[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 146 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING ON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 3, 2014

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th Anniversary 
of the founding of the National Academy of Engineering.
  The NAE was founded in 1964 and immediately made its mark. It was 
soon advising NASA how to organize the design and operation of the 
Space Shuttle, where the NAE provided guidelines for technology and 
operations that help launch the craft into space.
  The NAE's record of accomplishments continued in the 1970s. In a 
study commissioned by the Port Authority of New York, the NAE came up 
with some of the first solutions for airport noise, which continue to 
benefit all of us even to this day.
  In 1973, the NAE helped warn us of the effects of ultraviolet 
radiation from the sun.
  In 1974, the Academy provided us with some of the first important 
scholarship on the adverse health effects of air pollution, and the 
costs and benefits of controlling auto emissions.
  In the years and decades that followed, the National Academy of 
Engineering continued to pioneer new solutions to some of our nation's 
most pressing problems. Nothing highlights this better than the 
instrumental role NAE played in drafting the landmark report, Rising 
Above the Gathering Storm. This 2007 report described a nation at risk 
of falling behind our competitors: not educating our children in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; not inventing at the 
same pace as other nations; and not producing new jobs in high-
technology fields. The report was a call to action, and while its 
vision still needs to be fulfilled, it captured the attention of 
scientists, economists, think tank experts, government officials, and 
lawmakers. Led by Norm Augustine, the Chair of the NAE Council, the 
message of that report remains a compelling call for Congress to 
recognize how science and engineering can move us toward economic 
security.
  And so, Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to join me in celebrating the 
National Academy of Engineering, its accomplishments, and to 
congratulate them on 50 years of service to the nation.

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