[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 126 (Wednesday, September 9, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H9352-H9353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES

  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 447) recognizing the remarkable contributions of 
the American Council of Engineering Companies for its 100 years of 
service to the engineering industry and the Nation.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 447

       Whereas the American Council of Engineering Companies 
     (ACEC) and its thousands of member firms are celebrating the 
     Council's 100th anniversary in 2009;
       Whereas the ACEC is the oldest and largest business 
     association of America's engineering industry, representing 
     more than 5,000 engineering firms that employ 500,000 
     professionals, engaged in a wide range of practices that 
     propel our economy and ensure a high quality of life for all 
     people in the United States;
       Whereas the ACEC represents engineers in private practice, 
     who design the infrastructure, energy, and technological 
     projects that ensure our Nation enjoys the highest standard 
     of living in the world and continues to compete successfully 
     in the 21st century economy;
       Whereas the ACEC member firms have been responsible for 
     many of the Nation's most significant achievements over the 
     past 100 years, including the roads, bridges, subways, 
     airports, buildings, industrial facilities, and water systems 
     that are the most advanced in the world; and
       Whereas the ACEC member firms have also been at the 
     forefront of the environmental movement, cleaning up 
     hazardous waste sites and incorporating sustainable solutions 
     in infrastructure works: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives congratulates 
     the American Council of Engineering Companies for its 100 
     years of service.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Tonko) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TONKO. Mr. 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 House Resolution 447, the resolution now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 447, recognizing the 
remarkable contributions of the American Council of Engineering 
Companies for its 100 years of service to the engineering industry and 
our Nation. I also want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Shuler) for introducing this resolution.
  The American Council of Engineering Companies is the oldest and 
largest business association representing America's engineering 
industry. It represents more than 5,000 engineering firms that employ 
more than 500,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors, scientists and 
others. Its members engage in a wide range of engineering work, 
including designing the infrastructure, energy and technological 
projects that contribute to our economy and our quality of life.
  The American Council of Engineering Companies traces its roots back 
to 1909, when a group of engineers in private practice established the 
American Institute of Consulting Engineers. Today, the American Council 
of Engineering Companies is a large federation of 51 State and regional 
councils representing a large section of America's engineering 
industry.
  I congratulate the American Council of Engineering Companies on its 
100 years of service and urge passage of House Resolution 447.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today, of course, in support of House Resolution 447, 
recognizing the very remarkable contributions of the American Council 
of Engineering Companies for its 100 years of service to the 
engineering industry and to the Nation. ACEC is a large federation of 
51 State and regional councils representing the great breadth of 
America's engineering industry. This includes one of the largest 
councils serving 325 firms in my home State of Texas.
  ACEC represents more than 5,000 engineering firms that employ more 
than 500,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors, scientists and 
other specialists responsible for more than $100 billion of private and 
public works annually.
  It's an effective and growing advocate for advancing the practice of 
consulting engineering and the promotion of private enterprise, working 
to further the business interests and opportunities of the world's most 
respected engineering companies, those that design and build the roads, 
the bridges, the subways and the airports, industrial facilities and 
water systems of America. These buildings and infrastructure have truly 
been the backbone of American commerce and industry during the last 100 
years. The ACEC member companies that have helped to construct them 
will no doubt be on the front lines of the economic recovery that lies 
ahead of us.
  I commend ACEC and its member companies and employees for the 
immeasurable service and contribution to the country.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 447, 
which recognizes the significant contributions of the American Council 
of Engineering Companies during its 100 years of service.
  The American Council of Engineering Companies, or ACEC, represents 
more than 5,000 engineering firms across the Nation who work to enhance 
and safeguard America's quality of life. These companies are involved 
in every aspect of our economy, from highways and infrastructure to 
drinking water to new technologies. In 1909, a loosely organized group 
of engineers in private practice established the American Institute of 
Consulting Engineers, AICE, the forerunner of ACEC.
  Since then, the organization has grown to encompass member firms that 
employ more than hundreds of thousands of engineers, architects, land 
surveyors, scientists and other specialists

[[Page H9353]]

responsible for more than $200 billion of public and private works 
annually.
  There are now 51 State and regional ACEC counsels, including a 
chapter in my State of Arkansas. The 2008-2009 Arkansas chapter 
president, Jerry Martin; vice president, Matt Crafton; treasurer, Barry 
McCormick; and state director, Brent Massey, all are doing a tremendous 
job. I can attest firsthand to the Arkansas chapter's hard work and the 
tremendous job that they have done in contributing to the State of 
Arkansas.
  Mr. Speaker, the American Council of Engineering Companies' mission 
is to contribute to America's prosperity and welfare. I believe they do 
just that, and I commend the Council and their members for 100 years of 
outstanding service to the United States and urge adoption of H. Res. 
447.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to Representative Earl 
Blumenauer of the State of Oregon. He is an outspoken voice for energy 
and environment matters and understands the role of engineers in that 
entire process.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Thank you. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy and 
his leadership.
  If you spend a little time around here and work on a variety of 
issues, occasionally the various awards and honorary memberships come 
your way. Well, I am pleased to be an honorary fellow of the American 
Society of Civil Engineers. Nothing gives me more pride.
  In the fight to rebuild and renew America, the American Council of 
Engineering Companies is in the forefront. ACEC provides, as referenced 
by my colleagues on the floor, the technical know-how to plan, develop 
design projects and help manage them through construction. These 
companies are at the heart of the essential building blocks of the 
built environment, the bridges, roads, water, sanitation, transit, 
rail, buildings, environmental protection and cleanup. They are leaders 
in the policy areas as well.
  We have watched the engineering profession provide leadership and 
insight, counsel and advice in dealing with the reauthorization of our 
transportation bill, dealing with the recent legislation we have 
offered for a water trust fund, and with the reinstitution of the 
Superfund, the accountability that the ASCE has provided with an 
invaluable report card on the State of American infrastructure. They 
have done the study on a repeated basis, most recently issuing a new 
report that showed that we are still rated about a ``D'' in all the 
different categories. They do this on an ongoing basis to provide 
information that policymakers, businesses, the media can rely upon. 
Nobody else does it as well and as systematically.
  For years, Congress has ducked the tough questions of accountability 
and finance. Here again, ACEC is in the forefront.
  There are lots of jokes about engineers and the pocket-protector 
crowd, but I am deeply appreciative of how the American Council of 
Engineering Companies, and their thousands of engineers across the 
country, are playing a critical role in rebuilding and renewing America 
and making sure our communities are more liveable, our families are 
safer, healthier and more economically secure.
  I hope our Members not only celebrate this 100th anniversary, but 
maybe use this as an opportunity to take the time to look at the 
resources that ACEC gives to us to help us do our job better.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Michigan, Dr. Ehlers.
  Mr. EHLERS. I thank you for recognizing me, and I wish to join in the 
accolades. You just heard from the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. 
Blumenauer) about the pocket-protector crowd, and I am proud to say 
that I am a member of the pocket-protector crowd, although I am not an 
engineer; I am a physicist. But I rise to commend the engineers for the 
work that they do and to recognize not just the companies--you have 
already heard all the companies lauded, and they do great and marvelous 
work--but the engineers behind it are also essential.
  Whenever you step on an elevator, whenever you drive your car, 
whenever you go down a road or across a bridge, you are using 
engineering products. Throughout your entire life everything you touch, 
almost everything you do is related to engineers who designed and built 
the objects that you are using.
  We fail to recognize the importance of this. Other countries have not 
failed to. India, for example, which has a much bigger population than 
the U.S., is now producing more engineers than we do.
  China, with a very large population, is producing considerably more 
engineers than we do. If we want to maintain our preeminent position as 
a Nation, we have to provide more emphasis and more incentives to 
engineers, and especially incentives to students to get into the 
engineering profession.
  And that is why it is extremely important that we improve our math 
and science curricula in the elementary and secondary schools, because 
it has become true that if students don't study enough math or science 
in the elementary and secondary schools, they will not go into 
engineering when they get to the university because they simply don't 
have the right background. So it is essential that we develop better 
programs and better-trained teachers for elementary and secondary 
school math and science courses, so that we can once again capture the 
lead in engineering and manufacturing that we have had for many years 
and which we are in danger of losing.
  So I urge that, as we celebrate what this particular organization has 
done, we also recognize that they need good engineers to accomplish 
their objectives and we, as a Congress, have a responsibility to make 
sure that we train the people who will become the engineers of the 
future.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, as an engineer serving in the House, I want 
to commend Representative Shuler for his work on House Resolution 447, 
which recognizes the American Council of Engineering Companies for its 
100 years of service. Obviously the impact made by engineers and 
related scientists on our society is profound.
  We need them to continue through their professionalism to lead us 
along the ways of discovery of creating new concepts and certainly 
designs that will lift us as a society. This Nation relies heavily on 
their professionalism and their services, and they will be those agents 
that transition this economy to an innovation economy.
  So I would ask that our colleagues strongly support House Resolution 
447.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 447.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. TONKO. 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 and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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