Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am very reluctant to criticize the President of the United States. He has the most difficult job, as do we, and we must work together. But I'm really confused because he keeps referring to our health system as broken. I don't know what

that means. What does it mean when you break a health system?

When I went to the doctor recently, no problem. I went in, saw him, got the prescription, and left. I needed hospital treatment, went in, had the surgery, and left. Everything worked fine. It was not broken.

I think the real problem is that our economy is broken. And I know in the State of Michigan, where I live, our unemployment rate for June is 15.2 percent. If people aren't working, they tend to lose their health care because they usually get it through their employer. Starting August 24 in Michigan, we expect an average of 18,000 people in Michigan to roll off unemployment insurance each month. By the end of 2009, we expect to have 99,000 people who have lost their benefits. That is the problem we must address.

We have to get people back to work, and when they get back to work, they will get their health care back.

Mr. Speaker, as a pilot-in-training, and also the co- chairman of the House General Aviation Caucus, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 508, expressing the sense of the House that the general aviation industry should be recognized for its important contributions to our economy and our transportation system. I thank Congressman Fortenberry for introducing this important Resolution.

General aviation is a general category that includes all non- scheduled, nonmilitary aviation. There are more than 230,000 general aviation aircraft in the United States, which fly out of nearly 19,000 small and regional airports, far exceeding the 500 commercial airports in the United States. These airports help connect people and industries that do not always have easy access to our commercial airports.

Recently, general aviation has come under attack by the media and those that view general aviation as a corporate indulgence or an expensive toy used exclusively by the wealthy. Actually, airplanes are a productive tool, and companies that utilize general aviation are generally more competitive. More often than not, these airplanes pay for themselves.

In the wake of recent disparaging stories about general aviation, Congressman Allen Boyd and I formed the House General Aviation Caucus to help educate our colleagues and the public about the importance of general aviation to our economy and to our overall transportation system.

The General Aviation industry contributes more than $150 billion to the U.S. economy annually, and it employs nearly 1.3 million workers. In 2008, U.S. general aviation airplane manufacturers delivered over 3,079 airplanes to customers in the United States and abroad. The total value of these aircraft was nearly $13 billion, of which 44 percent were

exports. The General Aviation industry is one of the few remaining U.S. industries that actually maintains a strong, positive foreign trade balance.

As one of the champions of General Aviation in the House of Representatives, I strongly support this resolution, and urge the Members of the House to pass it.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards, I am submitting the following information regarding projects I received funding for as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3326

Account: Army Research, Development, Test, & Evaluation

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Grand Valley State University and Mary Free Bed Hospital

Address of Requesting Entity: 301 Michigan Street, NE, Grand Rapids,

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Republican Leadership standards, I am submitting the following information regarding projects I received funding for as part of H.R. 3293--Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Agency: Department of Health & Human Services

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

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Address of Requesting Entity: 1331 Franklin Ave. SE., Grand Rapids,

I rise in support of funding for the U.S. Department of Education's Math and Science Partnerships program. The legislation we are considering today appropriates $179 million for Math and Science Partnerships-- equal to the current funding level.

The Math and Science Partnerships program is an innovative, proven program designed to improve teacher content knowledge and teaching skills in math and science subjects. Through formula grants to every state, the program provides crucial teacher professional development and teacher in-service training by linking school districts with university mathematics, science and engineering departments. As a result of the Math and Science Partnerships program, our students' math and science skills are strengthened.

This week, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11's mission and astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. This event, and the earlier launch of Sputnik, sparked remarkable interest in science education, and led to the creation of many valuable federal education programs over the next several decades. One such program, the Eisenhower Professional Development Act, was originally enacted in 1985 to provide funding for professional development opportunities for math and science educators. In fact, before the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Congress provided substantially more funding for math and science teacher professional development through the Eisenhower program. In short, in spite of our great national need for more well- trained scientists and engineers, we are providing less than half as much funding for training science teachers as we did before NCLB was passed into law. Currently, many science teachers report little, if any, funds available for professional development activities.

Earlier this year, Representative Holt and I led the charge to provide at least $450 million in funding for the Math and Science Partnerships program. Twenty-three Members of Congress joined us in sending a letter to the Labor, Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee requesting this important funding.

I am disappointed that the bill before us today provides level funding for the Math & Science Partnerships program. However, I am deeply grateful to Chairman Obey for his willingness to include $5 million in additional funding for the Math & Science Partnerships program in his manager's amendment. I sincerely thank him for recognizing the need for increased funding for the Math and Science Partnerships program. I also thank Representative Holt for his continued dedication to supporting this program and for his work in securing this additional funding.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards, I am submitting the following information regarding projects I received funding for as part of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R.

Agency: Federal Transit Administration

Account: Buses & Bus Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Barry County Transit

Address of Requesting Entity: 1216 W. State Street, Hastings, MI 49058

Description of Request: This bill provides $127,000 for vehicle equipment replacement and building repair. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because it will replace two expansion vans that provide safe and efficient transportation to a growing rural senior and physically challenged population in Barry County. It will also provide for replacement radios and building repair.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R.

Agency: Federal Transit Administration

Account: Buses & Bus Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Belding Dial-A-Ride

Address of Requesting Entity: 100 Depot Street, Belding, MI 48809

Description of Request: This bill provides $63,000 for the City of Belding Dial-A-Ride. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because it will go towards the purchase of a lift-equipped bus, which will replace an older bus that has met its useful life.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R.

Agency: Federal Highway Administration

Account: Surface Transportation Priorities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Address of Requesting Entity: 300 Monroe Ave, NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Description of Request: This bill provides $500,000 for the Wealthy Street Extension. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because the construction project will extend Wealthy Street and improve the existing street network in the vicinity of Millennium Park, which will ease traffic congestion and create an alternative artery to US- 131.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R.

Agency: Federal Transit Administration

Account: Buses & Bus Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Ionia Dial-A-Ride

Address of Requesting Entity: 251 East Adams Street, Ionia, MI 48846

Description of Request: This bill provides $100,000 for the City of Ionia Dial-A-Ride. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because it will upgrade the Dial-A-Ride's facility. The upgrades include a new emergency generator, parking resurfacing, a new heater, and a new irrigation system.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R.

Agency: Federal Transit Administration

Account: Alternatives Analysis

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The Rapid

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

Description of Request: This bill provides $360,000 for a Streetcar Alternative Analysis Study. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because it will allow the Rapid to assess the ridership projections, economic development potential and funding options that will determine if a streetcar system would be a valuable investment in the Grand Rapids metro area. The study is to examine different models of public and private partnerships to build the infrastructure and operate the system.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards, I am submitting the following information regarding projects I received funding for as part of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Agency: Department of Energy

Account: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The City of Grand Rapids

Address of Requesting Entity: 300 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Description of Request: This bill provides $250,000 for the City of Grand Rapids to purchase and install an estimated 400 solar panels on the roofs of several City buildings to demonstrate the benefits of onsite solar panels. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because the panels will help reduce the city's energy consumption and dependency on the national grid by drawing from a localized energy source. Approximately three-quarters of the funding will be used to purchase the solar panels, and approximately one-quarter of the funding will be applied to the installation of the panels. This project is of national significance and a good use of taxpayer dollars because it will support local ``green'' jobs and promote more widespread commercial use of solar technology whose value is proven, but whose cost must become more competitive with conventional sources of energy.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Account: Construction

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Address of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Engineer District, Chicago, 111 North Canal Street, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606

Description of Request: This bill provides $7,575,000 for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Dispersal Barrier. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because, historically, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River were separated naturally by a landmass. However, since the completion of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, aquatic species can move freely between the two water systems. A temporary dispersal barrier (Barrier I) has been operating for nearly 7 years, and construction of a permanent barrier (Barrier IIA) will be completed this year.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Account: Construction

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Address of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Engineer District, Chicago, 111 North Canal Street, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606

Description of Request: This bill provides $3,200,000 for the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration program. The Great Lakes sustain a nationally and internationally significant fishery that has been degraded by habitat losses, contamination, and invasive species. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because under this program, the Corps will coordinate with other Federal, State, and local agencies and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to plan, implement, and evaluate projects supporting the restoration of the fishery, ecosystem, and beneficial uses of the Great Lakes. A range of aquatic habitat restoration projects can be done under this program including riparian habitat and wetland restoration, dam removal to reestablish free flowing tributaries, fish passages, and erosion and sedimentation control. This program is an important component of the Great Lakes Strategy developed by the U.S. Policy Committee in 2000 as well as the 2005 Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Account: Investigations

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Address of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Engineer District, Chicago, 111 North Canal Street, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606

Description of Request: This bill provides $4,000,000 for technical assistance to Remedial Action Plans (RAP) Committees. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because, under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the United States and Canada agreed to develop remedial action plans for each of the 43 internationally recognized Areas of Concern (26 U.S. sites and 5 shared U.S. and Canadian sites). RAPs embody a comprehensive ecosystem approach to restoring and protecting beneficial uses and to identifying specific actions to resolve pollution problems. This Corps of Engineers program authorizes the Corps to provide technical support to states and local organizations in the development and implementation of RAPs.

The Corps' expertise in dredging and sediment management is valuable for the planning and designing of contaminated sediment cleanups. State and local agencies from 25 RAPs in Indiana (Grand Calumet River), Ohio (Black, Maumee and Cuyahoga Rivers), New York (Buffalo River, Eighteen Mile Creek, Rochester Embayment and St. Lawrence River), Michigan (Deer Lake, Torch Lake, Muskegon Lake and White Lake; River Raisin, Rouge, Saginaw, St. Marys, St. Clair, Detroit, and Clinton Rivers), Minnesota (St. Louis River), Wisconsin (Milwaukee Bay, Menominee, Sheboygan, and Fox Rivers), and Pennsylvania (Presque Isle Bay) have requested funding.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

I am pleased that the bill before us today leaves the amount set aside for extramural research budgets of 2.5 percent for the SBIR and 0.3 for the STTR programs and that it remains unchanged from the current law. Last year the House considered legislation which would have increased the set-asides for these programs. However, an amendment I offered at that time on the floor of the House to leave the set- asides unchanged was voice-voted on the floor and approved.

There is a good reason for this. If we do want to increase the amount of money going into the SBIR and STTR programs, the money should come from increasing the allocations to the basic research programs from which these particular programs receive a percentage. I believe that the amendment I offered last year proved to be noncontroversial because of the overwhelming support for increasing the funding for these important programs by increasing the overall research funding at the agencies. I understand, however, that the Senate version of this bill does not do that, but increases the set-aside.

By increasing the set-aside, we will only eat away at the base funding for research available to our scientific agencies. I would much rather see us fight for overall extramural research funding increases, which will equivalently benefit the innovation and tech transfer activities of these programs. And I certainly hope that the House conferees will stand strong on this issue in conference with the Senate. The House has done the right thing, and we must support our conferees on that point.

A coalition of more than 100 scientific and professional societies, universities and research institutions have written a letter of support for maintaining their current allocation levels, stating that an increase in set-asides ``would restrict competition for $1 billion in Federal research dollars when future funding levels are uncertain.''

Another letter from the Association of American Universities asserts: ``We believe there is no justification for such increases, especially as such increases would come at the expense of peer-reviewed basic and applied research programs.''

I submit a copy of this letter and another similar one for the Record.

July 7, 2009.

Re H.R. 2965, the Enhancing Small Business Research and

Innovation Act of 2009.

Hon. Nydia Velazquez,

Chairwoman, Small Business Committee, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. Sam Graves,

Ranking Member, Small Business Committee, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. Bart Gordon,

Chair, Committee on Science and Technology, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. Ralph M. Hall,

Ranking Member, Committee on Science and Technology, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairwoman Velazquez, Chairman Gordon, Ranking Member

Graves and Ranking Member Hall: The undersigned, patient

advocacy organizations, scientific and professional

societies, higher education associations, and research

institutions, write to express our support for your efforts

to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

at its current allocation level. We stand together in

opposition to a provision in the Senate SBIR/STTR

Reauthorization Act of 2009 (S. 1233) that would increase the

allocation for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

program from 2.5% to 3.5% of any federal agency budget that

provides more than $100 million for research. As the

legislative process moves forward, we urge the adoption of

the House version of this legislation for the reasons

described below.

We recognize the benefits of the participation of small

businesses in scientific research. Unfortunately, the Senate

has proposed a mandatory increase in the SBIR allocation

across agencies that will necessarily result in funding cuts

for the peer-reviewed research conducted by other

organizations. This fundamental research creates the

discoveries that fuel innovation, improve quality of life and

contribute to our country's economic growth. Indeed, the

increase in the SBIR allocation proposed in S. 1233 would

restrict competition for $1 billion in federal research

dollars, during a time when future funding levels are

uncertain. Rather than increasing support for one type of

research at the expense of all others, we urge Congress to

work with the Obama Administration to increase funding for

all research, thereby increasing the total investment in

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Republican Leadership standards, I am submitting the following information regarding projects I received funding for as part of H.R. 2997, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 2997

Agency: National Institute for Food and Agriculture

Account: Special Research Grants

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Address of Requesting Entity: 102 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Description of Request: This bill provides $147,000 for Improving the Sustainable Production of Specialty Crops (Improved Fruit Practices). This grant is a valuable use of taxpayer money because the research will be used to assist growers in producing high quality fruit, dry beans, and sugar beets with environmentally sound, safe, and effective pest control methods and management approaches. Approximately, $91,140 is for salaries and expenses, and $55,860 is for lab maintenance and equipment. In addition to the federal funds provided by this grant, this research is supported by personnel, equipment, and facilities funded by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and Michigan State University Extension.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 2997

Agency: National Institute for Food and Agriculture

Account: Special Research Grants

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Address of Requesting Entity: 102 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Description of Request: This bill provides $346,000 for Controlling Fire Blight Disease of Apple Trees. This grant is a valuable use of taxpayer money because the research will be used to develop blight- resistant varieties and new, environmentally responsible control strategies to combat this disease. This grant will be split between Michigan (which receives approximately 36 percent) and New York (which receives approximately 64 percent). For Michigan, approximately $99,648 is for the salaries of laboratory and field research personal; and $24,912 is for materials and supplies. Michigan State University is working to obtain funding from the Michigan Apple Committee, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, project GREEN, and from other industry sources.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 2997

Agency: National Institute for Food and Agriculture

Account: Special Research Grants

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Address of Requesting Entity: 102 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Description of Request: This bill provides $266,000 for Sustainable Agriculture: Expanding and Refining the Ecosystem Base (Sustainable Agriculture). This grant is a valuable use of taxpayer money because the research will be used to assist farmers on sustainable agriculture practices, which will help farmers manage their crops for improved yields, while reducing fertilizer and pesticide use, and stemming nutrient losses to ground and surface water. Organic farming concepts are also addressed. Approximately, $151,000 is for salaries of researchers; $15,000 is for travel expenses; $10,000 is for farmer stipends; $25,000 is for materials and supplies; and $65,000 is for communication and outreach. Michigan State University expects to leverage at least $150,000 in state, local, and private funds to expand the impacts of the special grant.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 2997

Agency: National Institute for Food and Agriculture

Account: Special Research Grants

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Address of Requesting Entity: 102 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Description of Request: This bill provides $346,000 for Phytophthora Capsici research. This grant is a valuable use of taxpayer money because the research will be used to study the fungal-like pathogen that lives in the soil and causes plants to rot. Vegetables such as cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, eggplants and lima and snap beans are particularly susceptible to rot caused by Phytophthora. This funding will go towards salaries of researchers, laboratory and field equipment, travel expenses, and publication or results. This program receives other federal/state/local/industry funding.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

Bill Number: H.R. 2997

Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Account: Conservation Operations

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Great Lakes Commission

Address of Requesting Entity: 2805 S. Industrial Hwy, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6791

Description of Request: This bill provides $404,000 for the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, which was authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill. This funding is a valuable use of taxpayer money because it will protect and improve Great Lakes water quality by controlling erosion and sedimentation; limiting the input of associated nutrients and toxic contaminants; and minimizing off-site sources of damage to harbors, streams, fish and wildlife habitat, recreational facilities and the Basin's system of public works.

Madam Chair, I rise to take a few moments to talk about a portion of this bill that I am very supportive of--the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The Great Lakes are a national treasure. The lakes hold 95 percent of the U.S. surface fresh water and are the largest system of surface fresh water on the planet. In addition to offering recreation and transportation options, the Great Lakes also provide more than 30 million people with drinking water.

Unfortunately, the health of the Great Lakes is threatened by aquatic invasive species, contaminated sediment, nonpoint source pollution, and habitat loss. Failure to protect and restore the lakes now will result in more serious consequences in the future, in addition to increasing cleanup costs.

Since being elected to Congress, I have championed Great Lakes restoration efforts, and I am very pleased that the President's budget, the Congressional budget resolution, and this appropriations bill, all include $475 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Although this amount is still far short of what is needed to promptly restore the Great Lakes, it is a significant down payment. I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for recognizing the importance of restoring the Great Lakes and for including this historic funding level.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 2996, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010: $500,000 is provided in H.R. 2996 from the EPA STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project to separate the combined sewers and replace the aging water main in the Eastside portion of the City of Grand Rapids. The funding was requested by the City of Grand Rapids, 300 Monroe Ave. NW., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Additional funding for this project will be covered by the City's Sewer System and Water System revenue bonds. This project is of national significance and a good use of taxpayer dollars because it will contribute to the cleanup of the Great Lakes, a nationally important water source which suffers from water quality and quantity degradation. This aggressive program and dedication of limited resources will result in the complete elimination of the city's combined sewer overflows to the Grand River and Lake Michigan in 10 years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with mixed emotions to honor my good friend, Judy Barnes, who retires as Chief Executive Officer of the Grand Rapids Home and Building Association, HBA, of Grand Rapids on June 30, 2009. Judy has been energetic and optimistic in her duties at the Association, where she has served as CEO for 25 years.

Judy's great attitude and outlook on life helped her successfully lead the homebuilding industry in Grand Rapids through good times and bad. When she took over as CEO in 1984, she helped grow the relatively small group to one of the largest HBAs in the nation through her solid work ethic and passion. Her professionalism and leadership skills garnered the respect of her constituency and the community, as she spoke on behalf of the HBA throughout the years.

The Parade of Homes is an annual tradition for the Grand Rapids area, and for Judy Barnes. She played a key role in planning this fantastic event each year, and helped expand the number of homes in the event to over 250 at its peak. While the downturn in the homebuilding industry has reduced the number of

homes in the Parade recently, it is still a great event that visitors have thoroughly enjoyed, thanks to Judy's hard work.

Even as the housing industry fell upon difficult times, Judy never lost her optimism, and showed compassion as people lost homes to foreclosure, and as builders had difficulty staying in business. In an interview with the Grand Rapids Press, Judy said, ``The [homebuilding] industry will rebound. . . . I know it will be great again.''

I wish Judy, and her husband Stan, the best of everything as they enter a new chapter in their lives. Judy has the wishes and blessings of many, many people who are grateful for her hard work and dedication, and also appreciate her contagious laughter and smile. Her hard work and personality will be greatly missed.

Mr. Chair, thank you, Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member Wolf, for the opportunity to offer remarks on the fiscal year 2010 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill. I appreciate your hard work and dedication bringing this important funding legislation to the floor.

As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education and as a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology, I work with my colleagues to support and strengthen several agencies of great importance to our nation's technological innovation capacity. The core of that capacity depends on basic scientific research, and a vigorous research base is crucial to our national economic security. Coupled with that research base is research in education supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

I am pleased that this legislation has essentially supported the President's overall requested budget for the National Science Foundation, an agency which has great significance to our federal research endeavors. However, I do have some concerns about the science, technology, engineering and math (collectively, STEM) education funding provided for the NSF within this year's spending bill.

In late April, the President announced ``. . . a renewed commitment to education in mathematics and science, since we know that the progress and prosperity of future generations will depend on what we do now to educate the next generation.'' I support this commitment, but am troubled that somehow the education directorate budget at the NSF is not keeping pace with the budgets of the research directorates. While the overall research budget of the NSF will receive a 9 percent increase in this year's funding bill, the education budget will only increase by 2 percent.

Congress, economists, and scientists have consistently maintained that the NSF's research and educational missions must be treated as co- equal and core missions of the Foundation. Enhancing our research competitiveness in scientific fields while neglecting the educational component of such research will cripple our ability to succeed as an innovative nation.

I want to recognize that both the budgets for research and education at the National Science Foundation are increasing in this budget, and I greatly appreciate the work of the Committee in supporting both activities. I simply want to emphasize that both of these endeavors are equally critical to the competitiveness of our nation, and research and education should be treated as parallel--and equally worthy entities-- at the National Science Foundation.

I look forward to working with you on the NSF research and education funding, and, again, thank you for your dedication to improving our nation's research enterprise.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As a student pilot, and as the cochairman of the House General Aviation Caucus, as well as a proud member

of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 472, honoring the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association on their 70th anniversary.

Since 1939, AOPA has effectively represented the general aviation community at the local, State, and Federal levels. With a membership of more than 415,000--or two-thirds of all of the pilots in the United States--AOPA is the largest and one of the most influential aviation associations in the world. I have been a member for a number of years.

General aviation is a catch-all category that includes all nonscheduled, all nonmilitary aviation. There are more than 230,000 general aviation aircraft in the United States, which use nearly 19,000 small and regional airports. These airports help connect people and industries that do not always have easy access to our commercial airports.

Recently, general aviation has come under attack by the media and those that view general aviation as a corporate indulgence or an expensive toy used exclusively by the wealthy. That is simply not true. Actually, the fact is that companies that utilize general aviation are more productive and, thus, more competitive.

I can give two examples from my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Recently, I was talking to a businessman there. He's a contractor. He's built a number of buildings. They've decided to expand into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and into Canada. As you know, Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes so it's very hard to get from point A to point B quickly. However, they bought an airplane, and they were able to zip easily from the Grand Rapids headquarters to all the work sites in Canada and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. More often than not, these airplanes pay for themselves.

I have another businessman in Grand Rapids who told me that his airplane saved him a considerable amount of money because when his executives went to visit his plants scattered around the U.S.--most of them in forests because he's in the lumbering business and he has 30- some businesses around the country--it takes at least one person one day to get to any of these sites using commercial aviation because they have to go to a major commercial airport, rent a car and drive 30, 40 miles into the forest to their site. But with their own private airplane, they could usually land within a few miles. They can complete three business visits in 1 day instead of one.

So, as they say, these airplanes pay for themselves.

In addition, most of the private pilots I know are not rich but middle class working people that love to fly. In the wake of these disparaging stories that have appeared in the media, the AOPA and its supporters in Congress have worked hard to educate the public and spread the word about the importance of general aviation to our economy and our transportation system.

Every private pilot is passionate about flying, and the AOPA is the organization they rely on to stay abreast of current political events and aviation events and to advocate on their behalf.

I congratulate the AOPA on this historic anniversary, and I wish them continued success, and I look forward to celebrating future anniversaries with them as well. And I hope by then, I am able to fly more often than I am while I'm in the Congress.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of the members of the 2009 United States Physics Olympiad Team.

To be considered for the U.S. team, students take a series of challenging theoretical and laboratory exams. Out of thousands of students, the top 24 finalists are invited to participate in a 10-day physics camp hosted by the University of Maryland. This camp prepares the students to face the challenge of meeting physics students from all over the world in a brain-to-brain competition through nine days of intense studying, testing and problem solving.

At the end of training camp, five exceptional students will advance and represent the United States in July at a tremendous international competition in Mexico. This type of international physics competition is a meaningful endeavor where physics students from across the globe learn in new intellectual and experiential ways and establish working relationships that bridge geographic and cultural differences.

Last year, the U.S. five-member team brought home five medals: four gold ones and a silver.

The members of the 2009 team include: Yishun Dong, Yale Fan, David Field, Justin Holmgren, Patrick Hurst, Robert Kastner, Brian Kong, Kevin Lang, Dan Li, Patricia Li, Bowei Liu, Jenny Lu, Marianna Mao, Anand Natarajan, Joshua Oreman, Thomas Schultz, Allen Yuan, Yunfan Zhang and Andrew Zhou.

I commend the American Institute of Physics, the American Association of Physics Teachers and affiliated sponsors for organizing this annual event and fostering a passion for science in these students.

I know my colleagues share my pride in the achievements of these students. Their success is a testament not only to their individual determination, but also to a group of exceptional teachers and coaches. The 2009 U.S. Physics Team coaches include Paul Stanley, JiaJia Dong, David Fallest, David Jones, Andrew Lin, Warren Turner and Qiu Zi Li. These coaches are all volunteers and usually full time teachers with extraordinary demands on their time. Unfortunately, very rarely do they receive recognition for their work with the physics team. I would like to thank each of them for the time and dedication they have shown to these students. The time spent with these students is a great service to the future of science and America.

I also hope that some of the Olympiad students will consider running for public office and add their expertise to the policy world! I am very thankful for these future leaders and ask that you please join me in congratulating them on their wonderful achievements. We wish the top five the best of success as they represent the United States at the 40th International Physics Olympiad competition be held in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.