[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION REAUTHORIZATION

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                               speech of

                            HON. LOIS CAPPS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 1998

  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in favor of this bill to reauthorize 
the National Science Foundation.
  I am particularly pleased that this bill is finally moving to 
completion. I know that my late husband, Walter Capps, worked on this 
legislation last year and I share his dedication to ensuring the 
continuation of the good work of NSF. I want to commend and to thank 
Chairman Sensenbrenner and my colleague from California, Mr. Brown, for 
their outstanding work on this legislation.
  This bill authorizes $3.8 billion for Fiscal Year 1999 and $3.9 
billion in FY2000 in funding for the NSF, worthy and much needed 
increases in funding for math and science research. This bill also 
contains a provision to encourage the NSF to donate equipment to 
schools to enhance science and math programs. I believe strongly that 
we must ensure that all of our schools have access to the latest in 
high tech equipment to give our kids the skills they need to compete in 
the 21st century.
  I have spent my professional life in the fields of health care and 
education. I know full well the value of research in these areas and 
can personally attest to the value of math, science and engineering 
education in our schools. In my district, for example, the University 
of California, Santa Barbara, has received numerous NSF education 
grants. One of the grants helped fund a 4-year Teacher Enhancement 
program to assist 750 K-8 math teachers in several local counties. 
California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, has done 
some great work on math curriculum development and building interactive 
math models on the Web with NSF grants.
  Much is said today about the need to educate our children for the 
increasingly competitive environment of the 21st century. I agree with 
that viewpoint. However, I also believe that education inspires 
individual and personal growth, which inevitably leads to a more 
civilized and prosperous society. That is also what these NSF programs 
achieve. The National Science Foundation's mission to sponsor research 
and encourage new thinking in education is a critical element for our 
economic growth as we move into the 21st century.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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