[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1513]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TRIBUTE TO PACCAR, INC.

 Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate a great 
American innovator.
  It is a special pleasure to recognize an exceptional company which 
today has earned the prestigious National Medal of Technology, the 
highest honor given in our Nation for technological innovation. PACCAR 
Incorporated is a model of success and a Washington State institution. 
In 2005, the company celebrated its 100th year in business. You might 
not recognize the PACCAR name, but perhaps you have heard of some of 
PACCAR's finest brands: Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.
  PACCAR is one of our Nation's top truck manufacturers and today they 
are cited for: ``pioneering efforts and industry leadership in the 
development and commercialization of aerodynamic, lightweight trucks 
that have dramatically reduced fuel consumption and increased the 
productivity of U.S. freight transportation.''
  This National Medal is a distinct honor bestowed by the President 
since 1985. It was first mandated by Congress in 1980, established to 
recognize the significant contributions that America's leading 
innovators have made to the Nation's economic strength and standard of 
living. The award is given annually to individuals, teams, and/or 
companies or divisions whose work has made a lasting impact on our 
lives through the development and commercialization of groundbreaking 
technology in our Nation.
  Past recipients include leaders in our Nation's cutting-edge science 
and high-tech communities--companies such as Dow, Dupont, and Corning 
or individuals such as those who have performed the first human heart 
transplant and invented the first whole-body CT scanner. The National 
Medal serves to honor the legacy of innovation that has made our Nation 
a technological leader for more than two centuries. And it seeks also 
to inspire the future generations of innovators who will keep our 
Nation strong for years to come.
  This year, PACCAR, a Bellevue, WA company has earned this special 
recognition. But what, you may ask, do a lot of big rigs have to do 
with science and innovation?
  Well, PACCAR has time and again led the industry in the design and 
manufacture of fuel efficient and lightweight trucks. They were the 
first to use a diesel engine in a heavy-duty truck. They were the first 
to introduce a truly aerodynamic truck design. And they were the first 
to use lightweight composites and aluminum in truck suspensions on a 
large scale. It would be difficult to name a single innovation in the 
recent history of truck design without finding a PACCAR product at its 
foundation.
  These advances have required both significant investment and no small 
amount of risk. But PACCAR's faith has paid serious dividends to the 
truck buyer, the consumer, the economy, and the environment. For too 
long, heavy-duty trucks couldn't improve beyond a weak 10-mile-per-
gallon fuel efficiency ceiling. But today, thanks to Peterbilt's and 
Kenworth's transformation, they have soared above and beyond that mark, 
significantly altering the economic and environmental forces at play in 
the market.
  PACCAR's example has shown that it makes sense to support and advance 
fuel efficient technology, not only to protect our precious natural 
resources and reduce our dangerous reliance on foreign oil but also to 
help our economy thrive and grow. We would be wise to note PACCAR's 
model as we develop a comprehensive strategy for thoughtful investment 
in our energy future.
  Day and night in all 50 States, PACCAR's trucks travel our Nation's 
highways--roads that have no end, constantly curving, folding and 
merging into one another. In our complex world of commerce and the vast 
transportation system on which that world relies, change is great and 
inevitable. PACCAR recognizes this beautiful evolution, embraces it, 
and seizes the opportunities it creates.
  I rise to congratulate PACCAR Incorporated. It has made Washington 
State proud, it has made our Nation strong. The National Medal of 
Technology they receive today is well deserved.

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