[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5504-S5510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DIGITAL AND WIRELESS NETWORK TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 2003
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will proceed to the consideration of S. 196. The clerk will
state the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 196) to establish a digital and wireless network
technology program, and for other purposes.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
committee amendments are agreed to.
Amendment No. 532
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the
amendment.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Virginia [Mr. Allen], for himself, Mr.
Hollings, and Mr. McCain, proposes an amendment numbered 532.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further
reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To ensure that the assistance is focused on supporting
science, mathematics, engineering, and technology at eligible
institutions, and provide for appropriate review of grant proposals)
On page 2, strike lines 2 and 3, and insert the following:
This Act may be cited as the ``Minority Serving Institution
Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2003''.
On page 2, line 6, insert ``Minority Serving Institution''
before ``Digital''.
On page 2, line 7, strike ``Network''.
On page 3, strike lines 1 through 5, and insert the
following:
(2) to develop and provide educational services, including
faculty development, related to science, mathematics,
engineering, or technology;
On page 3, line 18, after ``development'' insert ``in
science, mathematics, engineering, or technology''.
On page 4, line 18, after ``accept'' insert ``and review''.
On page 4, line 24, strike ``section 3.'' and insert
section 3, and for reviewing and evaluating proposals
submitted to the program.''.
On page 5, line 7, after ``issues.'' insert ``Any panel
assembled to review a proposal submitted to the program shall
include members from minority serving institutions. Program
review criteria shall include consideration of--
(1) demonstrated need for assistance under this Act; and
(2) diversity among the types of institutions receiving
assistance under this Act.''.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the managers'
amendment be agreed to on S. 196.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The amendment (No. 532) was agreed to.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, there
will be 1 hour for debate to be equally divided by the Senator from
Virginia, Mr. Allen, and the ranking member, with 5 minutes of the time
under majority control for the Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain.
The Senator from Virginia is recognized.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, Senator McCain, the chairman of the
Commerce Committee, is tied up right now, but I thank him for his
thoughtful leadership and his continued effort and dedication on this
important bipartisan measure.
I rise today to respectfully urge my colleagues to support S. 196,
the minority-serving institution Digital and Wireless Technology
Opportunity Act of 2003. This legislation will provide vital resources
to address the technology gap that exists at many minority-serving
institutions. It establishes a new grant program within the National
Science Foundation that provides annually for 5 years up to $250
million to help historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic
serving institutions, and tribal colleges to close what is often called
the digital divide, when, in fact, what it really is is an ``economic
opportunity divide.''
Since the days before I was elected to the Senate, my goal was to
look for ways to improve education and empower all our young people,
regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, or their
economic background, so that they can compete and succeed in life.
Additionally, I strongly believe we need to embrace the advancements
and innovations in technology--especially as a means to provide greater
opportunities or security for Americans.
In my view, increasing access to technology provides our young people
with an important tool for success, both in the classroom and in the
workforce.
We all know that the best jobs in the future will go to those who are
the best prepared. However, I am increasingly concerned that when it
comes to high-technology jobs, which pay higher wages, this country
runs the risk of economically limiting many college students in our
society. It is important for all Americans that we close this
opportunity gap.
Now, we know the demand for workers with skills in science and
technology continues to grow. Unfortunately, since 1996, the number of
bachelor degrees awarded in the physical sciences has dropped 29
percent, mathematics is down 19 percent, and engineering is down 21
percent.
We also know that information technology companies are still relying
on H-1B visas and using foreign workers to fill important IT jobs and
positions. I want to be clear that I am not against legal immigration,
but I say let's properly educate and train Americans so they can get
those good high-technology jobs.
Now, minority-serving institutions, when one looks at them, still
lack desired information and digital technology infrastructure in many
cases. I encourage my colleagues to read the Commerce Committee report
findings on minority-serving institutions' technology deficiencies.
[[Page S5505]]
I will share with you some of the pertinent facts from this report
and, in particular, a study completed by the Department of Commerce and
the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education,
which indicated, among other facts, that no historically black college
or university requires computer ownership for their undergraduate
students; 13 HBCUs reported having no students--not one--owning their
own personal computer; over 70 percent of the students at historically
black colleges and universities rely on the college or the university
to provide computers, but only 50 percent of those universities can
provide their students with access to computers and computer labs,
libraries, classrooms, or other locations; most of these minority-
serving colleges do not have the private foundation resources to
provide financial support to upgrade their network infrastructure.
So it is not surprising that most HBCUs do not have high-speed
Internet access, especially the desired ATM or asynchronous transfer
mode technology and that only 3 percent of historically black colleges
and universities have financial aid available to help students close
the computer ownership gap.
Access to the Internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity.
Because of the rapid advancement and growing dependence on technology,
being technologically proficient has become more essential to
educational achievement. The fact is, 60 percent of all jobs require
information technology skills. Jobs in information technology pay
significantly higher salaries than jobs in the noninformation
technology fields. Thus, students who lack access to these information
technology tools are at an increasing disadvantage. Consequently, it is
vitally important that all institutions of higher education provide
their students with access to the most current IT and digital
equipment. It would also help those universities to attract professors
if they have that equipment to help them impart that knowledge to their
students.
This proposed technology program will allow eligible historically
black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and
tribal institutions the opportunity to acquire equipment, networking
capability, hardware and software, digital network technology, and
wireless technology and infrastructure, such as wireless fidelity, or
Wi-Fi, to develop and provide educational services. Additionally, the
funds in this bill could be used to offer students much needed
universal access to campus networks, dramatically increasing their
connectivity rates or make necessary infrastructure improvements.
At the request of some of my colleagues, we recently added provisions
to assure that diversity among these minority serving institutions
includes public and private colleges and universities, both 2-year and
4-year institutions, and public and private postsecondary technical
institutions.
Under Chairman McCain's leadership, and with the ranking member,
Senator Hollings, and colleagues from across the aisle, the Commerce
Committee heard testimony from the presidents of various colleges and
universities representing each of the major national associations--the
Hispanics Association of Colleges and Universities, the American Indian
Higher Education Consortium, National Association for Equal Opportunity
in Higher Education, the United Negro College Fund, and also we heard
specifically from former Congressman Floyd Flake, who is president of
Wilberforce University; and Dr. Marie McDemmond, president of Norfolk
State University; Dr. William DeLauder, president of Delaware State;
Dr. Ricardo Fernandez, president of Herbert Lehman College in New York;
and Dr. Cary Monette, president of Turtle Mountain Community College
testified in support of S. 196.
In testimony before the committee, it was estimated that in 10 years
minorities will comprise nearly 40 percent of all college-age
Americans. One-third of all African Americans with undergraduate
degrees, earned them from an HBCU. According to the Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities, their institutions educate
two-thirds of the 1.6 million Hispanic Americans enrolled in higher
education today.
There are over 200 Hispanic Serving Institutions; over 100
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and 34 tribal colleges
throughout our country.
It is clear that minority-serving institutions in the United States
are providing a valuable service to the educational strength and future
growth of our Nation. And these institutions must upgrade their
technology capabilities for their students.
I am proud to say Virginia is home to 5 HBCUs--Norfolk State
University, St. Paul's College, Virginia Union University, Hampton
University, and Virginia State University.
I will continue to look for ways to improve education, create new
jobs, and seek out new opportunities to benefit the people of my
Commonwealth and indeed our entire Nation. By improving technology-
education programs in minority-serving institutions, we can accomplish
all three of these goals for students throughout our Nation.
S. 196 is also supported by the technology industry--The Information
Technology Association of America; Computer Associates International;
Oracle; Gateway Computers; BearingPoint Technologies; and Motorola all
support this measure.
We all recognize the technology requirements on the 21st century
workforce call for tangible action, not rhetoric. Our future economic
and national security needs depend on and demand that all of our eager
young students have the highly technical skills needed to compete and
succeed in the workforce.
We must tap the underutilized talent of our minority serving
institutions to ensure that America's workforce is prepared to lead the
world.
I thank my colleagues for joining me today. I thank the chairman of
our committee, Senator McCain, and other sponsors of this measure,
including Senators Stevens, Hollings, Miller, Warner, DeWine, Santorum,
Talent, Cochran, Grassley, Hutchison, Sessions, Graham of South
Carolina, the occupant of the chair, Fitzgerald, Lott, Domenici,
Campbell, Kerry, Bingaman, Daschle, Murkowski, and Johnson.
I also thank our former colleague, Max Cleland, for his work last
year on a measure that is similar to what we will soon be voting on. I
thank Floyd DesChamps of the Commerce Committee staff, who has done a
great job, and my staff, Frank Cavaliere.
Indeed, this legislation is a significant, constructive, and positive
action to ensure that many more of our college students are provided
access to better technology and education; and most importantly, even
greater opportunities in life. And, with the passage of this bill, we
will close the opportunity gap. We will leave no college student
behind.
I yield the floor.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wish to applaud my distinguished
colleague, Senator Allen, for his leadership. We are privileged in
Virginia, primarily in the northern area, and then to an extent in the
Tidewater and Richmond areas, to have a very heavy concentration of
technology firms.
Under the leadership of Senator Allen and other Senate colleagues we
are addressing the needs of the technology improvements at historically
black colleges and universities. Sixty percent of all jobs require
information technology skills, and jobs in information technology can
pay significantly higher salaries than jobs in other fields.
At the same time, many of our historically black colleges and
universities often lack the resources and the capital to offer an
educational program and assistance to their students to bridge the
digital divide that exists in many places in America.
The bill will establish a grant program for these institutions of
higher learning to bring increased access to computer technology and
the Internet to their student populations.
In Virginia, there are five historically black colleges and
universities that will be given an opportunity for grants and/or
matching funds to achieve this most noble goal of bridging the digital
divide.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arizona.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I begin by congratulating Senator Allen
for his very important work on this legislation. Senator Allen has long
been an advocate of equal opportunity, but he has also displayed a
great deal of expertise and knowledge on a number of
[[Page S5506]]
high-tech issues. As a member of the Commerce Committee, he has
continuously displayed that leadership and worked actively,
particularly on telecommunications and high-tech issues. So I commend
him for his leadership and his commitment to this important
legislation. He had a lot of help, but the fact is that Senator Allen
was the leader in this legislation, and I thank him for his outstanding
work. This legislation could provide an opportunity for those who would
never have an opportunity in America to grow and to prosper and to take
advantage of incredible opportunities that this legislation provides.
The Digital and Wireless Network Technology Act of 2003 would
establish a $250 million per year program within the National Science
Foundation for fiscal years 2004 to 2008. The purpose of the grant
program is to help strengthen the ability of minority-serving
institutions, which includes Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and tribal colleges and
universities, to provide educational instructions through digital and
wireless network technologies.
As we look at the scenes of the war in Iraq, we are amazed at the
technological capabilities of our Armed Forces. They are able to do
things that we simply were not available to do just a few years ago.
Nevertheless, this superiority must be supplied with a constant supply
of new technologies, which are the result of the Nation's investment in
a research and development infrastructure.
During these times of economic slowdown and global threat, it is
imperative that our Nation's institutions of higher education are
prepared to produce a technologically advanced workforce. As the
demographics of the Nation become more and more diverse, minority
institutions of higher education take on an even greater importance. It
is estimated that in 10 years, minorities will comprise 40 percent of
the college-age Americans, the pool from which the Nation's future
engineers and scientist will emerge.
Rita Colwell, Director of the National Science Foundation, stated in
a letter earlier this year to new members of Congress that, ``. . .
American science and technology is failing to tap a vast pool of talent
among our women and ethnic minorities.'' In an effort to enable the
Nation to tap this underutilized pool of future engineers and
scientists, it is essentially to provide assistance to minority
institutions. The hundreds of MSI's should be provided with the
resources to ensure that we are indeed utilizing their large student
populations.
The legislation before us is not the result of any special interest
groups or highly financed lobbying efforts. It is based upon data
provided by 80 of the 118 HBCUs in a study entitled, ``HBCU Technology
Assessment Study,'' funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce and
conducted by a national black college association and a minority
business.
The study assessed the computing resources, networking, and
connectivity of HBCUs and other institutions that provide educational
services to predominately African-American populations.
The study concluded that [During this era of continuous innovation
and change, continual upgrading of networking and connectivity systems
is critical if HBCUs are to continue to cross the digital divide and
not fall victim to it. Failure to do this may result in what is a
manageable digital divide today, evolving into an unmanageable digital
gulf tomorrow. Based upon testimony provided during the February
hearing held by the Commerce Committee, we concluded that the findings
from the study also would apply to Hispanic-serving institutions, and
tribal colleges and universities.
This legislation builds upon the work begun by Senator Cleland and
many others during the last Congress. In testimony before the Commerce
Committee last year, the President of the United Negro College Fund,
Congressman William Gray, stated that we can ill afford to promote
college graduates who enter the workforce without mastering the basic
computer skills and understanding how information technology applies to
their work or profession.
This point was further illuminated by the Dr. Marie McDemmond,
President of Norfolk State University, when she testified at the
Commerce Committee's February hearing that over 175,000 foreign
nationals have come to our country in efforts to fill quality, high
paying jobs in science and technology, mainly because our own workforce
does not possess the skills and training necessary to fill these
essential jobs.
At the same hearing, other college presidents from the Nation's
HBCU's Hispanic-serving institutions and Native-American schools also
testified about the daunting task of building their technology
infrastructure. While these problems apply to all of our Nation's
universities, they are more severe at many of our minority-serving
institutions. Within the State of Arizona, for example, many of the
tribal colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions are
facing daily technical challenges of the new millennium. They struggle,
as do many other institutions, to keep up with an ever-changing
networking technology environment.
I again thank Senator Allen for his leadership on this important
issue. I think he had it right when he said this bill is about closing
an economic opportunity divide. In this case, it is a divide that
exists primarily because of the difference in the educational base of
our citizens which affects economic opportunities.
I especially thank Senator Allen for including the Hispanic and
tribal institutions in this legislation. I remind my friend from
Virginia that in my State of Arizona, one of the poorest areas of our
Nation exists in northern Arizona on the Navajo Reservation, the
largest Indian reservation by far in America. These Native Americans
have been left behind, as well as have African Americans and Hispanics.
I thank the Senator for including especially our Native Americans but
also our Hispanic populations and institutions in this legislation.
Again, I congratulate him for his commitment in this time of economic
difficulties and perhaps less opportunities, and because of that, he is
making, I believe, a significant step forward.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I would like to thank Senator Allen for
bringing this legislation, S. 196, to the floor today. As many of you
know, this bill had its genesis with our former colleague, Senator Max
Cleland.
Senator Cleland knew that access to the Internet is no longer a
luxury, but a necessity, and he wanted to make sure that all of our
institutions of higher learning could provide their students with
access to the most current technologies. That is why he introduced this
legislation last Congress and I am glad that Senator Allen and I can
bring Senator Cleland's vision to fruition today.
After all, according to a 2000 study, African Americans, Hispanics,
and Native Americans constitute one-quarter of the total U.S. workforce
and 30 percent of the college-age population. Yet, members of these
minorities comprise only 7 percent of the U.S. computer and information
science labor force; 6 percent of the engineering workforce; and less
than 2 percent of the computer science faculty. These statistics are
all the more important because 60 percent of all jobs require
information technology skills. Furthermore, jobs in information
technology pay significantly higher salaries than jobs in
noninformation technology fields.
So you can see, technology is rapidly advancing and we are
increasingly growing dependent on it. Being digitally connected is
becoming ever more critical to economic and educational advancement.
Now that a multitude of Americans regularly use the Internet to conduct
daily activities, people who lack access to these tools are at an
increasing disadvantage. Consequently, it is crucial that all
institutions of higher education provide their students with access to
the most current information technology.
Unfortunately, however, due to economic constraints, many minority-
serving institutions are unable to provide adequate access to the
Internet and other information technology tools and applications.
According to a 2000 study completed by the Department of Commerce and
the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education,
while 98 percent of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
HBCUs, have a campus network, half of
[[Page S5507]]
those surveyed did not have computers available in the location most
accessible to students, their dormitories. Additionally, most HBCUs do
not have high-speed connectivity to the Internet, and only 3 percent of
these colleges and university indicated that financial aid was
available to help their students close the computer ownership gap.
While minority-serving institutions are making progress in upgrading
their network capacity, progress is not quick enough. In his testimony
before the Commerce Committee on February 13, 2003, Dr. Ricardo
Fernandez, president of Herbert H. Lehman College in New York City
explained the challenge these institutions face:
At my own institution . . . we are struggling to provide
network access to students and faculty. Providing fiber and
copper cabling, switches, and routers to every building and
classroom is simply very expensive for us and cost
prohibitive. . . . At the pace that we are moving, the
technology we are installing may well be obsolete before the
project is finished.
S. 196, the Digital and Wireless Technology Program Act of 2003,
seeks to help institutions such as Lehman College or the eight eligible
South Carolina colleges and universities by authorizing a program at
the National Science Foundation to bring digital technologies to
minority-serving institutions. These funds could be used for a variety
of activities from campus wiring, to equipment upgrades, and to
technology training. We need to pass this bill now so these colleges
and universities--and their students--don't have to wait until the
technology is obsolete before they get it.
Working with Senator Allen and Senator McCain, we have made several
changes to the bill before we brought it to the floor. At the request
of the HELP Committee, we have clarified that training grants under S.
196 would be used for technology-related training and professional
development. By narrowing the scope of the training, however, we do not
think we would narrow the scope of the bill. Infrastructure projects
like wiring classrooms or dorms could still be eligible for funding
under this bill if they fit into an overall program to strengthen an
institution's technological capacity.
We have also tried to address some concerns about the NSF's peer
review process. I have said it before, peer review is all well and
good--if you are one of the peers. Too often, the institutions that S.
196 is trying to serve are left out of NSF's peer review process. We
hope that NSF, working with the advisory council established under
section 4, will develop a fair and equitable process for reviewing
these grants. To that end, we have added a requirement that any peer
review panel should include members from eligible institutions.
Finally, we have instructed NSF to review the program with an eye
toward insuring that grant recipients have demonstrated the need for
this assistance so that we can address the most trenchant problems
first. In addition, the grants should go to a wide variety of
institutions, large and small, throughout the country.
I thank Senator Allen and Senator McCain for helping us move this
legislation. I thank the staff who worked on this bill, particularly
Allison McMahan, Chan Lieu, and Jean Toal Eisen of my Commerce
Committee staff and Floyd DesChamps of the majority staff. Moreover, I
commend my friend Max Cleland for bringing this issue to the Senate's
attention. I look forward to the passage of S. 196.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Senator from Iowa is yielded such time
as he may consume. Rather, the Senator from Illinois.
Mr. McCAIN. It is all the same.
Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Senator from Nevada, and I assure the Senator
that Iowa and Illinois are not the same, as my colleague said. Iowa
does grow more corn, but we grow more soybeans. I make that clear now.
I support this bill. This bill is introduced by Senator Allen and
cosponsored by many of my colleagues, and I am sure it will pass with
flying colors. It is a great bill that seeks to address the technology
gap that exists at many minority-serving institutions across America. I
commend Senator Allen for his leadership on this bill. I am sure that
it is going to make a difference.
I also take the floor to acknowledge a man who is not here today. His
name is Max Cleland. Max Cleland, during the 107th Congress, introduced
S. 414, the Digital Network Technology Program Act. The bill was a work
product that Senator Cleland put together with Atlanta University
Center, as well as national organizations such as the Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal
colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions.
Senator Cleland pushed for the Commerce Committee to hold a hearing
on the bill which he chaired on February 27, 2002. After that, the
committee reported the bill favorably. The bill was held on the floor
by another Member of the Senate, as Senator Cleland was up for
reelection. It is not uncommon when a Senator is up for reelection that
people in the Senate want to try to hold back passage of legislation so
that it does not create an advantage for them in the campaign. So
Senator Cleland fell victim to that particular strategy. He was not a
vengeful or spiteful man. I am sure he understands it, but this concept
underlying this bill meant a lot to him personally.
I stand here today to make sure, as Senator Allen has mentioned,
Senator McCain mentioned, that Max Cleland's name be part of this
debate. I think it should be much more than just an acknowledgment in
the Congressional Record that Max Cleland worked so hard for this
concept. Max Cleland, former colleague of ours, a Senator from Georgia,
used to have his chair right behind me. Max became one of our favorites
in the Senate over a period of 6 years. We came to know and love Max
Cleland.
This is a man who was a triple amputee, a Vietnam veteran, with a
disability that might have stopped the lives of so many but never
stopped his will and determination. He came out of a veterans hospital
with extensive rehabilitation, dealt with his disability, and became a
leader in so many different areas. He, of course, was the head of the
Veterans' Administration under President Carter, Secretary of State in
the State of Georgia, and then ran successfully for the Senate. He came
here and was one of the hardest working Members.
Those who got up this morning and felt a little tired should stop and
think about what every morning was like for Max Cleland, getting out of
bed and facing the reality of being a triple amputee as a Vietnam
veteran. But he came to his job with joy and determination, identified
causes that made a difference, and dedicated his career to pursuing
them. This bill was one of them.
I am sorry that Max Cleland's name is not included within the bill.
It should be. But I stand here today and say to those who follow these
debates that many times those who have been the precursors and the
early pioneers on ideas may not be in the Senate when the day comes for
their final passage. I have seen that happen time and again in the
history of this body. But I know Max Cleland can take pride, as we all
do, that Senator Allen has picked up this torch and ran with it. He has
taken the original Cleland bill, made improvements to it, changes to
it, and now we have a bill which carried on in Max Cleland's tradition
and I hope will serve this Nation well. I am certain that it will.
I commend Senator Allen and want to pay special recognition to Max
Cleland for initiating conversations which led to this moment.
I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Missouri.
Mr. TALENT. I thank my friend from Virginia for yielding, and I
congratulate him for his great work in getting this bill together. It
is very much needed.
We cannot operate a modern college or university today without being
up to date with information technology. The range of uses and needs for
that kind of technology are almost unlimited. They cover everything
from long distance learning to access to research for students to the
ability to teach your students about information technology. Of course,
most jobs include a requirement that you be up to date in that kind of
technology.
Another important use for universities is helping the communities
around them. I will talk about an example of that in just a few
minutes. Most modern colleges and universities,
[[Page S5508]]
whatever their background, are networking very close to the communities
which they serve. As centers of excellence in information technology
there is a wide variety of ways to make a difference. That is an
important contribution that historically black universities and
minority institutions make.
It is important to understand these institutions are not just
important for the students who attend. That is their primary function,
but they are very important centers of achievement and community
activities in the communities of which they are a part. That is the
reason this bill is so important and why I am pleased to cosponsor it
and pleased to speak for just a few minutes today on its behalf.
Most of the background has been given here and I appreciate very much
the work of the chairman and Senator Allen in supporting this bill and
assembling this information. They had a great hearing.
Let me talk about a couple of historically black colleges in Missouri
that would benefit from this bill. One is Lincoln University in
Jefferson City. Lincoln was founded in 1866 by former officers and
soldiers of the Union Army. It has 2,500 undergraduates, 200 graduate
students. David Henson, the president of Lincoln University, told us
that the passage of the bill would give Lincoln the opportunity to
acquire equipment, networking capability, digital network technology,
wireless technology, and infrastructure to develop and provide
educational services to its students, its faculties, and its staff, and
also give Lincoln students universal access to campus networks around
the country.
Another historically black college is Harris-Stowe State College with
a rich tradition in the St. Louis area. Henry Givens, Jr., the
president of Harris-Stowe State College, said this would enable their
students and faculty to take advantage of a variety of sources, such as
distance learning, online services, and continuing education.
I mentioned before that the colleges are very important parts of the
communities they serve. Harris-Stowe helps educate young kids from the
community. This kind of a grant would benefit the local public
elementary school. It sends its children ranging from first to fifth
grade to learn at the Southwestern Bell Library and Technology Resource
Center at Harris-Stowe College. Harris-Stowe got a grant to build the
center, but the technology is now very much out of date. This is
another aspect that this bill will help address, and I think it is
important.
Of course, most historically black colleges and minority-serving
institutions have not had a lot of money and do not have access to a
lot of money to build these kinds of information technology centers in
the first place. But even when they can get the money to do that, it is
extremely difficult for them to maintain and upgrade and update that
technology. There is no area where it is more important to be up to
date than the area of information technology. That is the situation
with Harris-Stowe. Their resource center is 5 years old. It is greatly
in need of a technology upgrade. Without Federal legislation of this
type, as a practical matter that is simply not going to be possible on
an ongoing basis.
But with this support it will be possible, not only because of the
Federal dollars we can help provide but also because the Federal
dollars will be leveraged by these institutions with foundations, with
State money, and will be an important way for them to gather resources
from around the community and help serve their students and their
communities with information technology.
I am grateful the Senator from Virginia has taken up this legislation
and pushed it. A lot of what we do here is an attempt to directly fund
or subsidize what some people are doing. It works so much better when
we work through institutions that already have strong records of
performance and strong records of service to constituencies around the
country. That is what this bill does. I am very pleased to support it.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Mississippi.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to rise in
support of what I consider to be very significant legislation, S. 196,
the Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology
Opportunity Act of 2003.
We have a very important opportunity in this country to make sure our
universities and colleges not only do a good job in education in
general, but in particular in addressing the technology gap. We know in
our Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-serving
Institutions and Tribal Colleges, our Native-Hawaiian-serving
Institutions and Alaska-Native-serving Institutions, there is a digital
divide. This legislation would create a new grant program within the
National Science Foundation that provides up to $250 million to help
these colleges and universities.
In my own State of Mississippi I decided a few years ago we were
trying to shoot at too many targets and we were not hitting many of
them. We were missing them or we were not doing enough to make a
difference. So I concluded the best thing to do was try to get a
targeted focus on where we were going to put our efforts and where we
were going to put our money. Those areas have been education,
transportation--which can also be referred to as infrastructure, and
jobs. It is not just about highways and bridges, it is also about ports
and harbors and railroads and aviation, the whole package, as well as
industrial sites where you can have the physical and technological
infrastructure and roads that lead to jobs.
So education, transportation, and jobs are critical all over this
country and in my own State, which has been one that has struggled for
years to have advancement in education and economic opportunity.
I think this legislation is really important in helping to provide
the up-to-date technological education that today's society demands. As
we focus on education, not only at the higher education level where the
Federal Government plays a critical role, but also when you look at
what we need to do in kindergarten, and elementary, and secondary
education--if you are going to have the whole package, you have to make
sure our young people have access to a good education that allows them
to read and write and do basic arithmetic. Furthermore, they must be
able to perform these basic skills at the fifth grade level, at the
eighth grade level, and in high school, but then be able to get into a
community college, some sort of a vocational training program, or our
colleges and universities, and when they get there that they will have
the tools and resources that they need.
It is fair to say I am from the generation that has been struggling
with technology and computers. We are sort of computer illiterates. Yet
we see our children who are able to do astonishing things because they
have had the exposure to the new technology.
We have to make sure that the Nation's focus applies not only to our
major colleges and universities in America that primarily get the
students who make very high scores on the SATs, but we also have to
make sure all students--whether they attend a private university or
college or a State university or our historically Black or other
minority institutions--have access to good education and what is needed
in the technology field. Not just computers, but the whole high-tech
area.
My own State of Mississippi is home to roughly 9 percent of the
Nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I am pleased to
be able to recognize these great eight schools in Mississippi: Alcorn
State University, Coahoma Community College, Hinds Community College--
Utica, Jackson State University, Mary Holmes College, Mississippi
Valley State University, Rust College and Tougaloo College.
I am happy to be a cosponsor of the minority serving institution
Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2003, because it
provides another opportunity to help expand the digital and
telecommunications infrastructure at the Historically Black Colleges
and Universities in Mississippi. I always pay careful attention to
legislation that could be beneficial for higher education institutions
in my state. In fact, earlier this year, I cosponsored an amendment to
the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2003 that authorizes
additional funding for grants to preserve and restore historic
buildings at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
[[Page S5509]]
Additionally, I would like to note an example of my ongoing
commitment to assist Mississippi's Historically Black Colleges and
Universities in bridging the technology gap. In 2001, I worked with
Allstate Insurance in their $17 million donation of a facility to
establish the Mississippi e-Center at Jackson State. The e-Center is an
impressive state-of-the-art complex with advanced computing and network
infrastructure, and information technology faculty and support staff.
Through the e-Center, Jackson State is able to fulfill its educational
mission and leverage its unique strengths in the areas of remote
sensing, engineering, and science and technology. I am also pleased to
report that Jackson State is the only Historically Black College or
University in the Nation with three supercomputers. We are making
strides in Mississippi to provide all our students with access to
information technology, but the Nation still has much progress to make
when it comes to providing these opportunities to our minority serving
institutions of higher learning and all Americans.
It is clear that while our minority serving institutions of higher
learning stand ready to drive from the ``on ramp'' onto the Information
Superhighway, they still lag far behind other universities in America
when adjusting to the new technological innovations and changes on the
forefront, such as third generation technology. I urge the passage of
this legislation today so that we can hand some of America's best
institutions of higher learning the technology keys they need to
compete with their peers.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Murkowski.) Who yields time?
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, we were supposed to vote on this measure
at noon. There is a question of whether or not we will be voting at
noon. There is a Holocaust Memorial Service at noon. At this moment,
until we determine how we are going to correlate all of that, I suggest
the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I rise today in support of S. 196, the
Digital and Wireless Technology Program Act, which will provide $250
million annually for the next 5 years to address the technology needs
of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as colleges
and universities that serve substantial numbers of Hispanic and Native
American students. The ``digital divide'' has been the subject of much
discussion in both the public and private sectors, and this bipartisan
bill, introduced by Senators Allen and Hollings, will help to bridge
that divide.
Internet access is an increasingly critical part of the educational
process. The Internet provides a critical research tool, especially for
students at institutions that cannot afford to offer world-class
libraries and other facilities. Indeed, internet access can be a great
democratizing force if we can make it universal.
Although almost all Historically Black Colleges and Universities have
a campus network in place, only about half have computers available to
students in their dormitories, and only 3 percent offer financial aid
to students looking to buy a computer. In addition, a majority of these
schools do not use high-speed connections, even when those connections
are available in their areas. Additional funding for these colleges
should make a difference.
The schools struggling most mightily are those that serve Native
American students. Nearly 85 percent of students at tribal colleges
live at or below the poverty level, so few if any students can afford
their own computers. But at Dull Knife Memorial College in Montana, 240
students must share two computers with internet access. Fewer than half
of the 32 tribal colleges have access to a T-1 line. There are some
success stories, however, and with additional Federal assistance we can
create more.
While I am concerned about the lack of internet access among minority
students, I do hope that these colleges and universities will work
closely with their local communities in siting wireless facilities. The
1996 Telecommunications Act regrettably cut out local communities in
deciding where new towers for wireless devices are located. The new
grant program created by this bill should not be used to exacerbate
this problem.
This issue is not new to the Senate. Senator Cleland introduced very
similar legislation in the last Congress, and his bill was reported by
the Commerce committee. Regrettably, it was held up by the Republican
leadership in the Senate, presumably in order to deny Senator Cleland
any victory as he sought re-election. Given the dire state of many of
the schools this bill seeks to help, it is quite frustrating that
Senator Cleland's bill fell victim to political machinations. It is
doubly unfortunate that suggestions to name this program after Senator
Cleland were rebuffed by the Republican side. It would have been a
fitting tribute to the Senator who brought this and many other issues
to the Senate's attention.
Despite my disappointment about that issue, however, I still believe
that this is a good bill that deserves every Senator's support. It will
help institutions around our Nation provide the education that their
students need and deserve.
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that all time be
yielded back on S. 196. I believe all Senators--and I thank those who
have spoken in favor of this legislation: Senators McCain, Talent,
Durbin, and Lott, as well as myself--who wanted to speak on the
legislation have.
Madam President, I yield back all time on S. 196. I also ask
unanimous consent that the vote occur on passage at 1:30 p.m. today.
Mr. REID. Madam President, reserving the right to object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
Mr. REID. Madam President, it is my understanding the distinguished
Senator from Virginia has spoken with the majority leader, and the
majority leader is going to let this vote go for some time. It is my
understanding there are people on both sides who are doing other
things--early and late--and this vote may have to be dragged for some
time.
Is that right?
Mr. ALLEN. I say to the Senator from Nevada, that is correct. Due to
the Holocaust Memorial and a variety of other things that have arisen
at noon, the vote will be at 1:30. But it will be held open. It will
not be a 15-minute vote. The vote will undoubtedly stay open for at
least a half an hour. And at 2 o'clock there is the top-secret briefing
with those officials from Defense.
Mr. REID. Madam President, further reserving the right to object, as
I indicated early today, I certainly think we should be in recess
during the Wolfowitz briefing, but there is a ranking member's meeting,
for example, that does not end until 2 o'clock. So I ask that there be
some consideration given to extending the vote for 5 or 10 minutes past
2 o'clock.
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, I think that would be the intention. It
is not just a Republican or Democrat scheduling conflict, and it will
not be a 15-minute vote as such. It will be held open until all Members
who are going to be here have an opportunity to vote on this measure.
Mr. REID. Madam President, I am wondering if my friend would also
allow me to modify the unanimous consent request, that following the
closure of the vote the Senate stand in recess until 3 o'clock.
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, I say to the Senator from Nevada, that is
under consideration. I do not have the authority to make that decision.
I suspect there will not be many people here. There are a variety of
things people need to do. And I certainly want to listen to Secretary
Wolfowitz, but at this point I do not have the authority to make that
decision. All I can say is, being patron of this measure, I want to
make sure everyone is allowed to vote on it, and the vote will be held
open.
Mr. REID. I have no objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays on final
passage.
[[Page S5510]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
____________________