[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 8, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H1938-H1943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 108) honoring the
National Science Foundation for 50 years of service to the Nation.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 108
Whereas Congress created the National Science Foundation in
1950 to promote the progress of science, to advance the
national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the
national defense;
Whereas the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 was
signed into law by President Harry S. Truman on May 10, 1950;
Whereas the National Science Foundation strengthens the
economy and improves the quality of life in the United States
as the Federal Government's only agency dedicated to the
support of education and fundamental research in all
scientific and engineering disciplines;
Whereas the National Science Foundation has worked
continuously and successfully to ensure that the United
States maintains its leadership in discovery, learning, and
innovation in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering;
Whereas the National Science Foundation has supported the
research of more than half of the United States Nobel
laureates in physics, chemistry, and economics;
Whereas the National Science Foundation has been the lead
Federal agency in a number of national science initiatives,
such as those in information technology and nanotechnology;
Whereas the National Science Foundation funds almost 20,000
research and education projects in science and engineering at
over 2,000 colleges and universities, elementary and
secondary schools, nonprofit organizations, and small
businesses throughout our Nation;
Whereas the National Science Foundation's innovative
education programs work to ensure that every American student
receives a solid foundation in science, technology, and
mathematics through support for the training and education of
teachers, the public, and students of all ages and
backgrounds, and by supporting research into new teaching
tools, curricula, and methodologies;
Whereas the programs funded by the National Science
Foundation are an exemplary demonstration of the value of
scientific peer review in selecting the most innovative and
technically excellent research activities using a network of
over 50,000 scientists and engineers each year;
Whereas the National Science Foundation's international
programs promote new partnerships and cooperative projects
between United States scientists and engineers and their
foreign colleagues, and such partnerships play a key role in
establishing and strengthening diplomatic and economic ties;
and
Whereas research supported by the National Science
Foundation has led to discoveries, technologies, and products
which affect our daily lives, including a greater
understanding of bacteria, viruses, and the structure of DNA;
medical diagnostic tools, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI); the Internet, web browsers, and fiber optics, which
have revolutionized global communication; polymer materials
used in products ranging from clothing to automobiles;
Doppler radar used for accurate weather forecasting;
artificial skin that can help recovering burn victims;
economic research in game and decision theory which has led
to a greater understanding of economic cycles; and
discoveries of new planets, black holes, and insights into
the nature of the universe: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) recognizes the significance of the anniversary of the
founding of the National Science Foundation;
(2) acknowledges the completion of 50 years of achievement
and service by the National Science Foundation to the United
States; and
(3) reaffirms its commitment for the next 50 years to
support research, education, and technological advancement
and discovery through the National Science Foundation, the
premier scientific agency in the Federal Government.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith).
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks on H. Con. Res. 108.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer this resolution H. Con. Res. 108
honoring the National Science Foundation for 50 years of service to our
Nation. As chairman of the Committee on Science on Basic Research,
which is responsible for oversight and authorization of the National
Science Foundation, I wanted to take a few moments to mention some of
the highlights of this highly successful and yet often unappreciated
agency.
Congress and President Harry S. Truman established the National
Science Foundation on May 10, 1950 to fund research in the basic
sciences, engineering, mathematics and technology.
It is the Federal Government's only agency dedicated to the support
of education and fundamental research in all scientific disciplines
from physics and math to zoology and anthropology. For 50 years, NSF-
sponsored research has developed the finest science and new
technologies that have boosted our economic productivity, enhanced our
national security, and preserved our citizens' health and well-being.
Throughout its history, NSF provided support to thousands of
researchers and students across the Nation in university labs and in
our schools and our industry, support that has fostered innovation,
technical achievement, and a greater understanding of our world and our
universe. From the depths of space to the depths of the ocean, from the
North Pole to the South Pole around the globe, NSF-funded research has
helped explain our world and led to innovations that have forever
changed it.
The Internet, for example, and the technologies that enable it, began
in part because of NSF support for networking technologies.
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NSF funded a network, linking computer science departments, then
moved on to develop a high-speed backbone called the NSFNET that became
the basis for what is now the Internet.
NSF-supported research has also led to miracle drugs, vaccinations,
cell phones, and even bar codes that readers in supermarkets now use.
NSF supports potentially life-saving research in developing the
Doppler, research in weather prediction using the Doppler
[[Page H1939]]
radar, earthquake hazard, and identification of the cause of the spread
of the deadly Hanta virus.
Today's NSF-led research in nanotechnology, advanced materials,
biotechnology and countless other areas are setting the foundation for
the technologies of the future and in the process, training the
scientists, engineers, and technology entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Today, we congratulate NSF on 50 years of service to the United
States and for its many contributions to our current prosperity. But we
also reaffirm our commitment as a Congress to support NSF in the future
in its diverse research in educational activities. NSF's peer review
system, where grants are reviewed by a panel of researchers in the
field to judge the merits of research, is a model of how research
should be evaluated at all other Federal agencies.
We must also strive to ensure that NSF invests in a broad range of
sciences in order to support the critical work of well-funded mission
agencies like the Department of Defense and the National Institute of
Health. It is important that we continue to support NSF as part of a
balanced Federal research portfolio and recognize that the basic
science supported by NSF forms the foundation for research at all other
Federal research agencies and for applied innovations and productivity
increases in the private sector.
My colleagues and I on the subcommittee will keep this goal in mind
as we work towards our reauthorization of NSF, and we will keep it in
mind as we work with the administration and the appropriators to work
and craft a balanced research budget.
I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Basic Research, a
cosponsor of this resolution, and for all of her work and support of
NSF. I would also like to thank the other cosponsors of this resolution
and certainly my friend, Senator John McCain, and the 19 Senate
cosponsors of S. Con. Res. 36, the companion resolution. Certainly I
would like to thank both the Republican and Democratic staffs on our
subcommittee and the full Committee on Science for their untiring work.
Mr. Speaker, the NSF is completing its 50th year of service to our
Nation. With this resolution, this House will recognize this important
anniversary and express our hope for at least another 50 years of
continued innovation and education.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 that created
the National Science Foundation directs the agency to initiate and
support basic scientific research and to strengthen scientific research
potential and science education programs at all levels.
I am pleased to rise in support of this resolution that salutes the
National Science Foundation on its accomplishments and success in
carrying out this mission for the past 50 years. I thank the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Smith) for putting forth this timely resolution.
The National Science Foundation plays a unique and critical role in
the Nation's research and education enterprise. It sponsors research
that helps to fill the storehouse of fundamental knowledge about the
natural world, without regard for immediate applications of these new
ideas and concepts. Equally important, the National Science Foundation
supports the development of the Nation's human resource base in science
and engineering. In short, the National Science Foundation is charged
with helping to create the underpinnings for the Nation's future
technological competence and, therefore, for its economic strength and
security.
The NSF's record of accomplishment during this 50-year history is
remarkable. NSF-supported research have collected 100 Nobel Prizes.
They have received recognition for work in the fields of physics,
chemistry, physiology and medicine, and economics.
National Science Foundation's contributions are, in part, manifested
through the accomplishments of scientists and engineers who were
trained under NSF awards. It is well-known that the great majority of
the seminal work in developing such technologies as cell phones, fiber
optics, and computer assisted design was performed by private industry,
at labs like Corning, AT&T and Motorola.
A recent NSF-sponsored study has shown that many scientists and
engineers who went to graduate school on NSF fellowships and research
assistantships often played important roles in the development of these
and other technologies. In a number of cases, they became the
entrepreneurs who created new firms and markets.
To use the words of the authors of the study, ``NSF emerges
consistently as a major, often the major, source of support for
education and training of the Ph.D. scientists and engineers who went
on to make major contributions.''
The resources NSF provides for support of research and education are
relatively small, but the impact is great. The agency expends only 3.8
percent of the Federal R&D funds, but provides 23 percent of basic
research funding at academic institutions.
For specific research areas, the National Science Foundation's role
at universities is even larger. It funds 36 percent of research in the
physical sciences, 49 percent in the environmental sciences, 50 percent
in engineering, 72 percent in mathematics, and 78 percent in computer
science.
The research awards and research fellowships help train over 24,000
graduate students each year. These are the future scientists and
engineers who are essential to fuel our high-tech economy.
Further, the NSF programs help to improve science education for all
students and prepare them for citizenship in a world increasingly
dominated by technology. Today we continue to have a manpower shortage
in many high technology fields. The ideal way to alleviate the
shortages is by ensuring that children of all races and both genders
receive the basic grounding in science and mathematics that will
prepare them to pursue careers as scientists, engineers and
technologists. The NSF's programs address this need.
Because of the importance of NSF's role in research and education, it
is essential that the agency receive adequate resource. Consequently, I
am extremely disappointed by the fiscal year 2002 budget request for
NSF, which provides only a 1-percent increase. This is much less than
what is needed to sustain the NSF's ongoing programs.
In today's Congress Daily, a story mentioned how science funding is
increased over Mr. Bush's request. While this is true, it is less than
half the story. The conference cut funding for science below any
Member's request in either Chamber and below what President Bush asked
for in every year but this year.
The House requested $617 million more and the Senate requested $1.215
billion more. Indeed, over 5 years, the conference agreement is nearly
$200 million less than the President's anemic numbers for budget
authority.
The only positive number from the conference agreement is the fiscal
year 2002 budget authority number being $217 million above the
President's request. Every other number is negative, meaning the
conference agreement is lower than Mr. Bush's request, the House-passed
bill and the Senate-passed bill. How ironic it is now that we stand
here today and honor the National Science Foundation, but at best hold
their budget below inflation.
Inadequacies in the size of the National Science Foundation's current
budget are evident by the fact that the agency currently funds less
than a third of the research applications it receives and only about
half of those judged to be of high quality. Even when an applicant
receives the National Science Foundation award, it is usually sub-
optimal and perhaps half the amount of an NIH award. The current
situation leaves researchers in NSF-funded fields scrambling for funds
and spending too much time chasing limited funding rather than in the
laboratory or mentoring students.
In order to address this present situation, I, along with 16 of my
Committee on Science colleagues, recently introduced a National Science
Foundation authorization bill, H.R. 1472, that provides increases of 15
percent per year
[[Page H1940]]
for fiscal years 2002 through 2005. The bill will double the NSF budget
based on fiscal year 2000 appropriations level. Such increases are
necessary to allow the National Science Foundation to go forward with
substantial new research initiatives, provide needed increases in
average grant size and duration, and support needed major research
facilities for access by academic scientists.
Equally important, a more robust budget for NSF will support
expansion of the agency's science education programs. Of particular
importance are programs to improve the skills and content knowledge of
K through 12 science and math teachers and to increase participation in
science and engineering by traditionally underrepresented groups.
It is also important to expand education research programs, including
quantifying the most effective uses of educational technology and
strengthening efforts to assess education programs to determine and
disseminate information about what methods and approaches are most
effective in improving student performance in science and math.
Mr. Speaker, it is entirely appropriate that the House endorse the
resolution now under consideration, which celebrates the past
accomplishments of the National Science Foundation. However, it is of
much greater importance that we ensure that the Foundation receives the
necessary resources now and in the future to carry out its essential
role in support of scientific engineering research and education.
When funding measures for NSF are debated during the coming months, I
hope all of my colleagues will remember the Foundation's impact during
the last 50 years and the promise represented by its current programs.
Mr. Speaker, I commend to my colleagues this resolution honoring the
National Science Foundation and ask for their support for final
passage.
This 50-year report speaks to America's investment in the future.
That is what we are talking about when we talk about the funding for
the National Science Foundation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman
from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht), vice chairman of our full Committee on
Science.
Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Michigan
for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate the National
Science Foundation on its 50th anniversary.
What the NSF does is very important to all of us and to future
generations of America. The National Science Foundation was created to
promote the progress of science, for health, economic, and defense
purposes through basic research.
Now basic research is critical to the future of the country because
it serves as the building block for other research that many times
private industry will not or cannot afford to do. This base of
innovation provided by the NSF can then be utilized and built upon by
private industry and help develop new sectors for our economy.
Research and discoveries made and supported by the NSF affect our
daily lives, from Doppler radar systems to Magnetic Resonance Imaging,
MRIs, to all kind of innovations which we enjoy today in America.
NSF supports research and development in science and engineering
through various partnerships from the elementary to the university
level, as well as small business and nonprofit organizations, by
providing grants to help fund these projects.
In the end, America depends on science. Science fuels our economic
booms, medical successes, and national security. Over 50 percent of our
future economic growth will come from developments resulting from
scientific research.
NSF has a strong connection to my home State of Minnesota. Last year,
301 new NSF awards went to Minnesota. So far this year, there are
currently 482 active awards ongoing in Minnesota.
Various universities and colleges, from the University of Minnesota
down to the smaller schools such as Carleton and St. Olaf in my
district, are contributing to important research in science, in areas
like mathematics and engineering.
NSF's crucial role and notable accomplishments include helping
universities, because over 40 percent of the basic funding for basic
research in the physical sciences and engineering comes from the NSF.
NSF helps to fund projects at 2,000 colleges, universities, and
elementary schools, as well as nonprofit organizations, small
businesses, and other organizations each year.
{time} 1430
NSF grants 10,000 new awards each year and just under 20,000 awards
per year.
Members, a number of years ago there was a Member of the other body
from a bordering State that every month gave out what he called the
Golden Fleece Award, and many times he took advantage of some of the
things being done at the NSF. The truth of the matter is some of the
awards we grant here at the Federal level ultimately are wasted. The
problem, of course, is that we never know which ones.
One of the great researchers for an organization back in Minnesota,
3M, a fellow by the name of Arthur Fry, the person who invented the
Post-It Note, once made a very brilliant observation. He said, ``If we
knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be research.''
The truth of the matter is some of this basic research is high risk,
and we do not know which of these projects will pay enormous dividends
and which will not, but that research must go on nonetheless.
NSF has supported 34,000 science, mathematics, and engineering
students through its NSF graduate research fellowship program.
Federally supported research has revolutionized many areas, including
global communications, with accomplishments, as have been mentioned, as
the Internet, early Web browsers, and fiberoptics.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we recognize the NSF. It is also
important we recognize that we need to continue to show our commitment.
I am hopeful that by the time the final appropriation bills go to the
President's desk, we will be able to find additional funding so that
the work of the NSF can go on.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, how much time is
remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbons). The gentlewoman from Texas
(Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) has 11\1/2\ minutes remaining, and the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith) has 13 minutes remaining.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Matheson).
Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues as a
cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 108. This recognition of the
NSF is well deserved.
For the last 50 years, the National Science Foundation has been the
backbone of basic scientific research throughout the country. It has
served as the clearinghouse for hundreds of thousands of grants for
graduate research. It has led the way in supporting innovative programs
in science for elementary and secondary schools, and it has filled a
valuable role in coordinating scientific endeavors in a variety of
fields.
The value of basic scientific research is something we cannot
overestimate. The mission of the National Science Foundation is to
further science, health, prosperity, welfare, and national defense.
Research through NSF grants and scientific exchanges has been the basis
of innovations in all of these arenas. It has provided the knowledge,
the understanding, and then the development to drive our increasingly
technological society.
This research has also been the basis of increased comfort, longer
lives, and greater economic prosperity. Over the life of NSF, many
national priorities, including improved energy efficiency, space
flight, improved health, and the mapping of the human genome have been
pursued by NSF grants. I genuinely speak in continued support of the
National Science Foundation. It represents a valuable contribution of
the Federal Government to all of society.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), former chairman of our
Subcommittee
[[Page H1941]]
on Technology of the Committee on Science.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time and for his elaborate introduction; and, Mr. Speaker, it is with
great pleasure that I rise as a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 108 to
congratulate the National Science Foundation on 50 years of exemplary
service. From its rocky start and meager initial budgets, the NSF has
bloomed into a shining example of government success, producing
developments and innovations whose benefits are, frankly, immeasurable
in either economic or societal terms.
From its creation in 1950, the NSF has grown from a relatively minor
agency which funded only a small portion of the meritorious proposals
that are received, to the primary source of support for nonmedical
research at our Nation's colleges and universities. Approximately 1,800
academic institutions receive funds from the National Science
Foundation each year supporting thousands of researchers and projects.
Developments from research originally funded by NSF grants permeate
our lives. No American citizen can say that he or she has been
unaffected by the advancements that science has brought. From the
common plastics that preserve our food to the complex microprocessors
that drive our computer age, from natural discoveries in the
environment to synthetic developments in the labs, from fossils to
fiberoptics, the NSF has been there to foster and nurture the research
that led to these wondrous discoveries and lay the foundation for the
discoveries of tomorrow.
The National Science Foundation has also played a crucial role in the
education of our Nation's youth. Following the watershed event of
Sputnik, the NSF has taken an active role in the direct support of
students at the graduate level. Today, these efforts have been expanded
to all levels of education, from kindergarten to the Ph.D., and have
brought the NSF to the forefront of math and science education in the
United States. Their continued efforts are critical to the development
of the next generation of scientists and engineers.
I am personally grateful to the NSF for its critical support of my
Commission on the Advancement of Women, Minorities and Persons With
Disabilities in Science, Engineering and Technology. Its work,
resulting in findings, have also helped to establish Federal
partnerships. Their support thus enhances partnerships with the private
sector and with academia to fulfill its recommendations.
As we look to the future, I hope the NSF will continue to play a
prominent role. In his seminal report, ``Science: The Endless
Frontier,'' which many credit for the formation of a national science
policy and the NSF, Vannevar Bush noted, ``The frontier of science
remains. It is in keeping with the American tradition, one which has
made the United States great, that new frontiers shall be made
accessible for development by all American citizens.'' His words are no
less valid today.
For the last 50 years, the National Science Foundation has been there
exploring that frontier, bringing its discoveries home to the American
people. I shall work to do all I can to increase their budget.
I want to thank Dr. Rita Caldwell for her leadership and all the
employees of NSF, congratulate them on their 50th anniversary and wish
them luck for the next 50 years and beyond.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\
minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen).
Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
this time, and I rise in strong support of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, there is no question in my mind that the reason our
economy has enjoyed such tremendous growth over the last 8 or 8\1/2\
years, and in particular growth in productivity, is because of
investments made in science. The investments in information technology
have revolutionized the workplace, revolutionized manufacturing,
inventory management, and allowed us to reduce unemployment to record
lows without having a rise in inflation. So I think this makes a great
deal of sense to honor the National Science Foundation.
And of course last year, the Congress, after having gone through 3
years of working towards doubling the budget of the National Institutes
of Health, decided very wisely that we would try and double the
National Science Foundation budget over a 10-year period, and in a
bipartisan way we started down that road. This makes great sense
because we should not try to separate NIH from NSF. They are
complementary.
Some of the speakers talked about the human genome project, part of
which is being done in my district; and there is no question that some
of the supercomputer technology used for that came through NSF
research. The same is true of a clinical endocrinology lab that I saw
in the Methodist Hospital in my district just a couple of weeks ago.
But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, we are going to pass this resolution
today, maybe unanimously, or by an overwhelming vote; then later on
today we are going to pass a rule, and tomorrow probably pass a budget,
that would actually cut the NSF in real terms.
It seems to me that it is ironic that where a year ago, with strong
bipartisan support, the Congress started down the road of doubling the
NSF, just as we have gone in doubling the NIH, yet today and tomorrow
we are going to say we are going to cut the NSF. Now, I know some of my
colleagues have said we hope we will get that worked out when the
appropriation bills are done. That maybe says a lot about the quality
of the budget document that we are going to take up tomorrow; that
perhaps that budget document cannot hold the water that it is supposed
to hold and we are not going to meet those spending targets because we
are going to pass this one political document and do what we want to.
But I think it is a grave mistake to be making these cuts.
I want to quote from a Nobel laureate, who is a constituent of mine,
a professor at Rice University, Dr. Richard Smalley, who won the Nobel
prize for inventing nanotechnology in the famous buckytubes; and in
this article he says, ``Promising ideas won't develop if investments in
key Federal science agencies are slashed.'' And yet that is where this
House and the other body are heading.
I think it is quite a shame that today we would vote to give the
National Science Foundation and all the scientists around the country,
both at the big schools and the small schools, and the labs that
benefit from this, this very nice piece of paper from the Congress on
this very nice piece of parchment honoring them for the 50 years of
work they have don, and then the next day say, ``We're going to cut
your budget in real terms. We're going to cut your budget and we are
not going to double the NSF.'' I think it is a grave mistake that we
are doing that.
And if we are not doing that, Mr. Speaker, and I see my dear friend
from Michigan who I sat with on the Committee on the Budget for a
number of years, and I know he believes strongly in the sanctity of the
budget process, but if we are not going to do that, then it means we
are not passing a real budget tomorrow; that we are passing a document
that has more holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese.
So I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the House does pass this today. I hope
that the House, although I do not think it will happen, has a stroke of
wisdom and we defeat the budget resolution tomorrow, and we go back and
write a realistic one that encompasses the bipartisan support in this
House and the other body for increasing and doubling the National
Science Foundation budget over the next 10 years, and let us finish out
the 9 years left.
Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record the article regarding Dr.
Richard Smalley I referred to earlier.
Scaling Back Research is a Mistake
(By Richard Smalley)
Stocks are down, and President Bush is talking recession.
Yet, he recently targeted three key science agencies for
cuts. The research budget at the National Science Foundation
would fall 4 percent, at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration 4 percent and at the Energy Department 3.5
percent. That's bad policy at the worst possible time.
Bush officials say they will compensate with tax breaks
that will ``encourage significant increases in private-sector
research and development.'' That may sound good--give
industry incentives, and it'll take care of everything.
Problem is, that policy will derail
[[Page H1942]]
technology innovation, our nation's economic igniter, which
depends on federal investment in research.
Here's how it works: The federal government supports long-
range, high-risk research at universities and national labs.
Industry transforms promising discoveries into marketable
goods.
There are thousands of examples of how the partnership can
generate economic booms. I'll mention two homegrown ones.
Fifty years ago, the federal government gave $50,000 to a
university scientist with an idea too risky for industry to
support. His far-fetched plan was to create a source of
microwaves. He ended up hatching the laser. Texas industries
quickly recognized the potential and began developing
products. Today, one in every three high-tech jobs in Texas
depends on his discovery.
The next revolutionary discovery may come from carbon nano-
fibers--hair-thin wisps with the strength of steel and
bewildering electrical properties. The key discoveries were
made possible by government support of a few adventurous
ideas right here in Texas. As nano-fibers start to show
promise, no doubt Texas industries will dominate.
Promising ideas like these won't develop if investments in
the key federal science agencies are slashed.
There's another reason why it's a bad time to cut the
science budget. The proposed cuts would slash the number of
people being trained at our nation's universities and
national labs. That couldn't happen at a worse time.
The high-tech economy generates thousands of new jobs per
day. Tragically, only 20 percent of our workforce is capable
of filing those jobs. To satisfy the demand, Congress raised
the cap on visas to allow 300,000 more foreign workers into
the country.
Importing high-tech workers is an unacceptable long-term
solution. Our country must train a domestic workforce to fill
those jobs. According to the Commission for National
Security, the workforce problem ``poses a greater threat to
national security over the next quarter-century than any
potential conventional war.''
Congress' course is clear. It must increase, not slash, the
agencies' budgets.
Fortunately, some prominent congressmen know that the
strength of the economy depends upon the federal investment
in science. A bill to double the federal investment in
research, first proposed by Texas' own Sen. Phil Gramm,
passed in the Senate last session with 40 co-sponsors. Sadly,
there wasn't time to bring it to a vote in the House.
Some senators are championing efforts to support the
National Science Foundation and the Energy Department. But
their time will be wasted if President Bush doesn't help. He
should tell Congress that he is willing to accept increases
to the key agencies that underpin the nation's economic
growth and standard of living.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my friend from Texas, there needs to be a
balanced effort in where we go on research. Certainly all of the other
agencies and Departments that do research depend, to a certain extent,
on what happens with basic research and primary research mainly
conducted through our university systems through the National Science
Foundation.
However, I would urge my colleagues, including the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Bentsen), to make the suggestions to the appropriators. As
he well knows, the 302(a) overall spending is incorporated in the
budget resolution that we will be taking up in the next 2 days. The
302(b), how to divide up that money and where we go with the 250
function, is going to be decided through the appropriation process. And
again, I would urge all of my colleagues to consider the importance of
having a balanced research budget.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the
resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the National Science
Foundation. The NSF is not only a national treasure, but an example of
Federal dollars that reap long-term dividends for our economy and our
country.
I hope that we can not just support this resolution, but also
adequately fund the National Science Foundation over the next 10 years.
At a time when our country's future economic growth and prosperity
depend on innovation and scientific advances, we should be investing
more of the surplus in scientific research and development. Tax cuts
will not provide the same level of long-term stimulus to our economy
that Federal investments in R&D will yield in the fields of
engineering, mathematics, and the sciences.
Our children are the message we send to a future we will never see,
and that future will be shaped even more by technological innovation
than what we have seen in our lifetime. NSF today is developing the
next generation Internet as well as leading the way in encouraging
young people to pursue academic studies and careers in these technical
fields.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the NSF for its efforts to encourage
women and minorities to pursue careers in math and science. Every
Member of Congress should take the opportunity to promote the National
Science Foundation's programs in schools in their districts. Federal
investments in technology and basic research programs have been the
engine of growth for America's economy. The development of the Internet
was achieved through Federal investments in a Department of Defense
research program called DARPA Net. I am sure Members are aware of that.
But who would have thought that this relatively small investment in DOD
and the NSF would have had such a profound effect on every sector of
our economy and nearly every aspect of our way of life?
Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to represent a district with one of the
most vibrant economies in the country, and it is also home to the
National Science Foundation. Thanks to the Internet, northern Virginia
has become the high tech hub of the East. By investing in R&D in these
programs today, we are investing in our future economic potential as a
country. Unless we increase the flat budgets which basic research has
experienced in the past several years, we cannot expect to yield the
kind of scientific advances to ensure the United States remains at the
forefront of the global economy.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution that
recognizes and acknowledges the 50th anniversary of the National
Science Foundation and its achievement and service to the United
States.
The NSF is not only a national treasure, but an example of federal
dollars that reap long-term dividends for our country and our economy.
This resolution reaffirms our commitment for the next 50 years to
support research, education, and technological advancement and
discovery through the NSF.
At a time when our country's future economic growth and prosperity
depend on innovation and scientific advances, we should be investing
more of the surplus in scientific research and development. Tax cuts
will not provide the same level of long-term stimulus to our economy
that federal investments in R&D will yield in the fields of
engineering, mathematics and the sciences.
Our children's future will be shaped even more by technological
innovation than what we have seen in our lifetime. The NSF is leading
the way in encouraging young people to pursue academic studies and
careers in these technical fields.
I would also like to commend the NSF for its efforts to encourage
women and minorities to pursue careers in math and science. Every
Member of Congress should take the opportunity to promote the NSF's
programs in the schools in their districts.
Federal investments in technology and basic research programs have
been the engine of growth for America's economy. The development of the
Internet was achieved through federal investments in a Defense
Department research program called DARPA Net.
I am privileged to represent a district with one of the strongest and
most vibrant economies anywhere in the United States. Thanks to the
Internet, Northern Virginia has become the high-tech hub of the east.
Who would have thought this investment in DOD and NSF would have
permeated every sector of our economy and way of life?
My district is also home to the National Science Foundation, which
has been performing amazing work toward establishing the Next
Generation Internet as well as fostering the pursuit of science, math,
engineering and other technical sciences in this country.
By investing in R&D in these programs today, we are investing in our
future economic potential as a country. Unless we increase the flat
budgets which basic research has experienced in the past several years,
we cannot expect to yield the kind of scientific advances to ensure the
United States remains at the forefront of the global economy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and the
ongoing work of the National Science Foundation.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
[[Page H1943]]
consume; Let me, in closing, say I think we would all like to also
thank the management and staff at the National Science Foundation,
certainly the director, the assistant director, those who run the eight
directorates; the many program directors, and the support personnel, an
estimated 50,000 scientists and engineers throughout the country that
are making the research effort, that are offering their time and
service on the peer review system, and certainly the hundreds of
thousands of teachers that are making a difference in exciting young
students about math and science and research.
Last week we had a subcommittee hearing regarding education research,
to try to improve K through 12 learning, especially in the areas of
math and science. The Education and Human Resource division of the
National Science Foundation has done great work.
So again, thanks to our staffs on our full committee and
subcommittee, all of the members of our committee, and my colleagues in
Congress who are supporting the National Science Foundation and its
continued efforts, I hope this resolution will pass with unanimous
support.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of this resolution honoring the National Science Foundation for
its fifty years of service to the Nation. As a member of the Science
Committee, I have had the opportunity to witness the efforts and
initiatives of this important federal agency and am pleased to say that
their recent achievements have been outstanding.
Fifty years ago, the National Science Foundation was created to
ensure that this great Nation would continue to be the world leader in
discovery, learning, and innovations in the sciences, mathematics and
engineering. Without the tireless efforts that this agency and its
employees have put forth, the many technological strides our Nation has
made in the preceding decades would never have come to fruition.
Mr. Speaker, as the Federal Government's only agency dedicated to the
support of education and fundamental research in all scientific and
engineering disciplines, the National Science Foundation has been one
of the most important contributors to many progressive projects. One
such program that touches close to home for me is CONNSTRUCT,
Connecticut's Statewide Systematic Initiative for science education.
This project has received approximately $15 million from the National
Science Foundation since 1991 to implement a comprehensive
restructuring of science and mathematics education in my home state.
This ten-year National Science Foundation investment demonstrates a
significant partnership with Connecticut to ensure that all students
are exposed to challenging mathematics and science curricula. It also
ensures that the students are taught by well-prepared teachers who use
stimulating instructional practices, and are supported by school
districts and communities that expect all students will take, learn,
and be able to use their knowledge to continue learning throughout
their lives.
Programs like this have been invaluable to our society. That is why I
am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1472, a bill to double the funding of
the National Science Foundation. This bill provides for 15 percent
annual increases in the agency's budget for Fiscal Years 2002 to 2005
that, together with the 13 percent increase for the current fiscal
year, would double the Foundation's budget over that period. The
increases provided for in H.R. 1472 will allow the agency to go forward
with substantial new and ongoing initiatives, such as the deployment of
broadband networks for schools and libraries.
Mr. Speaker, without the significant contributions that the National
Science Foundation makes to these many projects across our Nation, we
would be far less competitive in our technology-based world. I applaud
the past efforts and achievements of the National Science Foundation
and I urge all of my fellow Members to vote with me in support of H.
Con. Res. 108, which reaffirms this Congress's commitment to support
research, education, and technological advancement and discovery
through the National Science Foundation.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 108.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
{time} 1445
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbons). Pursuant to clause 8, rule XX,
and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion
will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________