Congressional Record, Volume 153 Issue 71 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)

[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4302-H4306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1868, TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND
MANUFACTURING STIMULATION ACT OF 2007

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 350 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

H. Res. 350

Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 1868) to authorize appropriations for the
National Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal
years 2008, 2009, and 2010, and for other purposes. The first
reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of
order against consideration of the bill are waived except
those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. General
debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one
hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Science and
Technology. After general debate the bill shall be considered
for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in
order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of
amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on
Science and Technology now printed in the bill. The committee
amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered
as read. All points of order against the committee amendment
in the nature of a substitute are waived except those arising
under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. Notwithstanding clause 11
of rule XVIII, no amendment to the committee amendment in the
nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed
in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this
resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only in the
order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member
designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall
be debatable for the time specified in the report equally
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent,
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject
to a demand for division of the question in the House or in
the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against such
amendments are waived except those arising under clause 9 or
10 of rule XXI. At the conclusion of consideration of the
bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the
bill to the House with such amendments as may have been
adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House
on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the
bill or to the committee amendment in the nature of a
substitute. The previous question shall be considered as
ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage
without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with
or without instructions.
Sec. 2. During consideration in the House of H.R. 1868
pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation of
the previous question, the Chair may postpone further
consideration of the bill to such time as may be designated
by the Speaker.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton) is
recognized for 1 hour.
Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All
time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.
I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I also ask unanimous
consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise
and extend their remarks on House Resolution 350.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Ohio?
There was no objection.

[[Page H4303]]

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 350 provides for
consideration of H.R. 1868, the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing
Stimulation Act of 2007, under a structured rule.
The rule provides 1 hour of general debate to be controlled by the
chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Science
and Technology.
The rule makes in order five amendments printed in the Rules
Committee report, each with 10 minutes of debate. The rule also
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
Mr. Speaker, I speak today in support of House Resolution 350 and
H.R. 1868, the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act
of 2007, a bill which provides essential funding to the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for the next 3 fiscal years.
The United States Commerce Department's National Institute of
Standards and Technology strives to promote U.S. innovation and
industrial competitiveness through the advancement of measurement
science, standards and technology. Through numerous individual
laboratories, the NIST makes important scientific contributions to
numerous scientific fields, from building and fire research to computer
security to biotechnology.
This bill will enhance the important mission, putting the NIST on a
path to double its budget by the year 2017. With this additional
funding, the NIST will continue to make important contributions to
public safety, industrial competitiveness and economic growth.
This bill also allocates funding for the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, also known as MEP. These MEP programs leverage Federal,
State, local and private investments to stimulate new manufacturing
processes and technologies. These new processes and technologies are a
key component for ensuring that American manufacturers have the tools
to compete effectively and efficiently against overseas manufacturers.
The MEP program has proven remarkably effective in my home State of
Ohio, where small and midsize manufacturers face limited budgets, in-
house expertise and access to the newest technologies. MEP assistance
providing training, expertise and services tailored to the critical
needs of Ohio's small and midsize manufacturers have made a big
difference. Through this assistance, manufacturers in Ohio have
increased productivity, achieved higher profits and remained
competitive by providing the latest and most efficient technologies,
processes and business practices.
In 2006, as a direct result of MEP assistance, my State enjoyed over
$150 million of new investment and over $500 million in increased or
retained sales. Companies in Ohio participating in the MEP reported
cost savings of over $100 million. Through the continued funding of
this vital program, we can bring these vast benefits to even more small
manufacturers across the country.
Finally, and very importantly, this bill allocates funding for the
new Technology Innovation Program, which funds high-risk, high-reward,
precompetitive technology development by small and medium-sized
companies. The goal of this program is to accelerate the development of
technologies that will have a broad economic impact on our technology
market.
Harvard Professor Daniel Bell once said that ``Technology, like art,
is a soaring exercise of human imagination.'' It is through the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership and the Technology Innovation Program that
technology is given the wind that it needs to soar. Even more
importantly, through this bill, small and midsize manufacturers will be
given the support they need to compete with larger competitors in
overseas businesses.
This bill will not only provide assistance to American companies,
like the 1,773 companies in Ohio that were helped by the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership, but it will also create a stronger and more
vibrant American technology industry. This is a good bill, and it
deserves our support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
promoting technological innovation, bolstering the strength of our
manufacturing industry and contributing to the overall global
competitiveness of American business. However, I simply cannot support
the closed rule process brought forward today by the Democrat majority
that prevents all but one Republican amendment from being considered by
the House.
This rule represents a substantial break with recent precedent
because the last time that a comprehensive reauthorization of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology was brought to the Rules
Committee, the Republican majority provided the House with a completely
open rule for its consideration. I know this, Mr. Speaker, because I
had the privilege of managing that rule for our majority, and the
Democrat minority position was then ably handled by the current
chairman of the Rules Committee, my good friend Chairman Louise
Slaughter.
Unfortunately, Chairwoman Slaughter seems to have forgotten the
merits of providing the House with an open rules process because today
the committee that she chairs has provided the House with a closed
process, through a restrictive rule, not an open rule, even using the
more lenient definition of an open rule currently being employed by the
Democrat majority, which under Republican leadership was reserved for
modified open rules.
I include for the Record a copy of this rule, H. Res. 474, which
provided for the consideration of H.R. 2733, the Enterprise Integration
Act of 2002, to remind the majority that NIST reauthorization is, in
fact, possible to do under an open process.

H. Res. 474

Despite my objection to the rule, I do want to support the underlying
legislation which makes a number of positive changes to an institution
with a long history of helping to keep America globally competitive.
Since its inception in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology has worked diligently to achieve its mission of promoting
U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing
measurement, science, standards and technology in ways that enhance
economic security and improve the quality of life.
By focusing on its core mission of stimulating innovation, fostering
industrial competition and competitiveness and improving quality of
life, the NIST has become a valuable component in the ongoing struggle
that the United States faces to remain globally competitive.
This legislation authorizes appropriations for NIST for the next 3
years, most notably doubling the Federal Government's investment in
physical

[[Page H4304]]

science research, as proposed by President Bush's American
Competitiveness Initiative. And this increased investment will yield
real-world benefits across a number of diverse sectors, including
developing performance standards for bullet-proof vests for our
military and law enforcement, chemical and biological protection
equipment for first responders, and measurement standards vital to
leading-edge industries like nanotechnology and next-generation solar
cells that will help America increase its energy independence.
This legislation strengthens oversight by requiring the NIST director
to submit annual programmatic planning documents to Congress, ensuring
that the NIST budget is spent on activities that meet the needs of
American industry, and that the increased funds which the NIST is being
entrusted with are spent wisely.
This legislation also takes steps to ensure the continued viability
of the workhorses of the American economy, small and medium-size
manufacturers.

{time} 1100

By reauthorizing the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program,
Congress will help countless domestic manufacturers to improve their
manufacturing processes, reduce waste and to train workers to use new
equipment.
Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the work of Chairman Bart Gordon and my
good friend, the ranking member of the committee, the gentleman from
Rockwall, Texas, Mr. Ralph Hall, for all of their hard work and
bipartisan cooperation on this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the Statement of Administration
Policy for this legislation.

Statement of Administration Policy

H.R. 1868--Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of
2007, May 1, 2007

The Administration opposes House passage of H.R. 1868 in
its current form. The bill conflicts with the
administration's Research and Development Criteria by
diverting funds from critical, high-return basic research to
support subsidized management consulting activities and a
Technology Innovation Program (TIP) modeled on the Advanced
Technology Program that was proceeding toward termination
last Congress, as the Administration has proposed for the
past five years. These external commercial support programs
would be authorized at a total of $223 million in Fiscal Year
2008, and would increase by more than 18 percent in FY 2009.
The Administration does not support the level of funding or
the focus and structure of the programs as currently
reflected in the bill. The Administration recognizes that a
Manager's Amendment may be offered that is intended to
improve the bill by refocusing TIP awards on areas of
national need. However, the bill still permits grants to
large corporations, limits the role of universities and
national laboratories, and does not target major societal
challenges.
The Administration continues to believe that investing in
basic research is a higher priority. Last year the President
proposed doubling support for high-payoff physical science
research in the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation, and the
Department of Energy's Office of Science over the coming
decade as part of the American Competitiveness Initiative
(ACI). Compared with the amounts required to double NIST's
core research and facilities funding, H.R. 1868 provides $22
million less in FY 2008 than the President requested and
authorizes less funding than the Administration recommends in
FYs 2009 and 2010. Such investment in NIST's core measurement
and standards capabilities has demonstrated a significant,
and often exceptional, return to the economy. Studies
commissioned by NIST to evaluate the economic impacts of its
core standards activities generally show benefits far greater
than costs--the benefit-cost ratio across 19 of these studies
averaged 44:1, indicative of the great leveraging of NIST's
work in the economy. The research funding increases for NIST
proposed in the ACI have been broadly endorsed by the science
community, most recently in the ``American Innovation
Proc1amation''--a package of targeted recommendations by
America's business and higher education leaders.
The House bill would divert NIST resources from core basic
research activities toward less meritorious industrial
policy. The Administration urges the House to amend the bill
to address these concerns.

But despite my support for the legislation's goals, I encourage my
colleagues to oppose this rule, so that this legislation can be
considered under an open rule process that gives every single Member of
this body with a germane amendment an opportunity to come down to the
floor and to make their case.
Mr. Speaker, the essence of what we are here to do today is to help
America to become more competitive in the global process. By doing
this, what we are saying is that by working with the NIST, it is a
collaboration that the government has on behalf of and in particular
for technology.
Technology is what ultimately will drive America well into this new
century to make sure that we solve problems, problems that have
existed. Maybe they are mathematical problems, perhaps they are
problems of trying to get people to work with new equipment that they
may have. But the technology angle and the ability that the Federal
Government has to take a proactive stand on behalf of American
competitiveness is the essence of this bill.
For a long time, we have spoken on this floor, Member-to-Member and
as a body, about how important it is for America to understand the
global competition that faces America. Today is an opportunity for us
to come together here in this Congress to make sure that we are talking
not only about that which will help America, but to continue something
that we have been doing since 1901, and that is a government program
that works well with the private sector to make sure that America is
poised in its future to be prepared for what lies ahead.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 8 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey.
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, let me just thank my former colleague on
the Committee on Rules, Mr. Pete Sessions, the gentleman from Texas. I
realize as we get busy running from pillar to post around here, that he
was in the process of wrapping up, and it is awfully kind of him to go
kind of out of regular order and give me the opportunity, knowing how
committed I am to this program, to take a few minutes. I appreciate so
much that opportunity.
I do rise to support the underlying rule and the bill, H.R. 1868, the
Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007. I want
to take the opportunity to thank my chairman on the Subcommittee on
Technology and Innovation, David Wu from the great State of Oregon, for
incorporating into this bill the many suggestions and additions from
our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as the
administration. The final legislation is a better product because of
that, and, David Wu, I thank you so much.
Last year, with his American Competitiveness Initiative, President
Bush provided a vision to maintain America's position in the global
marketplace by actually doubling the investment in physical science
research over the next 10 years. H.R. 1868 helps fulfill that mission.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this bill is to authorize appropriations
for fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 for the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, NIST we know it as. It is an agency in the
Department of Commerce and one of the three agencies highlighted by the
President's American Competitiveness Initiative.
NIST has an annual operating budget of about $843 million. It
operates in two locations. The headquarters, of course, are in
Gaithersburg, Maryland, I have had a great visit there with Dr.
Jeffrey, the Director. There is also the facility at the University of
Colorado in Boulder.
NIST employs 2,900 scientists, engineers, technicians and
administrative. These employees all play a critical role in this
research, which enables cutting-edge technologies to make the leap from
basic research into successful commercial products. NIST labs
accomplish this goal by conducting research that supports United States
technology infrastructure by developing tools to measure, evaluate and
standardize processes and products in almost all industrial sectors.
For example, NIST labs develops performance standards for bulletproof
vests, chemical and biological protection equipment guides for first
responders, measurement standards vital to sustaining cutting-edge
industries like nanotechnology, we are doing some great work at my alma
mater, the Georgia Institute of Technology, on nanotechnology, and, of
course, next generation solar cells.
The Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act codifies

[[Page H4305]]

the American Competitiveness Initiative by authorizing 3 years of the
proposed 10-year doubling for NIST laboratories and construction
budget. That indeed is exactly what the administration asked us to do.
That is exactly what Chairman Wu has done and the Science Committee has
done.
H.R. 1868 also strengthens oversight of NIST programs by requiring
the director to submit to Congress annual programmatic planning
documents and requiring NIST's Technical Advisory Board to comment on
those plans. This will ensure that the budget of NIST is spent on
activities that meet the needs of American industry and that Congress
is kept abreast of how NIST plans to use its increased funding.
Manufacturing is so fundamental, Mr. Speaker, to our Nation's
economic vitality. Manufacturing jobs continue to pay more than the
average U.S. salaries and they provide better benefits.
Mr. Speaker, a strong manufacturing base is so critical to U.S.
economic competitiveness. H.R. 1868 supports small and medium-sized
manufacturers by reauthorizing the highly successful Manufacturing
Extension Partnership. I know every Member is enthusiastic about
Manufacturing Extension Partnerships. We refer to them as MEPs. They
are wonderful. They are great programs. They help businesses improve
manufacturing processes, reduce waste, they train workers to use new
equipment.
The MEP program receives one-third of its funding from the Federal
Government, one-third from the States, and, yes, one-third from fees
charged to the participating small businesses, these potential small
business manufacturers. This MEP program has over 350 offices located
in all 50 States and Puerto Rico. In my great State of Georgia, and
again, I mention my alma mater, Georgia Tech, plays a critical role in
successfully coordinating the efforts across the State for these MEP
programs.
H.R. 1868 improves the MEP program by incorporating changes that have
passed the House in both the 108th and 109th Congresses. These changes
include the codification of an MEP advisory board, the establishment of
grant programs to research and identify innovative manufacturing
technologies and the formation of research fellowships.
I know my colleagues and I can all agree that small and medium-sized
manufacturers are the workhorses of our economy. Their future depends
on our ability to foster an innovative environment which will enable
them to continue developing and adopting advanced technologies that
allow them to remain competitive in the ever-increasing global
marketplace.
Our country's current system of collaboration with university and
national lab-based basic research is the best in the world. However,
many experts agree that in the phase between science-based
``inventions'' and commercially viable ``innovation,'' inefficiencies
exist in our capital markets that contribute to the funding gap for
early stage technology development.
Currently, the Advanced Technology Program at NIST provides cost-
shared funding to bridge the technology development gap for research
with potential to deliver widespread economic benefits that would
likely not be developed because private sector capital is unavailable.
H.R. 1868 repeals the Advanced Technology Program, ATP, and
establishes the Technology Innovation Program, TIP, which will award
cost-shared grants to small and medium-sized businesses and joint
ventures including universities to pursue high-risk technologies with
potential significant broad benefits to the Nation.
The new Technology Innovation Program incorporates recommendations
made by the Bush administration to improve and update the former ATP
program to make it more effective in promoting technology transfer that
will benefit our entire Nation.
Mr. Speaker, past ATP funding advanced technologies for the next-
generation auto equipment and techniques including: robotic welding,
ceramic coatings, and reinforced plastics as strong as steel. One
project dramatically improved the fit of a car body's 300 stamped
parts. This advancement may save consumers and automakers up to $650
million in annual maintenance costs.
Mr. Speaker, I again want to underline my whole-hearted support for
the underlying legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, let me just say that what we are doing here today in
regard to the NIST program is so important to our economy. We worry
about jobs. We worry on both sides of the aisle. We talk about that.
Every month we look at the number of jobs that were created. It is a
barometer that is watched so closely by the Members of Congress, both
Republican and Democrat, and by the people back home.
This is really what this is all about, these kinds of programs. We
can fight about a lot of things, but we shouldn't fight about funding
the National Science Foundation and the NIST program and the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership and anything like that, like last
week when we passed those two bills to improve math and science
education in this country.
We have to compete globally. Yes, we are in a shooting war in the
Middle East and we want to give our soldiers an opportunity to win, but
we need to give ourselves an opportunity to win this economic battle of
the global economy, and that is what it is all about.
Mr. Speaker, I want to again underline my whole-hearted support for
the underlying legislation. I urge my colleagues, as I know they will,
to support it.
Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Wu), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology and
Innovation.
Mr. WU. I thank the gentlewoman.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule for consideration of H.R.
1868, the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of
2007. H.R. 1868 is a bill which will bolster innovation and our
manufacturing base and enhance national economic competitiveness.
The bill was ordered reported by a unanimous vote of the Committee on
Science and Technology on April 25, 2007. The bill puts the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, on a 10-year path to
doubling as an investment in our innovation future.
H.R. 1868 is a comprehensive authorization bill for NIST's Scientific
and Technical Research and Services, Industrial Technology Services and
Construction Research Facilities accounts. NIST has not had a
comprehensive authorization bill since 1992.
I want to highlight that H.R. 1868 is a bipartisan product of the
Science and Technology Committee. I worked closely with Ranking Member
Hall and with Dr. Gingrey. I want to thank Dr. Gingrey for coming to
the floor and speaking on behalf of this bill and rule this morning. I
worked closely with Dr. Ehlers in developing this legislation. They
were original cosponsors of the bill.
We adopted several amendments at the subcommittee and full committee
markup, and we have a stronger bill as a result of this bipartisan
effort.
This bill has been endorsed by TechNet, the Alliance For Science &
Technology Research in America, the American Small Manufacturers
Coalition, the American Association of Universities, the National
Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and dozens of
other organizations, companies and individuals.
Mr. Speaker, the Rules Committee has crafted an appropriate rule, and
I would urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying
legislation.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, as you can see by the last two speakers,
the gentleman from Georgia (Dr. Gingrey) and the gentleman from Oregon
(Mr. Wu), they have approached this subject not only in a bipartisan
way, but with a genuine friendship to each other in trying to promote
NIST as well as American competitiveness. I think this flows all the
way to the top, where Chairman Bart Gordon and ranking member Ralph
Hall have worked very diligently on this. I think it is a good thing
when we are able to work in the Congress on behalf of the American
people, in this case for the NIST laboratories.
I would like to talk for just a minute, if I can, about more of what
they do, because I think it is an interesting exercise to go through.
Between 3 and 6 percent of the U.S. gross domestic products is
attributed to measurements and measurement-related operations that rely
on the NIST for accuracy, reliability and for international
recognition. The NIST X-ray standards and proficiency tests ensure
proper radiation exposure levels in

[[Page H4306]]

more than 9,000 facilities that perform more than 30 million mammograms
yearly.
The NIST Internet time services are being used by NASDAQ, a key
component of our wonderful American system of financial integrity, for
NASDAQ members to time stamp hundreds of billions of dollars worth of
stock trades and other financial transactions that are conducted in
business every single day.
The United States, for the last 35 years, has helped the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the FBI. During part of that time my father,
for eight of those years, served as Director of the FBI.

{time} 1115

The NIST helps improve the process of matching fingerprints found at
crime scenes or collected from suspects with those that are on file. In
cooperation with the American National Standards Institute, the NIST
also developed a uniform way for fingerprint identification data to be
exchanged between different jurisdictions and between scanning machines
made by different manufacturers.
The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, the Nation's highest
honor awarded by the President of the United States to U.S.
organizations for their performance excellence in quality achievement,
is managed by the NIST, and the award criteria are used by thousands of
companies, hospitals, and schools to improve their products and
services all across the United States.
The total economic benefit of the NIST Baldridge National Quality
Program, which receives only a small amount of Federal funding, is
estimated at almost $25 billion for a stunning benefit-cost ratio of
207 to 1.
Mr. Speaker, we are talking about something that is a laboratory that
all Americans can be proud of. I came from a research organization
years ago in New Jersey where I had a chance to also work in a lab.
This lab is an asset to America. But, Mr. Speaker, it is part of an
overall comprehensive and complex way that the United States chooses to
do business not only in this country, but also to lead the world.
I found it interesting that just a few weeks ago there was a report
issued by the Financial Times, which is a newspaper that reports on
international monetary circumstances, and it reported that now the 25-
member EU countries have a combined GDP that equals that of the United
States of America, 25 member countries from the EU. But if you read on,
you see that they now have a combined GDP that equals the United States
where we were in 1985.
America truly is the world leader. We are the world leader in
commerce and activities that create better lives for people. The EU is
struggling. They are struggling because of high taxes, rules and
regulations, and a single-payer system in health care, those things
that we here in the United States Congress also debate and talk about.
And because we have a chance to have something like the NIST as well
as a free-enterprise system that is vibrant here in America, because we
shut off the heavy rules and regulations, the heavy taxation, and those
things that would be related to a single-payer system for health care,
we have been able to move America economically in the world
marketplace.
So Republicans today come to the floor in full appreciation and
respect with our colleagues to say we want to continue what this lab
does, but we are also asking for them at the same time to recognize
that growing medium and small business, ensuring that America stays
competitive, and, most importantly, that we are prepared for the future
where our competitors might be is what really this Congress should be
doing.
Today is a small piece, part, a component of that competitiveness
model that will keep America going, and I am proud to be a part of
that.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, it is time we put some teeth behind our
rhetoric about helping our manufacturers and promoting innovation and
industrial competitiveness. While there are many things that must be
done on many different fronts to see real improvements, passing the
Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act today is one
very positive action we can take for manufacturers in Ohio and across
the Nation.
It also tells those involved in measurement science, standards and
technology, and those working to contribute to public safety,
industrial competitiveness and economic growth that we are behind their
efforts.
As I said earlier, when we support the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and
the Technology Innovation Program, we are not only talking the talk, we
are walking the walk. For this reason, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the
previous question and on the rule.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the
previous question on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is
ordered.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question are postponed.

____________________