[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H9065-H9068]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ESTABLISHING INTERAGENCY AEROSPACE REVITALIZATION TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP 
A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR AEROSPACE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND 
                              CULTIVATION

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 758) to establish an interagency aerospace revitalization 
task force to develop a national strategy for aerospace workforce 
recruitment, training, and cultivation.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 758

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The aerospace industry generates nearly 15 percent of 
     the gross domestic product of

[[Page H9066]]

     the United States, supports approximately 11,000,000 jobs in 
     the United States, and leads the United States economy in net 
     exports.
       (2) The aerospace industry contributes directly to the 
     economic and national security of the United States through 
     military, space, air transport, and information technology 
     applications.
       (3) A skilled and educated workforce represents the most 
     valuable asset of the United States economy.
       (4) In 2004, total employment in the aerospace industry 
     fell to its lowest point in 50 years.
       (5) 27 percent of the aerospace manufacturing workforce 
     will become eligible for retirement by 2008.
       (6) Students in the United States rank near the bottom of 
     the leading industrialized countries of the world in 
     mathematics and science test performance.
       (7) To ensure the stability of high-skilled jobs and the 
     global competitiveness of the domestic aerospace industry, 
     the United States requires coordinated Federal Government 
     policies to sustain and expand the science, mathematics, 
     engineering, and manufacturing workforce.

     SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY AEROSPACE REVITALIZATION TASK FORCE.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be 
     known as the ``Interagency Aerospace Revitalization Task 
     Force'' (in this section referred to as the ``Task Force'').
       (b) Duties.--The Task Force shall develop a strategy for 
     the Federal Government for aerospace workforce development, 
     including strategies for--
       (1) maximizing cooperation among departments and agencies 
     of the Federal Government and the use of resources of the 
     Federal Government in fulfilling demand for a skilled 
     workforce across all vocational classifications;
       (2) developing integrated Federal Government policies to 
     promote and monitor public and private sector programs for 
     science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and skilled 
     trades education and training; and
       (3) establishing partnerships with industry, organized 
     labor, academia, and State and local governments to--
       (A) collect and disseminate information on occupational 
     requirements and projected employment openings; and
       (B) coordinate appropriate agency resources, including 
     grants, loans, and scholarships, for the advancement of 
     workforce education, training, and certification programs.
       (c) Membership.--
       (1) Number and appointment.--The Task Force shall be 
     composed of 11 members who shall be appointed as follows:
       (A) One member shall be the Assistant Secretary of Labor 
     for Employment and Training.
       (B) One member shall be a representative of the Department 
     of Commerce and shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
     Commerce.
       (C) One member shall be a representative of the Department 
     of Defense and shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
     Defense.
       (D) One member shall be a representative of the Department 
     of Homeland Security and shall be appointed by the Secretary 
     of Homeland Security.
       (E) One member shall be a representative of the Department 
     of Education and shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
     Education.
       (F) One member shall be a representative of the Department 
     of Transportation and shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
     Transportation.
       (G) One member shall be a representative of the Department 
     of Energy and shall be appointed by the Secretary of Energy.
       (H) One member shall be a representative of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and shall be 
     appointed by the Administrator of NASA.
       (I) One member shall be a representative of the National 
     Science Foundation (NSF) and shall be appointed by the 
     Director of the NSF.
       (J) Two members shall be appointed by the President.
       (2) Chairperson.--The Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
     Employment and Training shall serve as the chairperson of the 
     Task Force.
       (3) Deadline for appointment.--Each member shall be 
     appointed to the Task Force not later than 90 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Task Force shall be filled 
     in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
       (5) Prohibition of compensation.--Members of the Task Force 
     may not receive pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of 
     their service on the Task Force.
       (d) Meetings.--
       (1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at the call of 
     the Chairperson.
       (2) Frequency.--The Task Force shall meet not less than two 
     times each year.
       (3) Quorum.--6 members of the Task Force shall constitute a 
     quorum.
       (e) Annual Reports.--Not later than one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 
     four years, the Task Force shall submit to Congress, and make 
     available to the public, a report detailing the activities of 
     the Task Force and containing the findings, strategies, 
     recommendations, policies, and initiatives developed pursuant 
     to the duties of the Task Force under subsection (b).
       (f) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the 
     date of the submission of the final report under subsection 
     (e).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).


                             General Leave

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 758.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today we are considering a bill that 
addresses the needs of the United States aerospace workforce.
  The Aerospace Revitalization Act establishes a task force designed to 
develop a national strategy for aerospace workforce recruitment, 
training, and cultivation. It implements a key recommendation from the 
2002 Bipartisan Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace 
Industry Report to the President to counter what it termed ``the 
Nation's apathy toward developing a scientifically and technologically 
trained workforce.''

                              {time}  1530

  This bill creates an interagency task force to examine ways to 
partner within and beyond the Federal Government to strengthen our 
aerospace workforce. Led by the Department of Labor, membership on the 
task force spans nine agencies that participate in the development and 
deployment of the present and future aerospace workforce.
  The goal is to develop a comprehensive strategy to increase the 
number of students and workers who choose science, engineering and 
other aerospace-related careers. To that end, the task force will also 
establish partnerships with industry, organized labor, academia and 
State governments to coordinate aerospace career education and training 
programs.
  Each of the aerospace industry's three core segments, national 
defense, civil aviation and space systems, makes a unique contribution 
to sustaining the Nation's global political and technological 
leadership. The aerospace industry generates nearly 15 percent of the 
gross domestic product of the United States, supports approximately 11 
million jobs in the United States, and leads the United States economy 
in net exports. Furthermore, aerospace contributes directly to the 
economic and national security of our country through military, space, 
air transport, and information technology applications.
  If that is true, why do we need this bill? For a very simple reason. 
A large number of employees in the aerospace industry started shortly 
after the Apollo project of the 1960s. Many of them are now reaching 
retirement age, and that creates a huge problem because we do not have 
a workforce available to fill the vacuum created when these individuals 
leave.
  In 2004, total employment in the aerospace industry fell to its 
lowest point in 50 years, and almost 30 percent of the aerospace 
manufacturing workforce will become eligible for retirement by 2008. 
Employers within the aerospace industry are concerned that U.S. 
students, who currently perform near the bottom of the leading 
industrialized countries of the world in math and science tests, lack 
the necessary training and skills to fulfill the anticipated workforce 
needs of the industry. Clearly, our country needs a national strategy 
for aerospace workforce recruitment, training and cultivation so that 
we will have a sufficient workforce, a trained workforce, to carry this 
program forward and sustain this important part of our economy in the 
years ahead.
  At a time when we are expanding the boundaries of scientific 
discovery through space exploration and depend on a strong national 
defense to keep our citizens safe, the calculated coordination and 
training of our aerospace workforce is a critical need. I am grateful 
to all my colleagues for considering this bill, and I encourage them to 
support its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H9067]]

  I rise in support of H.R. 758, legislation that will establish an 
interagency aerospace revitalization task force in order to develop a 
national strategy for workforce development in a field that is vital to 
our national security.
  I would like to commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), my 
colleague from the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and all of 
the bill's cosponsors for bringing this forward.
  The aerospace industry is just one of the scientific and technical 
fields where our Nation is falling behind, and it is a critical one. 
The aerospace industry is at the heart of our military, space, air 
transport and information technology applications.
  In the year 2004, total employment at the aerospace industry fell to 
its lowest point in 50 years. Twenty-seven percent of the aerospace 
manufacturing workforce will become eligible for retirement by 2008.
  The sad fact is that we have neglected the pipeline that would 
prepare new workers for this industry. On international assessments, 
our students rank near the bottom of industrialized nations for math 
and science literacy.
  This task force is a good beginning; however, we need to do much 
more. It has been my privilege to work with the gentleman from Michigan 
to push for increased funding for math and science education. We must 
invest in these areas on a much larger scale if our Nation hopes to 
retain its global leadership in science, engineering and innovation.
  It is my hope that this task force on the aerospace industry will 
spark a much broader discussion about our Nation's future in the fields 
of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and will launch a 
groundswell of support for greater investment in that future.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 758.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
758. This legislation establishes an interagency aerospace 
revitalization task force to develop a national strategy for aerospace 
workforce recruitment, training and cultivation.
  As the aerospace industry supports over 11 million American jobs and 
generates 15 percent of our gross domestic product, the strength and 
vitality of this sector of our economy is absolutely vital. 
Unfortunately, like many other labor-intensive manufacturing 
industries, the aerospace industry is experiencing increased 
competition from other countries. In fact, the aerospace industry in 
our country employs fewer people today than it did 50 years ago. If we 
are to remain competitive in this field, we must, and I agree with both 
the gentleman from Michigan and from Texas, we must produce highly 
trained workers that can compete with workers overseas.
  Additionally, this legislation also mandates a coordinated effort to 
improve science and math education in the United States. Providing a 
strong education in math and science is absolutely vital and would not 
only aid the aerospace industry, but also will go a long way to 
ensuring a prosperous future for our country.
  I am proud to support this legislation. I am also proud of the fact 
that Boeing Industries is in my congressional district. I often tell 
the young people who live there that if they want to look to areas 
where there is opportunity, then they really need to get a strong 
background in math and science because much of the future is in this 
area.
  So I support this legislation, just as I support Boeing and its 
employees who live and work in my congressional district.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I wish to thank the gentleman from Texas for his very fine statement 
and his encouragement on this issue. As we know, Texas is the center of 
a very important component of the aerospace industry, our space effort, 
and they have done very well in that.
  I also appreciate the statement of the gentleman from Illinois who 
represents the leading aviation and aerospace company in the United 
States. That reflects very accurately what we are dealing with in the 
future if we simply do not produce the workforce that is required to 
maintain our lead in aerospace issues.
  I have no further speakers at this time, but I do want to mention 
that several Members from California wish to speak on this bill. 
Unfortunately, they are currently en route here inside products of the 
aerospace industry, and I am sure they will submit statements for the 
Record later on.
  I wish to thank the minority side for their support of this bill and 
thank my colleagues for their support. I urge everyone to continue 
their support, and I hope this bill will pass unanimously.
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my good friend and 
colleague Vern Ehlers in support of H.R. 758, the Aerospace 
Revitalization Act and I urge my colleagues to give it their strong 
support.
  I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill which will help restore U.S. 
leadership in a field we cannot afford to neglect.
  While business in both the aerospace and defense industries seems to 
be picking up with increased orders and shipments in recent months, 
this development will not be sufficient to reverse what is a real 
crisis in the aerospace workforce.
  Over the last 15 years, the aerospace industry has lost hundreds of 
thousands of jobs, many of them in my home state of California.
  Many of these losses are cyclical and linked to the ebb and flow of 
defense spending.
  Many of them, however, are due to self-inflicted injuries such as a 
lack of clear federal policy and direction and badly outdated export 
control systems that make no distinction between cutting-edge and 
readily available technology.
  Our bill implements a central recommendation of the bipartisan 
Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry by 
creating an interagency taskforce to better coordinate aerospace 
workforce development efforts across the federal government with those 
of the private sector.
  The bill focuses the federal government's efforts and fosters new 
solutions with the private sector to help workers obtain the skills and 
expertise necessary to replace what is today a shrinking and aging 
workforce.
  A scientifically-literate and competitive workforce is produced over 
a lifetime and must evolve with demand.
  Our bill would help improve training in the areas of science, 
engineering, technology, and skilled vocational trades to ensure 
competitive U.S. works for the foreseeable future.
  While the challenges facing the aerospace industry will require a 
range of solutions, our bill is an important means of reclaiming our 
competitive edge.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I want to add my voice of support for this 
very important legislation, The Aerospace Revitalization Act, which I 
have cosponsored. I want to offer a tribute to Congressman Vernon 
Ehlers, a colleague from the Science Committee and Congresswoman Ellen 
Tauscher, a colleague from my home state of California, for their 
insight in sponsoring this legislation. I also want to thank Chairman 
John Boehner and Ranking Democrat George Miller for their insight in 
moving this bill out of their Committee.
  This legislation evolved from recommendations of the 2002 bipartisan 
Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry 
report, which was chaired by the Honorable Robert Walker, a former 
member of this body and a former chairman of the Science Committee. In 
this report, a recommendation proposed that the federal government 
needed to respond to what the Report termed, ``the nation's apathy 
toward developing a scientifically and technologically trained 
workforce.''
  This bill does just that. H.R. 758 establishes a taskforce to be 
coordinated by the Secretary of the Department of Labor and spanning 
eight other federal agencies. This taskforce includes NASA, the 
National Science Foundation, and the Departments of Defense, Energy, 
Education, Commerce, Transportation, and Homeland Security. This 
taskforce will examine the competitive challenges to the aerospace 
industry's three core business units--civil aviation, military 
contracting, and space transportation. It will then blend the resources 
of the federal government to identify new aerospace workforce training 
and recruitment opportunities through scholarship, grant and loan 
programs. The taskforce will also set up alliances with the private 
sector and state governments to tie business, state governments, and 
the federal government together with the common goal of providing the 
technical skills needed to keep America competitive.
  As the Chairman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, I 
sponsored the NASA Authorization, which passed this House in July. 
Because of our Committee's like concerns about our nation's 
competitiveness globally, in my bill, we direct the Administrator of

[[Page H9068]]

NASA to develop a Human Capital strategy to address our concerns about 
not only the size of the workforce, but the technical skill mix of this 
workforce. We all recognize the necessity to keep the United States 
competitively at the forefront. Our largest export is from the high 
tech aerospace industry. Our global standing is at risk if we do not 
keep our aerospace workforce second to none!
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
758, the Interagency Aerospace Revitalization Task Force. The situation 
facing the aerospace sector is a serious one. For example, the average 
age of an aerospace engineer is fifty-four, and twenty-seven percent of 
the aerospace engineers will retire by 2008. These are startling 
statistics.
  Moreover, many recent reports have specifically pointed to the 
decline in the number of science, technology, engineering and math 
degrees being produced in the U.S. Each report presents a worrisome 
outlook for our economic health, national security, and quality of 
life. With a growing chorus of experts drawing our attention to this 
problem, we can't ignore the reality that the U.S. is losing its 
cutting edge. We need a national effort throughout our educational 
system to attract students at a young age and provide support through 
the graduate level.
  The aerospace industry has an impact on both the public and private 
sectors. Aerospace generates nearly 15 percent of the U.S. gross 
domestic product, and plays a large role in reducing our trade deficit. 
It is vital to our national defense. It has improved the quality of 
life for our citizens, and it has opened up new opportunities. Yet, as 
countless studies have pointed out, we cannot assume that the aerospace 
sector will remain healthy without a coordinated governmental approach.
  I support H.R. 758 because developing a strong education base is 
vital to our aerospace industry. However, it is not a panacea. We must 
also look to reinvigorate our investment in aerospace research and 
development. If we continue to cut funding in these areas we will 
continue to lose expertise and experience in our current workforce, as 
well as our ability to compete globally. It is for this reason that I 
introduced the Aeronautics Research and Development Revitalization Act 
(H.R. 2358). This bill passed the House of Representatives as part of 
the NASA Authorization bill, H.R. 3070. The bill establishes an 
aeronautics research and development policy at NASA that will expand 
capacity, ensure safety, and increase the efficiency of the nation's 
air transportation system.
  Education is a key component of strengthening the aerospace industry, 
but unless we also invest in R&D the number of aerospace jobs available 
will inevitably decline. I am hopeful that this taskforce will 
recognize the true value of these investments and will suggest a 
strategy that provides both short term and long term support for 
aerospace in this country.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 758.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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