[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H453-H456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY AND ITS
EMPLOYEES FOR 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NATION
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 27) honoring the National
Institute of Standards and Technology and its employees for 100 years
of service to the Nation.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 27
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
was founded on March 3, 1901, originally as the National
Bureau of Standards, and is our Nation's oldest Federal
laboratory;
Whereas, prior to formal establishment in 1901, the
National Institute of Standards and Technology's mission was
first stated in the Articles of Confederation and the
Constitution of these United States, and is as old as the
Republic itself;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
strengthens the United States economy and improves the
quality of life by working with industry to develop and apply
technology, measurements, and standards;
Whereas in the past 100 years, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology has helped to maintain United States
technology at the leading edge, while also making solid
contributions to our economy and international
competitiveness;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
has served as a behind-the-scenes specialist, with its
research, measurement tools, and technical services
integrated deeply into many of the systems and operations
that, collectively, drive the economy, including
manufacturing cells, satellite systems, communication and
transportation networks, laboratories, factories, hospitals,
businesses, and the extended enterprises of the new economy;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
has also made solid contributions to improving our lives by
helping develop image processing, DNA diagnostic ``chips'',
smoke detectors, automated error correcting software for
machine tools, atomic clocks, X-ray standards for
mammography, scanning tunneling microscopy, pollution control
technology, and high-speed dental drills;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
plays a major role in the National Conference on Weights and
Measures, the organization of State and local officials who
ensure fairness in sales of more than $4,000,000,000,000
worth of goods and services--from deli meats to gasoline to
railroad freight;
Whereas National Institute of Standards and Technology
research has additionally provided a broad and varied stream
of benefits, such as decreases in train derailments as a
result of standards ensuring the quality of steel, smoother
riding, lower maintenance automobiles as a result of
technology that improves the fit of assembled parts, and
reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions as a result of
improved measurements in the oil industry;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
has been a leader in helping small manufacturing companies in
all 50 States to modernize and prepare for the 21st Century;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
through its Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program, has
helped define best practices in business, in education, and
in health care, and has helped leading companies become even
more competitive;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
employs about 3,300 people, and operates primarily in 2
locations, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado,
with some of our Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal
scientists, including Nobel Prize winners;
Whereas the lack of laboratory space led to the
establishment of a cryogenic engineering laboratory and radio
facilities on land donated by citizens of Boulder, Colorado,
in 1950, and the eventual partnership with the University of
Colorado of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
is poised to embark on its second century with 2 new state-
of-the-art laboratories, the Advanced Chemical Sciences
Laboratory and the Advanced Measurement Laboratory at its
Gaithersburg, Maryland, headquarters, to fulfill its mission;
and
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology
is committed to building the advanced science and technology
infrastructure needed to ensure future prosperity and the
global competitiveness of United States industry in the 21st
century and beyond: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) recognizes the historical significance of the
centennial of the founding of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology;
(2) acknowledges 100 years of achievement and service by
the National Bureau of Standards and the National Institute
of Standards and Technology to the United States; and
(3) reaffirms its commitment to support during the next 100
years the research, technological advancements, and
discoveries made at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, a crown jewel in the Federal Government.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
General Leave
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within
[[Page H454]]
which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 27.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have introduced, along with my
colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), H. Con. Res. 27,
the resolution that honors the National Institute of Standards and
Technology and its employees for 100 years of service to our Nation.
A century ago on March 3, 1901, the 56th Congress established the
National Bureau of Standards, the predecessor to NIST, and created the
Nation's first Federal laboratory.
When NBS was originally founded, its mission was to support industry,
commerce and scientific institutions, as well as all branches of
government. Prior to this formal establishment, however, the core
mandate of NBS was first laid out in the Articles of Confederation and
the Constitution of these United States, thereby making NIST's mission
as old as the Republic itself.
NBS was created at a time of enormous industrial development in the
United States to help support interstate commerce in industries such as
steel manufacturing, railroads, telephone and electrical power, that
were technically very sophisticated for their time but lacked adequate
standards.
In the first 2 decades of the 20th century, the Federal laboratory
won international recognition for its outstanding achievements in
physical measurements, development of standards, and test measures, and
this tradition continues today.
In these early years, the research conducted by NIST scientists laid
the foundation for a number of advances in many scientific and
technical fields, such as standards for x-ray dosage, fire hose
couplings, lighting and electrical power usage, temporary measurement
of molten metals, materials corrosion studies and testing, and
metallurgy, among others.
Both World Wars found NIST deeply involved in mobilizing science to
solve pressing weapons and war material problems, including research
on, one, the determination of the properties and purities of uranium
and other critical materials used in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs;
two, testing and development of standards for material used by industry
in the production of synthetic rubber; three, the design of two early
smart weapons, the radio proximity fuse and the Bat, the first fully
automated guided missile ever used successfully in combat; and, four,
quartz crystals used in radio equipment, new metal alloys, new
plastics, and specialized paper for war maps.
In 1949, the atomic age of time-keeping began at NIST; and ever
since, the advances in the performance of atomic clocks have supported
the development of new technologies such as high data rate,
telecommunications and the global positioning system. During the 1950s
and 1960s, NIST research helped usher in the computer age and was
employed in the space race.
NIST's Standards Eastern Automatic Computer, the first operational,
internally programmed digital computer in the United States, was a
marvel at the dawn of the computer era, introducing many firsts and
early applications of the technology that helped shape the information
technology boom of the late 20th century.
In 1966, the need for expanded facilities led NIST to move from its
aging facilities in the District of Columbia to farmland in what was
then considered the rural community of Gaithersburg, Maryland, although
the site is now considered prime real estate in an ever expanding
Washington suburb.
In 1988, the National Bureau of Standards was renamed the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, in recognition of its expanded
mission to strengthen the United States economy and improve the quality
of life by working with industry to develop and apply technology,
measurements and standards.
NIST scientists continue to make solid contributions to our economy
and international competitiveness, while serving as a behind-the-scenes
specialist with its research, measurement tools, and technical services
integrated deeply into many of the systems and operations that
collectively drive the economy, including manufacturing cells,
satellite systems, communication and transportation networks,
laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended
enterprises of the new economy.
NIST has been a leader in helping small manufacturing companies in
all 50 States to modernize and prepare for the 21st century, as well as
helping lead companies to become even more competitive by defining best
practices in business, in education, and in health care through its
Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Program.
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud to represent NIST's Gaithersburg,
Maryland, headquarters and some of our Nation's finest and most
dedicated Federal scientists, including Nobel Prize winners that work
there. I am also very pleased to note that to better fulfill its
mission, NIST is embarking on its second century with two new state-of-
the-art laboratories, the Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory and the
Advanced Measurement Laboratory, at its Gaithersburg, Maryland,
headquarters.
NIST will now possess the equipment to perform its vital job of
tackling the awesome technological challenges that face our Nation as
we begin this new millennium.
As the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology with budget
authority and legislative oversight over NIST, I have long been
concerned that NIST laboratory infrastructure had been obsolete and
required repair. It was clear to me and to others that without state-
of-the-art measurement and calibration equipment, NIST simply could not
fulfill its mission. NIST laboratories needed to upgrade the facilities
to meet the increased precision required by an increasingly complex
technological world, and these two new laboratories further bolster
NIST's efforts and reputation as the crown jewel of the Federal science
and technology efforts.
Of course, we all know that world-class facilities are useless
without world-class employees, and luckily NIST already has the latter.
After all, state-of-the-art laboratories are merely enabling tools.
NIST and our Nation, for that matter, are fortunate to have one of the
world's finest assemblages of scientific and engineering expertise. It
is a dedicated workforce that is committed to building the advanced
science and technology infrastructure needed to ensure future
prosperity and the global competitiveness of the United States industry
in the 21st century and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize the historical
significance of the centennial of NIST's founding and acknowledge its
100 years of achievement and service. So I urge passage of this very
significant resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and to join my
colleague, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) in honoring the
National Institute of Standards and Technology and its employees on the
occasion of its centennial.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology was chartered by
Congress on March 3, 1901, as the Federal Government's first physical
science research laboratory. Scientists, engineers and industrialists
first advocated the establishment of a standards laboratory, pointing
to the new challenges facing the U.S. as a rapidly industrializing
world power.
Beginning with just a staff of 12, NIST has grown to become a vital
arm of the Department of Commerce's technology administration. In its
first 100 years, NIST has partnered successfully with industry, science
and government to establish the foundations for this country's
technological advances. The resolution we are considering today
appropriately calls NIST a crown jewel in the Federal Government,
emphasizing its contributions to the Nation.
In particular, I would like to draw attention to the work of NIST's
laboratories in Boulder, Colorado, in my district. In 1950, to address
the lack of laboratory space, NIST established a cryogenic engineering
laboratory and radio facilities on land donated by the citizens of
Boulder, Colorado. NIST facilities were expanded in the mid-1960s
[[Page H455]]
when NIST and the University of Colorado joined forces to create the
Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, known as JILA, a
cooperative effort that has gained widespread recognition in atomic
physics and other fields.
This partnership between NIST and the University of Colorado has led
to some amazing discoveries. Beginning in the 1970s, the discipline of
cooling and trapping atoms was established in part by experiments with
electrically charged atoms by researchers at the NIST Boulder campus.
This work inspired Dr. William Phillips and his team to demonstrate
both the trapping and the cooling of atoms well below the temperature
limits generally believed possible. Dr. Phillips was awarded the Nobel
Prize in Physics in 1997 for this work.
In 1995, using the same techniques of laser cooling and trapping of
atoms, scientists at JILA cooled rubidium atoms to less than one-
millionth of a degree above absolute zero.
{time} 1115
This was 300 times lower in temperature than ever achieved before,
and created a new state of matter predicted decades ago by Einstein and
the Indian physicist Bose. The Bose-Einstein condensate is widely
hailed as one of the century's major achievements in physics. This
research has enabled the design and construction of one of the world's
most accurate clocks, which is used by NIST, in cooperation with the
Naval Observatory, to maintain the Nation's time standard.
This clock, which is called the NIST F-1, is so accurate that it will
neither gain nor lose a second in 20 million years, something that is
almost incomprehensible.
If we think about this precise time information, it is needed by
electric power companies, radio and television stations, telephone
companies, air traffic control systems, the Global Positioning System,
participants in space exploration, the Internet, and navigators of
ships and planes. All need to compare their own timing equipment to a
reliable, internationally-recognized standard, which NIST provides.
Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the contributions NIST has
provided to the Nation in the half century of their existence. As we
approach the 50th anniversary of these labs in Boulder, I would like to
raise my remarks on another issue in regard to the current state of the
labs.
Some know, and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) just
mentioned it, NIST celebrated the completion of the NIST Advanced
Chemistry Science Laboratory in Gaithersburg. After an $80 million
investment, NIST can now boast another world-class facility in which to
conduct more world-class research.
Also at Gaithersburg just last year, ground was broken for the
Advanced Measurement Laboratory, which has projected costs of over $200
million.
Now that Gaithersburg's needs have been addressed, Boulder is next in
line to receive critical funding for construction and maintenance
projects. This, according to NIST's published plans, lists construction
and maintenance project priorities for the labs.
I am very hopeful that the new administration will recognize the
value of the Boulder lab's contributions, and the necessity of
upgrading these facilities so the scientists in Boulder can continue to
contribute top-flight research. NIST's Boulder campus, as has the
campus in Gaithersburg, has done much for the Nation and for Colorado,
and it will continue to do so in the future. But in order to get the
full value from the asset, we must invest in its upkeep.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that Congress is acknowledging today the
critical role NIST has played in helping build this country's science
and technology infrastructure in the 20th century. This resolution also
recognizes that NIST is poised to make significant contributions to
even greater advances in the 21st century. I will continue to support
NIST's work, and call attention to NIST's important contributions to
ensure our ``crown jewel'' gets the credit it deserves.
As always, I am grateful to my colleague, the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella), for working with me on this important
resolution. Again, I salute NIST on the occasion of its 100th birthday,
and urge the adoption of this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Science is meeting on an energy topic.
Otherwise, there would be many others who have joined in support of
this resolution who would be here speaking of it. But I think the 100
years of achievement, looking on into the future, perhaps mentions it
well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to add a note to what the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) just said, that when we look at our colleagues
on the Committee on Science, particularly the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Ehlers), he served at the JILA Laboratory in Boulder a number of
years ago, and has the direct experience himself with the great
contributions that these labs have provided. I know he would be here
today with us if his schedule permitted.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join with the gentleman, who
represents NIST in Boulder, Colorado, as I represent Gaithersburg,
Maryland's NIST facilities, in this resolution, which is so important.
I urge all of our colleagues to support it.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to support H. Con. Res. 27, a
resolution honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology
and its valuable employees for 100 years of service to our country.
A century ago, our predecessors here in Congress recognized the
importance of creating an institution with a mission to work closely
with private industry to help further our nation's technological
progress and strengthen its economic performance.
So strongly did our colleagues feel about the important role in our
economy that this new entity could play, the Committee on Coinage,
Weights and Measures that recommended its creation at that time wrote:
No more essential aid could be given to manufacturing,
commerce, the makers of scientific apparatus, the scientific
work of the government, of schools, colleges, and
universities than by the establishment of the institution
proposed in this bill.
And thus the National Bureau of Standards, which we now know as the
National Institute for Standards and Technology, was created.
And over the past 100 years, Mr. Speaker, NIST and its employees have
not let us down. Literally, it is all but impossible to name a major
innovation that has improved our quality of life with which NIST has
not had some involvement.
NIST's federal laboratories have partnered with industry to initiate
innovations for safer and more fuel efficient automobiles, biomedical
breakthroughs like breast cancer diagnostics, refrigerant and air
conditioning standards, analysis of DNA, and calibrations for wireless
telecommunications systems, among numerous others.
Activities as far reaching as trading on the New York Stock Exchange
and space navigation rely on NIST for their work in the area of high-
accuracy timekeeping. In fact, with the newly enhanced NIST-built
atomic clock that will neither gain nor lose a second in 20 million
years, the Institute receives millions of requests for accurate time
via the Internet each and every day.
NIST has also proven to be a valuable resource to our nation's small
businesses--the backbone of our economy. NIST's Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Program, or MEP, provides small manufacturers with a
network of over 400 centers nationwide that they can rely on for the
advice and expertise they need to succeed in the ever-changing business
world.
NIST is a well-run agency that has supported our nation's economic
growth by working to develop and apply technology, measurements, and
standards integral to our ability to compete in today's global
marketplace.
As the Chairman of the House Science Committee, I want to acknowledge
the efforts of my colleagues, Mrs. Morella and Mr. Barcia, the
Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Technology Subcommittee last
Congress. I appreciate their commitment over the past few years to
ensuring that NIST's laboratory functions have received the budget
prioritization they deserve. NIST labs continue to be the cornerstone
of our federal science and technology efforts.
[[Page H456]]
With construction underway on NIST's much needed Advanced Measurement
Laboratory located at its Gaithersburg campus, we can also be assured
that the Institute's lab system will continue to shine well into the
next century. This new state-of-the-art laboratory will allow NIST's
world class scientists to make precision measurements under stable
conditions with tight control of vibration, temperature, humidity, air
cleanliness, and electrical power.
I want to thank Congresswoman Morella and Congressman Udall for
introducing this resolution today. But most of all I want to thank NIST
and its employees for their 100 years of service to our nation.
I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 27.
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I support H. Con. Res. 27, Honoring the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Its Employees
for 100 Years of Service.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is our Nation's
oldest Federal laboratory, with a mission that dates back to the
founding of our Republic. NIST employs about 3,300 people, with some of
our Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal scientists, including
Nobel Prize winners.
In the past 100 years, NIST has helped to maintain United States
technology at the cutting edge, while also making contributions to our
economy and international competitiveness. Many advances can be traced
to the assistance of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, including satellite systems, communication and
transportation networks, image processing, DNA diagnostic ``chips'',
smoke detectors, automated error correcting software for machine tools,
atomic clocks, X-ray standards for mammography, scanning tunneling
miscroscopy, pollution control technology, high-speed dental drills,
laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended
enterprises of the new economy.
I am concerned, however, that the President's proposed budget may cut
funding for some NIST programs, including the Advanced Technology
Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
I am also troubled by potential proposed cuts in other science
programs, such as an apparent decision to cut the Energy Department's
budget to $19 billion, roughly $700 million below current levels. At a
time when our states, including California, are facing great challenges
in providing sufficient energy, and at reasonable prices, we should not
be cutting funding for programs, such as those which explore renewable
energy sources.
America has been on a course of jobs and prosperity, developed by the
hard work of the American people over the last eight years. We should
not change course. We still have much work to do in our communities, to
encourage research and development, foster small business development,
launch new high-tech revolutions. We must create new jobs, provide
educational opportunities, ensure that all who are willing to work can
advance.
Therefore, as the Congress today celebrates the work of NIST and its
proud traditions, let us resolve not unilaterally to disarm our nation
of the finest minds and resources, which have led to an economic and
technological renaissance. Our nation is the admiration of the modern
world. People come here to learn in our universities, work in our
corporations, and find a better life. Let us resolve to continue our
fight to keep America number-one in scientific innovation and job
creation.
Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 27
honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology on its
centennial.
Chairwoman Morella has already described many of the important
activities that NIST performs. I just want to add that though NIST is
often un-noticed inside the beltway, its work is widely recognized and
utilized in industry and homes across America.
For example, in my home state of Michigan, with its strong
manufacturing base, NIST measurement standards and reference materials
are widely used in our automotive and chemical industries. However,
NIST's products go well beyond our industrial base.
Basic research by NIST scientists have resulted in a Nobel Prize and
the synthesis of the Bose-Einstein Condensate--dubbed the molecule of
the century. In addition, NIST is probably the only Federal research
laboratory to receive an Emmy--for its pioneering work to develop
closed captioning technology used in television.
I want to take this time to thank NIST employees for their hard work
and dedication, often with much less recognition than their
counterparts at other federal laboratories. On a personal note, I would
like to also express my thanks to all NIST employees for talking to me
about their work and improving my understanding of the important work
performed at the Boulder and Gaithersburg facilities.
On behalf of the Science Committee, I want to commend you for the
outstanding work done in the last one hundred years. You've set high
standards for future NIST employees to match in the next one hundred.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.
Con. Res. 27, which honors the National Institute of Standards and
Technology and its employees for 100 years of service. Chairwoman
Morella has already highlighted many of NIST's achievements. I want to
speak about the philosophy and hard work of NIST's employees.
The Constitution gives the Federal government the responsibility to
``fix the standard of weights and measures.'' In 1901, the National
Bureau of Standards (NSB) was formally established. Little could the
Founding Fathers, or President McKinley who signed the original
legislation, have guessed at the scope of activities that agency would
have to undertake.
Initially NBS set simple standards such as the length of a foot, the
weight of a pound, and the volume of a gallon. Today, NIST, the
successor agency to the NBS, is involved in measurement activities
including time measurement accurate to a loss of a second every 20
million years which is important to the global positioning system,
setting the length of nanometer essential to the semiconductor
industry, and accurate measures of X-ray emissions used to calibrate
hospital equipment. These are just a few examples of NIST measurement
and standards activities that support many of the daily services we
rely upon.
NIST has been successful because it is responsive to the needs of
industry. NIST is one of the few federal agencies that work in
partnership with industry to develop the measurement tools that are the
basis for the development of new technologies. NIST constantly re-
invents its research mission to meet industry's evolving needs. Many in
Congress complain that Federal agencies are unresponsive to their
customer's needs--and this complaint is true some of the time. But
NIST's record proves that an agency can serve its customers and further
the public's interests in reliable standards for products.
I urge my colleagues in joining with me supporting this resolution
honoring NIST employees.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
27.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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