Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my displeasure with the current state of the appropriations bills.

First, I regret that we are using an omnibus bill to finish the appropriations process for FY 2005. It is not a good procedure, under any circumstances, when we are required to vote on a bill with insufficient time for review, especially a bill as important as appropriations for most of government funding other than Defense and Homeland Security.

My most serious concern with the omnibus is the appropriation for the National Science Foundation, (NFS), which is $227 million below the President's request for FY 2005. The amount is even $60 million lower than last year's appropriation--before accounting for the .83 percent across-the-board cuts, meaning the cut is actually larger than $60 million--primarily in the critical areas of research and education, and even reduces the support for basic research. In the last 20 years this has happened only twice, and I am sorry to see that this year we will make it a third.

While I understand the need to make hard choices in the face of fiscal constraint, I do not see the wisdom in putting science funding far behind other priorities. We have cut NSF despite this omnibus bill spending more money for the 2005 fiscal year, so clearly we could find room to grow basic research while maintaining fiscal constraint. But not only are we not keeping pace with inflationary growth, we are actually cutting the relative size basic research comprises of the overall budget.

NSF has been praised as a model of administrative efficiency--over 95 percent of its funds go directly to support education and research programs. Former OMB director, Mitch Daniels, praised NSF as a model of administrative efficiency and called NSF one of the ``true centers of excellence in this government'' for its low overhead costs and efficient use of tax dollars. Furthermore, NSF has earned a reputation as the premiere basic research institution with only 4 percent of the total federal research and development budget. I am concerned about the kind of message that we are sending by cutting funding at agencies that succeed so well with already lean budgets, while rewarding those less efficient agencies by increasing their funding.

This decision shows dangerous disregard for our nation's future, and I am both concerned and astonished that we would make this decision at a time when other nations continue to surpass our students in math and science and consistently increase their funding of basic research. We cannot hope to fight jobs lost to international competition without a well-trained and educated workforce. If we want to remain competitive in the international marketplace, we must provide funding that stimulates innovation and supports education. Within our borders, NSF supports technological innovation that has been, and remains crucial to the sustained economic prosperity that America has enjoyed for several decades. This innovation is made possible, in large measure, by NSF support of basic scientific research, particularly in the physical sciences. Research at NSF not only underpins physical science research, but lays the foundation for work in the health science and medicine as well. Reducing this funding is extremely short-sighted.

While I strongly oppose the reduced budget for the National Science Foundation, I recognize that the omnibus contains many important pieces of legislation that are necessary to pass. Therefore, under protest, I will vote for the bill, but my vote does not in any way represent my approval for the funding cuts to the NSF.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 529) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24, 2004, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in House Concurrent Resolution 529, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 3014) to reauthorize the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the final version of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act. This bill represents the final negotiated compromise between the House and Senate earlier versions of this bill.

Harmful algal blooms, also known as HABs, and hypoxia, are serious problems in coastal communications nationwide. This bill supports basic and applied research that will lead to new methods to predict, control and respond to HABs and hypoxia. I am especially pleased that we added the Great Lakes to the research categories in the bill.

I thank my colleague from Maryland, Wayne Gilchrest of the Resources Committee, for his help in guiding this bill through the process. I also want to thank my Senate Colleagues, Senator McCain, Senator Snowe, Senator Breaux and Senator Voinovich for their leadership on this issue. And finally, I thank my colleagues on the Science Committee, including Chairman Boehlert, and my friend from Washington, Mr. Baird who have provided useful input. I appreciate all of their help in reaching an agreement on this important bill.

The language before us today reflects a bipartisan, bicameral agreement and I urge all of my colleagues to support the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3014.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I rise today in strong support of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act conference report.

This excellent bipartisan agreement is a win for parents, teachers, schools and, most importantly, students with disabilities. I was pleased to be a part of the conference committee and would like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner); the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle); and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for their dedicated work in producing this bipartisan conference report. I particularly congratulate the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) for his excellent work on No Child Left Behind and also on this bill.

This bill sets in motion important reforms that will help schools, parents, and teachers ensure that all students with disabilities receive a quality education. First, the conference report gives local schools more flexibility and greater financial control over special education funding. Although Congress has increased funding for special education by almost 400 percent in the past 10 years, bringing annual funding to $11.1 billion, the Federal Government is not yet meeting its goal of paying 40 percent of special education costs.

I am pleased that this bill puts us on the track to do that. Taxpayers within my district and throughout the Nation have had to make up the cost difference. Last year, voters in my district approved a special milage to raise millions in additional special education funding. I am very proud of my community for their willingness to provide extra funding for special education.

This new bill will help such communities as the Federal share of special education costs continues to increase. Communities will be allowed more flexibility in the way educational resources are spent by enabling schools to redirect a share of their own local resources for other educational purposes.

Next, while everyone involved in a child's education plays an important role, I would like to particularly commend the parents of students with disabilities. Throughout my career as an educator and as a Member of Congress, I have been struck by the dedication and active participation many of these parents have towards ensuring their children's success. I truly believe that children, and especially children with special needs, learn best when they have at least one parent who is actively involved in their education.

This conference report supports all parents by giving more opportunity for them to be active participants in their children's educational experience by expanding parental rights and options. For example, the conference report enables parents and school districts to agree to change the student's Individualized Education Plan, known as the IEP, without holding formal meetings as is required under current law. The bill also requires parents to select supplemental educational services for their children when they attend a school that is in need of improvement because students with disabilities are not making adequate yearly progress. Both of these are marked improvements over current law.

Finally, the conference report builds upon the sweeping education reforms of the No Child Left Behind Act and emphasizes academic results for children with special needs. For too many years, students with disabilities were allowed to fall between the cracks as they were left out of accountability systems.

This bill solves that problem, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to join me in voting for this bill.

Finally, the conference report builds upon the sweeping education reforms of the No Child Left Behind Act and emphasizes academic results for children with special needs. For too many years, students with disabilities were allowed to fall between the cracks as they were left out of accountability systems. Now, States and schools are being held accountable for ensuring that students with disabilities are indeed learning. The conference report strikes an important balance between accountability and flexibility by maintaining the No Child Left Behind requirement that all children be taught by highly qualified teachers,

while providing some key flexibility for special education teachers who teach multiple subjects or teach only children with severe mental impairments.

I strongly support this excellent conference report and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor and recognize an organization in my hometown, the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce. The Jaycees, as they are known, will celebrate both their 75th and 95th anniversaries this Saturday, November 20, 2004.

First, allow me to explain this apparent contradiction. The Jaycees were born as the Grand Rapids Junior Board of Trade Club at Grand Rapids Central High School 95 years ago in 1909 as a training program sponsored by the Grand Rapids Board of Trade and the Grand Rapids Public Schools. The Junior Board of Trade became the Jaycees in 1929 when the program affiliated with the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Since its creation, the club has been an engine of training and community service. In its earliest years, its members raised funds for local orphan newsboys, flu victims and soldiers, and provided chauffeur services at the annual Furniture Market when Grand Rapids was known as the Furniture Capital of the World. In the 1930s, the Jaycees helped lead the campaign to build the Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium and a ``bigger, better'' county airport.

The 1940s saw the Jaycees move Grand Rapids onto the professional sports scene by raising funds to purchase a franchise in the All- American Girls Baseball League (popularized in the movie ``A League of Their Own'') named the Grand Rapids Chicks. In the 1950s, the club operated what has become an enduring symbol of holiday spirit, the city's Santa Claus Parade, while also starting the area's Junior Achievement program, which today continues to foster the entrepreneurial spirit among local youngsters.

The City of Grand Rapids sought assistance in 1966 to fund city governmental programs and the Jaycees were there to lead a non-partisan campaign to implement a city income tax. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Jaycees showed leadership by helping to form the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and the West Michigan Burn Unit. It also brought professional golf to the area by starting the Charity Golf Classic, an event that later grew into an official PGA Seniors Tour event. Most recently known as the Farmers Charity Classic, the tournament has raised more than $3.5 million for local charities since its inception.

The Jaycees' civic involvement continues today. In the last decade, the group built one of the city's finest parks, the Mackay/Grand Rapids Jaycees Family Park and raised funds for the VanAndel Arena, one of the area's premier sports and entertainment venues. Even more recently, Jaycees raised funds for the new DeVos Place convention center and provides school supplies for area children.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Grand Rapids Jaycees is a remarkable organization that has provided invaluable leadership in making the Grand Rapids community a better place to live. I hope you will join me in celebrating its 75th and 95th anniversaries and wishing its members many, many more in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5186. This legislation ends the loophole that allowed some tax-exempt student loan providers to reap high rates of return on certain loans. The savings would be used to fund increased loan forgiveness for urgently needed math, science and special education teachers in Title I schools.

Jobs of the future will require workers who understand the basic concepts and principles of math and science. However, studies show that our students lack even the basic math and science skills and rank near- last in international comparisons. Our country urgently needs to improve our math and science education in order to ensure our workers can compete in the workplace.

Research has shown that a highly-qualified teacher with an extensive background in subject matter and teaching skills is a very important factor in improving student learning, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Unfortunately, as school districts struggle to find, train and keep qualified math and science teachers, many have had to resort to hiring out-of-field teachers, particularly in high schools.

Often, those with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics select college majors outside of teaching due to the possibility of higher salaries. Increasing loans forgiveness for math and science teachers should attract more college students to teaching careers.

This legislation meets an urgent need, and I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5163, the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act. The goal of this legislation is to align and strengthen the planning of research and development activities at the Department of Transportation.

As chairman of the Environment, Technology, and Standards Subcommittee of the Science Committee, I have spent the past two years examining surface transportation research programs and identifying ways to improve the coordination, planning and implementation of this important research. I developed a comprehensive bill to achieve these goals, most of which was included in the House version of the larger transportation reauthorization bill. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to reconcile our differences with the Senate to pass the larger bill.

However, I am pleased that Secretary Mineta had the personal vision and commitment to seek to reorganize the Department to begin efforts to reform and strengthen research programs. Mr. Mineta, in addition to being Secretary of Transportation (and previously Secretary of Commerce), was a leader on transportation issues in the House of Representatives for 20 years. Specifically, he has always made sure that research played a strong role in developing transportation policy and programs. This legislation is a perfect example of his commitment to that goal.

This bill is a good first step in reforming and strengthening research at the Department of Transportation. The chief responsibility of the new Administration created by this bill, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, is to coordinate research across the Department. This is to ensure that we are getting the maximum out of our research dollars by funding research that contributes directly towards the goals of the transportation system and is not unnecessarily duplicative of other research efforts. But we have much to do to improve research at the Department, and I look forward to completing the job early next year as we pass the larger reauthorization bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Young and his staff for working with me and my staff to incorporate our views into this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act.

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join in this celebration today.

I well remember 1994 because I was sworn in during January, 1994, and took my oath of office. Shortly thereafter I wrote an article which was distributed to my party colleagues entitled ``How We Can Take the Majority.'' What a change has happened since then.

The Contract with America was a genuine brainstorm, a very effective technique; but also it gave guidance for a number of years for what we were to do. And if we compare the condition of the Nation today to the condition of the Nation 10 years ago, it is absolutely amazing what we have accomplished. Much of it has been controversial, but almost all of it has been good. And I am very pleased with the progress that we have made and the way we have moved this country along over these 10 years.

I would also add, Mr. Speaker, I have always been a great believer that good work deserves a reward. And this is a very clear case where the good work of the Republican Party in this Congress deserves a reward of continuing to remain in the majority for another 10 years. We have proved we can do good work. We will continue to do it.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 488) commending the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its employees for its dedication and hard work during Hurricanes Charley and Frances, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material

on H. Con. Res. 488, the resolution now under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, today we are considering H. Con. Res. 488, which commends the employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their dedication and hard work during Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan.

As chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the National Weather Service, I introduced this resolution 2 weeks ago, after Hurricanes Charley and Frances hit the State of Florida back-to-back, something that had not happened since 1964. The employees of the National Weather Service worked tirelessly during the storms to provide forecasts and warnings to alert citizens and help minimize loss of life during the storms.

I have here pictures of Hurricane Frances, and also, in a moment, I will get to Hurricane Ivan. But I would like to point out the immense extensions of Hurricane Charley, covering virtually the entire State of Florida and the entire State of Texas. And almost any Texan in this body would tell us, it is almost impossible to cover the State of Texas, but Hurricane Frances, in fact, would do that.

Fortunately, the winds diminished before it hit land, and that helped considerably in reducing the damage, but it was still, because of its large extent, a very damaging hurricane.

Last week, Hurricane Ivan hit the U.S., the worst hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, was the sixth most powerful Atlantic tropical storm on record. It affected States throughout the southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, with flooding, high winds and tornadoes. Again, the hard work of NOAA's employees and the broadcast meteorologists was vital for getting out warnings and information to residents in the path of the hurricane.

The right-hand chart up here shows Hurricane Ivan as it came ashore near Gulf Shores, extensive spread through Alabama, Mississippi, nearly to the New Orleans area, and with a very well-defined eye, indicating very high winds, very compact, which means high intensity, and of course, it stretched all the way over to the Panhandle of Florida.

During these three hurricanes, an estimated 6 million people were safely evacuated. Without the warnings from NOAA, I suspect there would have been very few evacuated. While there were 90 fatalities and an estimated $14 billion to $23 billion in damages in the U.S. due to these storms, without the forecasts and warnings from NOAA, the results would have been much, much worse.

It costs about $1.4 billion annually for all weather forecasting at NOAA which comes to a mere 4 cents each day per household in the United States. This investment is well worth it, given the lives saved by NOAA's forecasts and warnings. Let me point out that the amount that this comes to per household in this Nation is, I would estimate, less than the amount that the average household expends on smoke detectors and batteries.

Let me specifically list the offices at NOAA and their Federal and private partners that play an important role in providing hurricane forecasts and warnings. The National Hurricane Center, the Southern and Eastern Region Weather Forecast Offices of San Juan, Miami, Tampa Bay, Key West, Melbourne, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Morristown, Charleston, Morehead City, Wilmington, Wakefield, Taunton, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Jackson, Nashville, and Houston.

In addition, the National Ocean Service provides services and, in this case, provided help with storm surge predictions.

The National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service provided the satellite images we all saw on television.

The NOAA Marine and Aviation Operation Hurricane Hunters and the Air Force Reserve out of Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, fly planes into the hurricanes to gather data.

The Southeast River Forecast Center provided flood predictions, and the many private meteorologists and information providers who disseminate the warnings and weather data and predictions from NOAA.

I must say, being a scientist, perhaps that affects me, but I watched the Weather Channel and the local forecasters for considerable amounts of time during this to try to evaluate for myself what the hurricanes were doing, what direction they were taking, what damage they might cause. So the private sector also deserves mention here.

The dedicated employees of all of these NOAA organizations and the private organizations deserve our utmost appreciation for their hard work and long hours to warn citizens in the line of these three storms and for all of their excellent work as they continue to track tropical storms, this and every hurricane season. I should note that today we are nervously watching Hurricanes Jeanne and Karl currently located in the Atlantic Ocean, and we will continue to depend on NOAA to give us information about those hurricanes.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER OF North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge).

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

Madam Speaker, I first want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) for ably managing the time on the minority side and particularly for his provision of the statistics which I find very fascinating, and I do not want to prolong my statement too much by including them, but it illustrates something very dramatically.

Often the public asks us what we do with all their tax money and why do we waste it so much. There are a good many things that the Federal Government does that are very, very good for people. This is one example of that. Funding NOAA is a very worthwhile enterprise. Given the statistics that the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) gave and the statistics that I gave compared to what we do today, you can extend that to tornados as well and other types of disasters.

The average lead time for tornados was 10 minutes during Hurricane Ivan, and frequently it is earlier than that for tornados in the Midwest where I live. Flash flood warnings average 57 minutes; 38 tornados occurred across Florida during Hurricane Ivan, so we really saved a lot of lives in this particular case; and it makes the expenditures for NOAA look small by comparison.

It is very important for all of us, especially the appropriators, for all of to us recognize that this is money well spent. It does save lives. It does save properties. It saves injuries, and it is very important for us to continue that.

Madam Speaker, in closing I want to thank my colleagues from the Florida delegation, virtually all of whom co-sponsored this legislation; and I particularly want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for his enthusiastic support of the resolution. I would also like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), of the Committee on Science for their support,

and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), the ranking member of my subcommittee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 41) commemorating the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.

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

Senate Joint Resolution 41 commemorates the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Today brings to a conclusion a concept that started over 20 years ago, to create a national museum in our Nation's capital which is dedicated exclusively to Native American art, history, and culture.

Today will also mark the beginning of a lasting tribute to those individuals who were our country's earliest inhabitants.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian sits adjacent to the National Air and Space Museum on over 4 acres of land, just southwest of the U.S. Capitol.

The building's appearance is unlike any other in Washington, D.C., and it has symbolic references to Native American culture. The building's limestone exterior gives it the appearance of natural rock formations that have been carved by wind and water.

Three-quarters of the site is reconstructed natural habitats that are indigenous to this southeastern region, and the building itself will display about 8,000 objects from its permanent collection. The displays will include not only historical artifacts, but will also portray ongoing vital contributions Native Americans bring to this Nation's art and culture.

The building has some special features which include an entrance facing east toward the rising sun, a prism window and a 120-foot high atrium called the Potomac, which was designed in consultation with many Native Americans.

Native Americans indeed have had profound influences on our Nation's culture from the very birth of our country through today and will continue into the future.

At a time when our military receives so much focus, it is important to remember that some of our military's great heroes, such as the code talkers, were Native Americans who helped preserve our country's ideals and beliefs.

It is also important to note that Native Americans make up less than 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but represent half the languages and cultures in the Nation.

The term ``Native American'' includes over 500 different groups and reflects great diversity of geographic location, language, socioeconomic conditions, and retention of traditional spiritual and cultural practices. However, many teaching materials present a generalized image of Native American people with little or no regard for differences that exist from tribe to tribe. I believe this museum provides a strong presentation of these differences and will be very educational to the viewer and to the Nation.

It is remarkable that Native Americans have retained many of their longstanding traditions, even though numerous outside influences create pressures for change.

Thanks to the efforts of Senator Inouye and our former House colleague, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, legislation was signed by former President George Herbert Walker Bush on November 28, 1989; and today this museum has become a reality.

I hope all my colleagues and all who visit our Nation's capital will take the opportunity to visit this wonderful museum, and I urge my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 41.

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

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close. I have no further speakers other than myself.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to wrap up this debate. I thank my colleagues for their fine speeches and good comments that have been made. However, I must express my concern that the gentleman from Washington State tarnished this joyous event by raising partisan issues, and I certainly dispute the gentleman's statement that the current President of the United States would have stopped the construction of this museum if he had been able to. That is certainly a wrong assumption, and I am sorry that statement was made.

I want to speak on behalf of the full Congress and say we are very pleased to join the Smithsonian and the Native American community in this country by celebrating the completion of this museum. It will be a tremendous asset to this country in understanding the first human inhabitants of this continent, and I hope everyone who proceeds through the museum will regard with great reverence and respect the history of the American Indian and learn a great deal about the founders of this country and who established the first governments. I am very pleased to be able to participate in this event.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 41.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the congregation of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which celebrates the 125th anniversary of its formation this week.

Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church began on September 15, 1879, with a membership of about 80 families. The church building was located on the corner of East Street and Logan Street, and it has remained there for 125 years. The original structure of the church is still a part of the present day church building. Over the years, the church has undergone renovations and additions on four separate occasions, the most recent addition coming in 2000 with a major expansion of meeting room space, a large fellowship hall, a computer lab, and an industrial kitchen and pantry for a food service program for the neighborhood. Every addition has been undertaken with a view towards continuing the church's commitment to serve the surrounding community.

It is this history and emphasis on community service and fellowship that make me proud to

be a member of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church. A number of programs contribute to the church's ministry in the neighborhood, including student tutoring, the formation of the multifaceted Baxter Community Center, and cooperation with Wedgwood Christian Youth and Family Services in teaching important life skills to young people. The Saturday Food Program is the hallmark of the church's service to the neighborhood, where every week hundreds of people can purchase fresh produce and groceries at substantially below-market prices.

Commitment to public service is also a defining characteristic of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church: the church's membership has included a Member of Congress, a state senator, several state representatives and county commissioners, a state appellate court judge, and a federal district judge.

Through its 125 year history, the congregation of Eastern Avenue has been served by sixteen capable and distinctive pastors. It is currently in the midst of a search process to find a new pastor to lead this diverse and growing community of believers.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that you and all of my colleagues will join me in congratulating the members of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church for their 125 years of service and worship in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The congregation has been blessed in its ministry, and the community has been blessed by the church's presence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary and rededication of the Department of Commerce laboratories located in Boulder, Colorado. Three Commerce Department agencies have labs located in Boulder: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). As chairman of the House Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards, I have the honor and pleasure to be responsible for overseeing the research work of these three important research laboratories.

The Boulder laboratories were first dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 14, 1954. Since then they have made significant contributions in such fields as precision timekeeping, nanotechnology, wireless communications, and atmospheric and climate science. This research has been critical to developments in public and private infrastructure, homeland security, and a variety of technology-based industries.

The Boulder laboratories are located on land that was donated by the citizens of Boulder who, in 1950, raised the necessary $90,000 in funds in two weeks to purchase 217 acres for the first buildings. This generous act set the stage for the strong relationship between the Commerce laboratories and the community in Boulder that continues to this day.

The Commerce laboratories have two joint institutes with the University of Colorado at Boulder: the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, or JILA, a partnership with NIST, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES), a partnership with NOAA. As a young physicist, I spent a year doing research at JILA, and have happy memories of the research and collegial atmosphere fostered by this relationship between NIST and the university.

Let me mention just a few of the recent accomplishments of the employees at the Department of Commerce's Boulder laboratories and Joint Institutes. NIST staff at Boulder include Eric Cornell, who in 2001 won the Nobel Prize for Physics together with Carl Wieman of the University of Colorado for creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, a new state of matter. Deborah Jin recently won a MacArthur ``Genius'' Award to pursue research on the science of atomic clocks and lasers. Staff at the NOAA laboratories include Susan Solomon, recipient of the ``Blue Planet Prize'' and the 1999 National Medal of Science for her work on identifying the cause of the Antarctic Ozone Hole. Dr. Hans Liebe of NTIA won the 2002 Harry Diamond Memorial Award, the highest recognition for technical achievement given by the 235,000-member United States unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). This is just a sample of the hundreds of hard- working, dedicated personnel at the Boulder labs, and their contributions to American science and technology.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Department of Commerce laboratories in Boulder, Colorado on their first 50 years. Based on their performance since 1954, I believe we can expect at least another 50 years of pioneering scientific research from these outstanding institutions, their academic and industrial partners, and their many scientists and technicians.