[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5414-H5418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 
                                  2009

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 2020) to amend the High-Performance Computing 
Act of 1991 to authorize activities for support of networking and 
information technology research, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2020

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Networking and Information 
     Technology Research and Development Act of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. PROGRAM PLANNING AND COORDINATION.

       (a) Periodic Reviews.--Section 101 of the High-Performance 
     Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Periodic Reviews.--The agencies identified in 
     subsection (a)(3)(B) shall--
       ``(1) periodically assess the contents and funding levels 
     of the Program Component Areas and restructure the Program 
     when warranted, taking into consideration any relevant 
     recommendations of the advisory committee established under 
     subsection (b); and
       ``(2) ensure that the Program includes large-scale, long-
     term, interdisciplinary research and development activities, 
     including activities described in section 104.''.
       (b) Development of Strategic Plan.--Section 101 of such Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by adding after 
     subsection (d), as added

[[Page H5415]]

     by subsection (a) of this Act, the following new subsection:
       ``(e) Strategic Plan.--
       ``(1) In general.--The agencies identified in subsection 
     (a)(3)(B), working through the National Science and 
     Technology Council and with the assistance of the National 
     Coordination Office established under section 102, shall 
     develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment of the 
     Networking and Information Technology Research and 
     Development Act of 2009, and update every 3 years thereafter, 
     a 5-year strategic plan to guide the activities described 
     under subsection (a)(1).
       ``(2) Contents.--The strategic plan shall specify near-term 
     and long-term objectives for the Program, the anticipated 
     time frame for achieving the near-term objectives, the 
     metrics to be used for assessing progress toward the 
     objectives, and how the Program will--
       ``(A) foster the transfer of research and development 
     results into new technologies and applications for the 
     benefit of society, including through cooperation and 
     collaborations with networking and information technology 
     research, development, and technology transition initiatives 
     supported by the States;
       ``(B) encourage and support mechanisms for 
     interdisciplinary research and development in networking and 
     information technology, including through collaborations 
     across agencies, across Program Component Areas, with 
     industry, with Federal laboratories (as defined in section 4 
     of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 
     U.S.C. 3703)), and with international organizations;
       ``(C) address long-term challenges of national importance 
     for which solutions require large-scale, long-term, 
     interdisciplinary research and development;
       ``(D) place emphasis on innovative and high-risk projects 
     having the potential for substantial societal returns on the 
     research investment;
       ``(E) strengthen all levels of networking and information 
     technology education and training programs to ensure an 
     adequate, well-trained workforce; and
       ``(F) attract more women and underrepresented minorities to 
     pursue postsecondary degrees in networking and information 
     technology.
       ``(3) National research infrastructure.--The strategic plan 
     developed in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be 
     accompanied by milestones and roadmaps for establishing and 
     maintaining the national research infrastructure required to 
     support the Program, including the roadmap required by 
     subsection (a)(2)(E).
       ``(4) Recommendations.--The entities involved in developing 
     the strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall take into 
     consideration the recommendations--
       ``(A) of the advisory committee established under 
     subsection (b); and
       ``(B) of the stakeholders whose input was solicited by the 
     National Coordination Office, as required under section 
     102(b)(3).
       ``(5) Report to congress.--The Director of the National 
     Coordination Office shall transmit the strategic plan 
     required under paragraph (1) to the advisory committee, the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of the 
     House of Representatives.''.
       (c) Additional Responsibilities of Director.--Section 
     101(a)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(2)) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as 
     subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(E) encourage and monitor the efforts of the agencies 
     participating in the Program to allocate the level of 
     resources and management attention necessary to ensure that 
     the strategic plan under subsection (e) is developed and 
     executed effectively and that the objectives of the Program 
     are met;''.
       (d) Advisory Committee.--Section 101(b)(1) of such Act (15 
     U.S.C. 5511(b)(1)) is amended by inserting after ``an 
     advisory committee on high-performance computing,'' the 
     following: ``in which the co-chairs shall be members of the 
     President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and 
     with the remainder of the committee''.
       (e) Report.--Section 101(a)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5511(a)(3)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (C)--
       (A) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is 
     submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
       (B) by striking ``each Program Component Area;'' and 
     inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area 
     supported in accordance with section 104;'';
       (2) in subparagraph (D)--
       (A) by striking ``each Program Component Area,'' and 
     inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area 
     supported in accordance with section 104,'';
       (B) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is 
     submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
       (C) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
       (3) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G); 
     and
       (4) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new 
     subparagraphs:
       ``(E) include a description of how the objectives for each 
     Program Component Area, and the objectives for activities 
     that involve multiple Program Component Areas, relate to the 
     objectives of the Program identified in the strategic plan 
     required under subsection (e);
       ``(F) include--
       ``(i) a description of the funding required by the National 
     Coordination Office to perform the functions specified under 
     section 102(b) for the next fiscal year by category of 
     activity;
       ``(ii) a description of the funding required by such Office 
     to perform the functions specified under section 102(b) for 
     the current fiscal year by category of activity; and
       ``(iii) the amount of funding provided for such Office for 
     the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the 
     Program; and''.
       (f) Definition.--Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5503) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as 
     paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
       (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, 
     the following new paragraph:
       ``(1) `cyber-physical systems' means physical or engineered 
     systems whose networking and information technology functions 
     and physical elements are deeply integrated and are actively 
     connected to the physical world through sensors, actuators, 
     or other means to perform monitoring and control 
     functions;'';
       (3) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated--
       (A) by striking ``high-performance computing'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology''; and
       (B) by striking ``supercomputer'' and inserting ``high-end 
     computing'';
       (4) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``network referred to as'' and all that follows through the 
     semicolon and inserting ``network, including advanced 
     computer networks of Federal agencies and departments;''; and
       (5) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting 
     ``networking and information technology research and 
     development program''.

     SEC. 3. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

       Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 104. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL 
                   IMPORTANCE.

       ``(a) In General.--The Program shall encourage agencies 
     identified in section 101(a)(3)(B) to support large-scale, 
     long-term, interdisciplinary research and development 
     activities in networking and information technology directed 
     toward application areas that have the potential for 
     significant contributions to national economic 
     competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits. 
     Such activities, ranging from basic research to the 
     demonstration of technical solutions, shall be designed to 
     advance the development of research discoveries. The advisory 
     committee established under section 101(b) shall make 
     recommendations to the Program for candidate research and 
     development areas for support under this section.
       ``(b) Characteristics.--
       ``(1) In general.--Research and development activities 
     under this section shall--
       ``(A) include projects selected on the basis of 
     applications for support through a competitive, merit-based 
     process;
       ``(B) involve collaborations among researchers in 
     institutions of higher education and industry, and may 
     involve nonprofit research institutions and Federal 
     laboratories, as appropriate;
       ``(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through 
     collaboration with related State initiatives; and
       ``(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research 
     discoveries and the results of technology demonstration 
     activities, including from institutions of higher education 
     and Federal laboratories, to industry for commercial 
     development.
       ``(2) Cost-sharing.--In selecting applications for support, 
     the agencies shall give special consideration to projects 
     that include cost sharing from non-Federal sources.
       ``(3) Agency collaboration.--If 2 or more agencies 
     identified in section 101(a)(3)(B), or other appropriate 
     agencies, are working on large-scale research and development 
     activities in the same area of national importance, then such 
     agencies shall strive to collaborate through joint 
     solicitation and selection of applications for support and 
     subsequent funding of projects.
       ``(4) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and 
     development activities under this section may be supported 
     through interdisciplinary research centers that are organized 
     to investigate basic research questions and carry out 
     technology demonstration activities in areas described in 
     subsection (a). Research may be carried out through existing 
     interdisciplinary centers, including those authorized under 
     section 7024(b)(2) of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 
     110-69; 42 U.S.C. 1862o-10).''.

     SEC. 4. CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT.

       (a) Additional Program Characteristics.--Section 101(a)(1) 
     of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(J) provide for increased understanding of the scientific 
     principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods 
     available for the design, development, and operation of 
     cyber-physical systems that are characterized by high 
     reliability, safety, and security; and
       ``(K) provide for research and development on human-
     computer interactions, visualization, and information 
     management.''.
       (b) Task Force.--Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is 
     amended further by adding after section 104, as added by 
     section 3, the following new section:

     ``SEC. 105. UNIVERSITY/INDUSTRY TASK FORCE.

       ``(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of enactment of the Networking and Information 
     Technology Research and Development Act of 2009, the Director 
     of the National Coordination Office established under section 
     102 shall convene a task force to explore

[[Page H5416]]

     mechanisms for carrying out collaborative research and 
     development activities for cyber-physical systems, including 
     the related technologies required to enable these systems, 
     through a consortium or other appropriate entity with 
     participants from institutions of higher education, Federal 
     laboratories, and industry.
       ``(b) Functions.--The task force shall--
       ``(1) develop options for a collaborative model and an 
     organizational structure for such entity under which the 
     joint research and development activities could be planned, 
     managed, and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for 
     the allocation of resources among the participants in such 
     entity for support of such activities;
       ``(2) propose a process for developing a research and 
     development agenda for such entity, including objectives and 
     milestones;
       ``(3) define the roles and responsibilities for the 
     participants from institutions of higher education, Federal 
     laboratories, and industry in such entity;
       ``(4) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual 
     property rights and for the transfer of research results to 
     the private sector; and
       ``(5) make recommendations for how such entity could be 
     funded from Federal, State, and non-governmental sources.
       ``(c) Composition.--In establishing the task force under 
     subsection (a), the Director of the National Coordination 
     Office shall appoint an equal number of individuals from 
     institutions of higher education and from industry with 
     knowledge and expertise in cyber-physical systems, of which 2 
     may be selected from Federal laboratories.
       ``(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of the Networking and Information Technology 
     Research and Development Act of 2009, the Director of the 
     National Coordination Office shall transmit to the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives a report describing the findings and 
     recommendations of the task force.''.

     SEC. 5. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.

       Section 102 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5512) is amended to read 
     as follows:

     ``SEC. 102. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish a 
     National Coordination Office with a Director and full-time 
     staff.
       ``(b) Functions.--The National Coordination Office shall--
       ``(1) provide technical and administrative support to--
       ``(A) the agencies participating in planning and 
     implementing the Program, including such support as needed in 
     the development of the strategic plan under section 101(e); 
     and
       ``(B) the advisory committee established under section 
     101(b);
       ``(2) serve as the primary point of contact on Federal 
     networking and information technology activities for 
     government organizations, academia, industry, professional 
     societies, State computing and networking technology 
     programs, interested citizen groups, and others to exchange 
     technical and programmatic information;
       ``(3) solicit input and recommendations from a wide range 
     of stakeholders during the development of each strategic plan 
     required under section 101(e) through the convening of at 
     least 1 workshop with invitees from academia, industry, 
     Federal laboratories, and other relevant organizations and 
     institutions;
       ``(4) conduct public outreach, including the dissemination 
     of findings and recommendations of the advisory committee, as 
     appropriate; and
       ``(5) promote access to and early application of the 
     technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Program 
     activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal 
     Government and to United States industry.
       ``(c) Source of Funding.--
       ``(1) In general.--The operation of the National 
     Coordination Office shall be supported by funds from each 
     agency participating in the Program.
       ``(2) Specifications.--The portion of the total budget of 
     such Office that is provided by each agency for each fiscal 
     year shall be in the same proportion as each such agency's 
     share of the total budget for the Program for the previous 
     fiscal year, as specified in the report required under 
     section 101(a)(3).''.

     SEC. 6. IMPROVING NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                   EDUCATION.

        Section 201(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5521(a)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
     paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(2) the National Science Foundation shall use its 
     existing programs, in collaboration with other agencies, as 
     appropriate, to improve the teaching and learning of 
     networking and information technology at all levels of 
     education and to increase participation in networking and 
     information technology fields, including by women and 
     underrepresented minorities;''.

     SEC. 7. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Section 3.--Section 3 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5502) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information technology'';
       (2) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by striking ``high-performance computing'' and inserting 
     ``networking and information technology'';
       (3) in subparagraphs (A) and (F) of paragraph (1), by 
     striking ``high-performance computing'' each place it appears 
     and inserting ``networking and information technology''; and
       (4) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``high-performance computing and'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology and''; and
       (B) by striking ``high-performance computing network'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology''.
       (b) Title I.--The heading of title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5511) is amended by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING'' 
     and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY''.
       (c) Section 101.--Section 101 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-
     PERFORMANCE COMPUTING'' and inserting 
     ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION 
     TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
     DEVELOPMENT'';
       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``National High-
     Performance Computing'' and inserting ``Networking and 
     Information Technology Research and Development'';
       (B) in paragraph (1) of such subsection--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting 
     ``networking and information technology research and 
     development program'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing, including networking'' and inserting ``networking 
     and information technology''; and
       (iii) in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (G), by striking 
     ``high-performance'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``high-end''; and
       (C) in paragraph (2) of such subsection--
       (i) in subparagraphs (A) and (C)--

       (I) by striking ``high-performance computing'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''; and
       (II) by striking ``development, networking,'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``development,''; and

       (ii) in subparagraphs (F) and (G), as redesignated by 
     section 2(c)(1) of this Act, by striking ``high-performance'' 
     each place it appears and inserting ``high-end'';
       (3) in subsection (b)(1), in the matter preceding 
     subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance computing'' 
     both places it appears and inserting ``networking and 
     information technology''; and
       (4) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''.
       (d) Section 201.--Section 201(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5521(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and all that follows through ``networking;'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information research and 
     development;''.
       (e) Section 202.--Section 202(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5522(a)) is amended by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''.
       (f) Section 203.--Section 203(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5523(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``high-performance 
     computing and networking'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information technology''.
       (g) Section 204.--Section 204(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5524(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing systems and networks'' and inserting ``networking 
     and information technology systems and capabilities''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''.
       (h) Section 205.--Section 205(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5525(a)) is amended by striking ``computational'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology''.
       (i) Section 206.--Section 206(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5526(a)) is amended by striking ``computational research'' 
     and inserting ``networking and information technology 
     research''.
       (j) Section 208.--Section 208 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5528) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE 
     COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION 
     TECHNOLOGY''; and
       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``High-performance 
     computing and associated'' and inserting ``Networking and 
     information'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technologies'';
       (C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``high-performance 
     computers and associated'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information''; and
       (D) in paragraph (5), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing and associated'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2020, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.

[[Page H5417]]

  H.R. 2020 is a good bipartisan bill which I and Mr. Hall introduced 
along with a number of our committee colleagues. H.R. 2020 continues to 
improve and update a program that was originally created in the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991.
  The NITRD program, as it is known, involves a collaboration of more 
than one dozen Federal research and development agencies for a current 
total Federal investment of approximately $3.5 billion. This may sound 
like a lot, but the European Union is investing $7 billion over the 
next 5 years in cyberphysical systems alone.
  To ensure we make the most effective use of our own resources and to 
remain a leader in these fields, it is critical that these many 
agencies come together to develop common goals and well-defined 
strategies.
  H.R. 2020 strengthens the interagency planning, coordination and 
prioritization for NITRD by requiring the development and periodic 
update of the strategic plan, informed by both industry and academia. 
This plan is meant to create a vision for networking and information 
technology, R&D, across the Federal Government, and provides specific 
metrics for measuring progress toward that vision.
  Next, the bill calls for an increased support of large-scale, long-
term interdisciplinary research in networking and information 
technology that will help us tackle national challenges. These large-
scale, long-term investments can provide substantial benefits to 
society, such as improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our 
health care and energy delivery systems.
  Finally, H.R. 2020 promotes partnerships between the Federal 
Government, academia, and industry to foster technological transfer. It 
makes certain that the existing independent advisory committee will 
have the technical knowledge necessary to guide the program, and it 
ensures that the education of the future NITRD force remains an 
important component of the program.

                              {time}  1445

  Many organizations support this legislation, including IBM, 
Association of Computing Machinery, Computing Research Association, 
IEEE-USA, and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
  Our nearly 20-year investment in the NITRD program has helped create 
jobs across all sectors of our economy and contributed immeasurably to 
our economic and national security.
  Given how rapidly these fields evolve, a comprehensive look at the 
NITRD program by Congress is timely. I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 2020.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 2020, the Network and 
Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2009. The NITRD 
program is the main Federal R&D investment portfolio in unclassified 
networking, computing, software, cybersecurity, and related information 
technology.
  Networking and information technology, that technology that is vital 
but obviously sometimes drives us all crazy, sometimes outright batty, 
but it plays a critical role in our everyday lives, often in ways we do 
not even realize. Federal R&D investment in NIT has produced such 
computer breakthroughs as ARPAnet, the forerunner of the modern 
Internet, communications protocols to transmit data over networks, 
supercomputing, the Web browser, and the computer mouse, just to name a 
few. Multidisciplinary innovations include the decoding of the human 
genome, modeling and simulation of complex physical systems for 
aircraft, automobiles, power grids and pharmaceuticals, near real-time 
weather forecasting and climate models, and unmanned aerial vehicles 
and search and rescue robots.
  Cybersecurity is one of the biggest security challenges facing our 
Nation today. It goes throughout all of our Federal agencies and even 
onto our private computer systems. This is just one area that the NITRD 
program helps to coordinate our Federal R&D, but it indicates just how 
imperative it is that we continue to support critical and collaborative 
research efforts such as this.
  This bipartisan bill, and I again thank the chairman and also the 
ranking member for this, this bill authorizes one of the few formal 
interagency R&D activities within the Federal Government and one that 
has been viewed as a model of interagency cooperation and coordination. 
It is a culmination of recommendations from the 2007 PCAST Report on 
the program, feedback from numerous organizations, and hearing witness 
testimony. Technology has changed since this program was initiated in 
the early 1990s. This legislation updates the underlying statute to 
reflect those changes and helps prepare us for future innovative 
opportunities in NIT.
  I want to thank the chairman for working on this important measure in 
such a bipartisan manner. Madam Speaker, he tends to do that. He is one 
of those Members that always tries to listen to all members of his 
committee.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me, along with Chairman Gordon, 
Ranking Member Hall, and other members of the Science and Technology 
Committee in supporting H.R. 2020.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Florida for his kind remarks and associating with his description of 
this very good bill.
  I also want to say a special thanks to a former staff member of our 
committee, Jim Wilson, who was the staff director for the Research, 
Science and Education Committee. One of his last pieces of work before 
he left our committee was to put the framework for this bill together, 
and then working together with the good bipartisan staff that we have 
now, we have even a better bill. I thank him and I thank our current 
staff.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support 
of H.R. 2020: the Networking and Information Technology Research and 
Development Act of 2009.
  Advanced computer networks are the wave of the future.
  As technology has improved, we are better able to predict the paths 
of hurricanes, the force of tsunamis, or even the trajectory of comets.
  Advanced computing is a broad area of active research. The Texas 
Advanced Computing Center, in Austin, has scientists who are using 
supercomputers to simulate airflow and manage shock waves for next-
generation, hypersonic aircraft.
  Other researchers there have been working to understand the process 
by which enzymes convert plant matter into energy, with the goal of 
creating more efficient enzymes. Then we could more quickly convert 
waste to energy.
  High speed computers have also enabled scientists to develop 
realistic models of the human lung.
  Teams of Texas researchers are working to develop a new tool to 
image, understand, and diagnose how air flows through the thousands of 
branching passageways of the lung, and how abnormalities can lead to 
illness.
  There are so many useful applications for high speed computers and 
advanced networks.
  The federal government invests more than $3 billion on the Networking 
and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program.
  It is essential that such a large investment is spent wisely.
  The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 
recently provided recommendations on how to improve our federal efforts 
in computer network research.
  A key recommendation was to support high-risk, multi-disciplinary 
research. I support this suggestion.
  For far too long, federal investments have been made in ``safe 
research,'' or research that has a certainty of getting a result.
  The negative consequence is that science moves along at an 
incremental snail's pace.
  Investments in high-risk research may never come to fruition or 
payoff. However we must support research of this nature.
  Scientists must be unfettered to think more creatively. Then, they 
have the freedom to tackle big questions that sometimes take more time 
and more experimentation to answer.
  As a previous chair of the Research and Science Education 
Subcommittee, I have long been a strong supporter of this kind of 
research.
  I support H.R. 2020 and urge my colleagues to support it also.

[[Page H5418]]

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2020, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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