly like to thank my distinguished colleague from Colorado, Mr. Polis, for his early and steadfast support for this resolution and his work on it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will make some closing comments.

I thank the gentleman from Colorado for his comments. He knows whereof he speaks. He did a lot of good work in this area before he came to the Congress. He has been very helpful in the Education Committee in addressing these issues, and I appreciate that effort.

I think the key is to get children started in computer science at an early age. They love to deal with computers when they are doing video games and things of that sort. It is not too much of a leap to get them thinking about programming the computers, and that is the kind of knowledge that we need to develop in this Nation if we are going to remain competitive in the years ahead on the international scene.

So, I am delighted to recognize computer scientists in general, and I hope we do a better job of producing more and better computer scientists in this Nation so that we indeed will remain competitive and continue to lead the world in this particular area.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 797 and yield myself so much time as I may consume.

It seems that nearly every facet of our lives, professional and personal, relies on computers and the Internet in some fashion-- communication, transportation, shopping, medicine, entertainment, and the list goes on. It is not an understatement to say that information technology has become one of the main components of our everyday American lives, and as such, we are left more and more vulnerable to cyberattacks, viruses, worms, and identity theft. As our Nation depends more heavily on this technology, both proactive and reactive cybersecurity are essential.

In order to raise awareness of the importance of cybersecurity, the National Cyber Security Alliance has declared the month of October as Cyber Security Awareness Month. All month long, the NCSA is sponsoring events and programs to raise awareness of the importance of cybersecurity.

The National Cyber Security Alliance is the preeminent public-private partnership, working with the Department of Homeland Security, corporate sponsors, and nonprofit collaborators to promote cybersecurity awareness for home users, small and medium size businesses, and primary and secondary education. We all have a role in sustaining our cyberinfrastructure, which is essentially this year's theme, ``Our Shared Responsibility.''

The NCSA offers many tips for individuals and businesses alike to help protect themselves from cyberattacks. StaySafeOnline.org is a Web site created by the NCSA to provide education on all of the different aspects and issues related to cybersecurity. All of the organizations and agencies involved in National Cyber Security Awareness Month have put forth a great effort in raising awareness and helping us as Americans become better, more responsible computer users.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 797, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if the majority has no additional speakers, then I will proceed to close.

We have had a lot of good discussion here about cybersecurity, but a word that hasn't popped up as much is cyberwarfare, and that is by far the most dangerous situation facing our Nation today.

Cybersecurity is indeed a major issue and we need protection from thieves trying to steal our bank accounts, et cetera. But the real difficulty we face as a Nation occurs because we are so vulnerable. We are so advanced technologically, that we are vulnerable to attacks of all types from many enemies of different backgrounds and different abilities.

It is a sad commentary today that a powerful, strong nation such as the United States of America can be the victim of a very small nation or even a small group of individuals seeking to do us harm using cyberwarfare. I myself did not realize the extent of this until some years ago. I was selected as a rapporteur of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Science Committee to write a report on cyberwarfare; and it was simply astounding to learn the risks that we face as a wealthy, well-established, highly developed nation simply because we make such great use of cyberknowledge and cybertechniques that we are automatically very vulnerable in the area of cyberwarfare.

I appreciate the gentlelady from New York bringing this to our attention. We have a lot of work to do here, not just in the military, but in many civilian sectors as well. The warning is

here. The alarm has been rung. Let's make sure that, as a nation, we go ahead and defend ourselves as we should against this very, very highly technological but very dangerous new activity.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Dr. Robert H. Knapp who passed away suddenly on July 13, 2009. I extend my condolences to Dr. Knapp's wife of 31 years, Judy, and his daughters Megan and Sarah, as well as his extended family.

Dr. Knapp attended Wayne State University Medical School in Detroit, Michigan and was a long-time pathologist in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area practicing at Spectrum Health and most recently Grandville Pathology Laboratory.

Dr. Knapp began his service to medicine at the local level. He served as President and Trustee of the Michigan Society of Pathologists and was a member of the Kent County Medical Society and the Michigan State Medical Society.

Dr. Knapp's leadership in pathology allowed him to demonstrate outstanding service to the profession of medicine and his community by serving as an advocate for the important role that pathologists play in improving the quality of health care for Americans.

In fact, Dr. Knapp was very active in advocacy efforts on behalf of both the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Cytopathology. He visited with me and my staff numerous times over the past few years and hosted me for a laboratory tour at his facility last fall.

In addition to his professional career, Dr. Knapp was an avid cheesemaker and lover of opera.

Dr. Knapp was a dedicated, knowledgeable advocate and respected pathologist. He deserves to be remembered kindly for his legacy of service to the Grand Rapids community and to the medical profession.

I thank you for recognizing me, and I wish to join in the accolades. You just heard from the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) about the pocket-protector crowd, and I am proud to say that I am a member of the pocket-protector crowd, although I am not an engineer; I am a physicist. But I rise to commend the engineers for the work that they do and to recognize not just the companies--you have already heard all the companies lauded, and they do great and marvelous work--but the engineers behind it are also essential.

Whenever you step on an elevator, whenever you drive your car, whenever you go down a road or across a bridge, you are using engineering products. Throughout your entire life everything you touch, almost everything you do is related to engineers who designed and built the objects that you are using.

We fail to recognize the importance of this. Other countries have not failed to. India, for example, which has a much bigger population than the U.S., is now producing more engineers than we do.

China, with a very large population, is producing considerably more engineers than we do. If we want to maintain our preeminent position as a Nation, we have to provide more emphasis and more incentives to engineers, and especially incentives to students to get into the engineering profession.

And that is why it is extremely important that we improve our math and science curricula in the elementary and secondary schools, because it has become true that if students don't study enough math or science in the elementary and secondary schools, they will not go into engineering when they get to the university because they simply don't have the right background. So it is essential that we develop better programs and better-trained teachers for elementary and secondary school math and science courses, so that we can once again capture the lead in engineering and manufacturing that we have had for many years and which we are in danger of losing.

So I urge that, as we celebrate what this particular organization has done, we also recognize that they need good engineers to accomplish their objectives and we, as a Congress, have a responsibility to make sure that we train the people who will become the engineers of the future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As the author of this resolution and as a co-Chair of the House Aerospace Caucus, along with co-Chair Congressman Norm Dicks, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 167, which supports the goals and ideals of creating a National Aerospace Day, in addition to recognizing the contributions of the aerospace industry to the history, economy, security and the educational system of the United States. I thank the gentleman from New York and the gentleman from Texas for their detailed recital of the many successes that the American aerospace industry has had, and I will not repeat those.

But as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing this year, it is appropriate that we pass this resolution recognizing the important achievements made possible by the aerospace industry. In addition to landing on the Moon, some other noteworthy achievements include leading the International Space Station project, innovative developments in meteorological forecasting, national defense, communications, and creating the Global Positioning System which has come to be used by consumers throughout the world in guiding them where they travel in their daily lives.

The United States also maintains the largest, most complex and safest aviation system in the world, comprised of more than 230,000 general aviation aircraft which use nearly 19,000 small and regional airports throughout our Nation, and more than 7,000 commercial passenger and cargo airline aircraft which utilize over 500 commercial airports. Our aviation system, especially business aviation, allows U.S. companies to stay competitive because our workers can be more productive and more efficient.

The United States aerospace industry is a powerful, reliable source of employment, innovation and export income, employing more than 840,000 people in the United States and supporting

more than 2 million jobs in related fields. Although unemployment remains high, especially in my home State of Michigan, these high- value, good-paying jobs continue to be available because of the shortage of qualified workers in this field.

Therefore, in order for the United States to remain at the forefront of aerospace development, we must do a better job of educating our children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly referred to as STEM education. Flying and space exploration remain a powerful inspiration that captures the interest of young people, and I applaud the efforts by the aerospace community to get involved with children and schools to nurture this interest and improve our STEM education programs.

I am proud to report that in my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a young gentleman, Patrick Johnson, who is a pilot, has formed the West Michigan Flight Academy, and been teaching aviation to children in the elementary schools, particularly those who are lagging behind. He has been helping them build model airplanes and fly them. Just about a month ago, I was with him when we went to a local meeting of the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter in my community.

Many of these children went up in an airplane for the first time in their life. They got to stand by the airplanes and hear an explanation of what the different parts of the airplanes were and how they work. And, believe it or not, most of those children are now very interested in studying math and science to better understand aviation, and may enter an occupation they had never thought of before. So aviation also has a very important educational impact, and I am pleased that the aerospace industry has helped schools and teachers learn more and teach more about aviation, and through that has inspired children to study science and mathematics.

I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the aerospace industry for their good service by supporting the creation of a National Aerospace Day on September 16th. I also urge all members to vote for this concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 167.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 718, which recognizes September 11 as a ``National Day of Service and Remembrance.''

I am honored to cosponsor this resolution, and I thank Representatives Doris Matsui and Peter King for their work on it.

The horrific events of September 11, 2001 made a permanent mark on our Nation's history and the lives of thousands of American families.

In recognition of this, Congress passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which included for the first time authorization and Federal recognition of September 11 as a ``National Day of Service and Remembrance.''

As a co-chair of the National Service Caucus, I believe that it is very fitting that Americans be encouraged to voluntarily engage in community service or other charitable activities of their own choosing in honor of those who lost their lives or were injured in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Charitable activities have a positive and immediate impact in our communities and often make a notable difference in the lives of the people whom they benefit. Recently, I had the opportunity to serve in my community by reading books to children at the local public library and through the Reach Out and Read program. I encourage other Members of Congress and staff to set an example by voluntary service in their communities.

I encourage all Members to support this important resolution.