[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 73 (Friday, May 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007

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                               speech of

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 2, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1867) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 
     2010 for the National Science Foundation, and for other 
     purposes:
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, lately it seems as if science itself has 
been under attack. This Administration seems determined to choose 
policies that fly in the face of scientific consensus. They have 
ignored science on the issue of stem cell research, abstinence-only 
education, and mercury pollution. On climate change, the White House 
went one step further. The Bush Administration hired a Big Oil lobbyist 
to edit documents produced by climate scientists in an effort make 
climate change science seem less certain. These acts have caused some 
in the scientific community to lose faith in our government.
  I believe H.R. 1867, the National Science Foundation Authorization 
Act of 2007, will help restore that trust. The bill will provide $21 
billion for the National Science Foundation over the next three years 
to fund critical scientific research.
   Mr. Chairman, I have seen how crucial this funding can be right in 
my own district. The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia 
University, a key unit of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, 
has worked in partnership with the National Science Foundation to 
facilitate new discoveries and fundamental breakthroughs in Earth, 
Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences that are critical for advancing the 
understanding of the Earth's dynamic systems.
  This work has allowed for a better understanding of volcanoes, 
earthquakes, and geologic faults. Lamont Doherty has also furthered our 
understanding of the effects of global warming by mapping massive sub-
glacial lakes in Antarctica and studying their role in the loss of ice 
sheets. The Observatory has also developed new geochemical techniques 
to allow the mapping of past ice sheets which will help us better 
understand how the ice sheets on Greenland and Western Antarctica will 
react to increased global temperatures.
  Now, more than ever, it is essential we increase our understanding of 
how our planetary systems interact and function as a whole. By 
providing the funds the NSF needs, we are investing in research vital 
to our national interests. Hopefully, we are also sending a signal to 
the scientific community that their work is essential to us as policy 
makers and to us as Americans.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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