Vernon Ehlers

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today we are considering H. Con. Res. 488, which commends the employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their dedication and hard work during Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan. As chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the National Weather Service, I introduced this resolution 2 weeks ago, after Hurricanes Charley and Frances hit the State of Florida back-to-back, something that had not happened since 1964. The employees of the National Weather Service worked tirelessly during the storms to provide forecasts and warnings to alert citizens and help minimize loss of life during the storms. I have here pictures of Hurricane Frances, and also, in a moment, I will get to Hurricane Ivan. But I would like to point out the immense extensions of Hurricane Charley, covering virtually the entire State of Florida and the entire State of Texas. And almost any Texan in this body would tell us, it is almost impossible to cover the State of Texas, but Hurricane Frances, in fact, would do that. Fortunately, the winds diminished before it hit land, and that helped considerably in reducing the damage, but it was still, because of its large extent, a very damaging hurricane. Last week, Hurricane Ivan hit the U.S., the worst hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, was the sixth most powerful Atlantic tropical storm on record. It affected States throughout the southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, with flooding, high winds and tornadoes. Again, the hard work of NOAA's employees and the broadcast meteorologists was vital for getting out warnings and information to residents in the path of the hurricane. The right-hand chart up here shows Hurricane Ivan as it came ashore near Gulf Shores, extensive spread through Alabama, Mississippi, nearly to the New Orleans area, and with a very well-defined eye, indicating very high winds, very compact, which means high intensity, and of course, it stretched all the way over to the Panhandle of Florida. During these three hurricanes, an estimated 6 million people were safely evacuated. Without the warnings from NOAA, I suspect there would have been very few evacuated. While there were 90 fatalities and an estimated $14 billion to $23 billion in damages in the U.S. due to these storms, without the forecasts and warnings from NOAA, the results would have been much, much worse. It costs about $1.4 billion annually for all weather forecasting at NOAA which comes to a mere 4 cents each day per household in the United States. This investment is well worth it, given the lives saved by NOAA's forecasts and warnings. Let me point out that the amount that this comes to per household in this Nation is, I would estimate, less than the amount that the average household expends on smoke detectors and batteries. Let me specifically list the offices at NOAA and their Federal and private partners that play an important role in providing hurricane forecasts and warnings. The National Hurricane Center, the Southern and Eastern Region Weather Forecast Offices of San Juan, Miami, Tampa Bay, Key West, Melbourne, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Morristown, Charleston, Morehead City, Wilmington, Wakefield, Taunton, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Jackson, Nashville, and Houston. In addition, the National Ocean Service provides services and, in this case, provided help with storm surge predictions. The National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service provided the satellite images we all saw on television. The NOAA Marine and Aviation Operation Hurricane Hunters and the Air Force Reserve out of Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, fly planes into the hurricanes to gather data. The Southeast River Forecast Center provided flood predictions, and the many private meteorologists and information providers who disseminate the warnings and weather data and predictions from NOAA. I must say, being a scientist, perhaps that affects me, but I watched the Weather Channel and the local forecasters for considerable amounts of time during this to try to evaluate for myself what the hurricanes were doing, what direction they were taking, what damage they might cause. So the private sector also deserves mention here. The dedicated employees of all of these NOAA organizations and the private organizations deserve our utmost appreciation for their hard work and long hours to warn citizens in the line of these three storms and for all of their excellent work as they continue to track tropical storms, this and every hurricane season. I should note that today we are nervously watching Hurricanes Jeanne and Karl currently located in the Atlantic Ocean, and we will continue to depend on NOAA to give us information about those hurricanes. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MILLER OF North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge).

Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I first want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) for ably managing the time on the minority side and particularly for his provision of the statistics which I find very fascinating, and I do not want to prolong my statement too much by including them, but it illustrates something very dramatically. Often the public asks us what we do with all their tax money and why do we waste it so much. There are a good many things that the Federal Government does that are very, very good for people. This is one example of that. Funding NOAA is a very worthwhile enterprise. Given the statistics that the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) gave and the statistics that I gave compared to what we do today, you can extend that to tornados as well and other types of disasters. The average lead time for tornados was 10 minutes during Hurricane Ivan, and frequently it is earlier than that for tornados in the Midwest where I live. Flash flood warnings average 57 minutes; 38 tornados occurred across Florida during Hurricane Ivan, so we really saved a lot of lives in this particular case; and it makes the expenditures for NOAA look small by comparison. It is very important for all of us, especially the appropriators, for all of to us recognize that this is money well spent. It does save lives. It does save properties. It saves injuries, and it is very important for us to continue that. Madam Speaker, in closing I want to thank my colleagues from the Florida delegation, virtually all of whom co-sponsored this legislation; and I particularly want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for his enthusiastic support of the resolution. I would also like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), of the Committee on Science for their support, and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), the ranking member of my subcommittee.

Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join in this celebration today. I well remember 1994 because I was sworn in during January, 1994, and took my oath of office. Shortly thereafter I wrote an article which was distributed to my party colleagues entitled ``How We Can Take the Majority.'' What a change has happened since then. The Contract with America was a genuine brainstorm, a very effective technique; but also it gave guidance for a number of years for what we were to do. And if we compare the condition of the Nation today to the condition of the Nation 10 years ago, it is absolutely amazing what we have accomplished. Much of it has been controversial, but almost all of it has been good. And I am very pleased with the progress that we have made and the way we have moved this country along over these 10 years. I would also add, Mr. Speaker, I have always been a great believer that good work deserves a reward. And this is a very clear case where the good work of the Republican Party in this Congress deserves a reward of continuing to remain in the majority for another 10 years. We have proved we can do good work. We will continue to do it.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to wrap up this debate. I thank my colleagues for their fine speeches and good comments that have been made. However, I must express my concern that the gentleman from Washington State tarnished this joyous event by raising partisan issues, and I certainly dispute the gentleman's statement that the current President of the United States would have stopped the construction of this museum if he had been able to. That is certainly a wrong assumption, and I am sorry that statement was made. I want to speak on behalf of the full Congress and say we are very pleased to join the Smithsonian and the Native American community in this country by celebrating the completion of this museum. It will be a tremendous asset to this country in understanding the first human inhabitants of this continent, and I hope everyone who proceeds through the museum will regard with great reverence and respect the history of the American Indian and learn a great deal about the founders of this country and who established the first governments. I am very pleased to be able to participate in this event.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 41) commemorating the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Senate Joint Resolution 41 commemorates the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. Today brings to a conclusion a concept that started over 20 years ago, to create a national museum in our Nation's capital which is dedicated exclusively to Native American art, history, and culture. Today will also mark the beginning of a lasting tribute to those individuals who were our country's earliest inhabitants. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian sits adjacent to the National Air and Space Museum on over 4 acres of land, just southwest of the U.S. Capitol. The building's appearance is unlike any other in Washington, D.C., and it has symbolic references to Native American culture. The building's limestone exterior gives it the appearance of natural rock formations that have been carved by wind and water. Three-quarters of the site is reconstructed natural habitats that are indigenous to this southeastern region, and the building itself will display about 8,000 objects from its permanent collection. The displays will include not only historical artifacts, but will also portray ongoing vital contributions Native Americans bring to this Nation's art and culture. The building has some special features which include an entrance facing east toward the rising sun, a prism window and a 120-foot high atrium called the Potomac, which was designed in consultation with many Native Americans. Native Americans indeed have had profound influences on our Nation's culture from the very birth of our country through today and will continue into the future. At a time when our military receives so much focus, it is important to remember that some of our military's great heroes, such as the code talkers, were Native Americans who helped preserve our country's ideals and beliefs. It is also important to note that Native Americans make up less than 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but represent half the languages and cultures in the Nation. The term ``Native American'' includes over 500 different groups and reflects great diversity of geographic location, language, socioeconomic conditions, and retention of traditional spiritual and cultural practices. However, many teaching materials present a generalized image of Native American people with little or no regard for differences that exist from tribe to tribe. I believe this museum provides a strong presentation of these differences and will be very educational to the viewer and to the Nation. It is remarkable that Native Americans have retained many of their longstanding traditions, even though numerous outside influences create pressures for change. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Inouye and our former House colleague, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, legislation was signed by former President George Herbert Walker Bush on November 28, 1989; and today this museum has become a reality. I hope all my colleagues and all who visit our Nation's capital will take the opportunity to visit this wonderful museum, and I urge my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 41. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close. I have no further speakers other than myself.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 41.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the congregation of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which celebrates the 125th anniversary of its formation this week. Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church began on September 15, 1879, with a membership of about 80 families. The church building was located on the corner of East Street and Logan Street, and it has remained there for 125 years. The original structure of the church is still a part of the present day church building. Over the years, the church has undergone renovations and additions on four separate occasions, the most recent addition coming in 2000 with a major expansion of meeting room space, a large fellowship hall, a computer lab, and an industrial kitchen and pantry for a food service program for the neighborhood. Every addition has been undertaken with a view towards continuing the church's commitment to serve the surrounding community. It is this history and emphasis on community service and fellowship that make me proud to be a member of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church. A number of programs contribute to the church's ministry in the neighborhood, including student tutoring, the formation of the multifaceted Baxter Community Center, and cooperation with Wedgwood Christian Youth and Family Services in teaching important life skills to young people. The Saturday Food Program is the hallmark of the church's service to the neighborhood, where every week hundreds of people can purchase fresh produce and groceries at substantially below-market prices. Commitment to public service is also a defining characteristic of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church: the church's membership has included a Member of Congress, a state senator, several state representatives and county commissioners, a state appellate court judge, and a federal district judge. Through its 125 year history, the congregation of Eastern Avenue has been served by sixteen capable and distinctive pastors. It is currently in the midst of a search process to find a new pastor to lead this diverse and growing community of believers. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that you and all of my colleagues will join me in congratulating the members of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church for their 125 years of service and worship in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The congregation has been blessed in its ministry, and the community has been blessed by the church's presence.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary and rededication of the Department of Commerce laboratories located in Boulder, Colorado. Three Commerce Department agencies have labs located in Boulder: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). As chairman of the House Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards, I have the honor and pleasure to be responsible for overseeing the research work of these three important research laboratories. The Boulder laboratories were first dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 14, 1954. Since then they have made significant contributions in such fields as precision timekeeping, nanotechnology, wireless communications, and atmospheric and climate science. This research has been critical to developments in public and private infrastructure, homeland security, and a variety of technology-based industries. The Boulder laboratories are located on land that was donated by the citizens of Boulder who, in 1950, raised the necessary $90,000 in funds in two weeks to purchase 217 acres for the first buildings. This generous act set the stage for the strong relationship between the Commerce laboratories and the community in Boulder that continues to this day. The Commerce laboratories have two joint institutes with the University of Colorado at Boulder: the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, or JILA, a partnership with NIST, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES), a partnership with NOAA. As a young physicist, I spent a year doing research at JILA, and have happy memories of the research and collegial atmosphere fostered by this relationship between NIST and the university. Let me mention just a few of the recent accomplishments of the employees at the Department of Commerce's Boulder laboratories and Joint Institutes. NIST staff at Boulder include Eric Cornell, who in 2001 won the Nobel Prize for Physics together with Carl Wieman of the University of Colorado for creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, a new state of matter. Deborah Jin recently won a MacArthur ``Genius'' Award to pursue research on the science of atomic clocks and lasers. Staff at the NOAA laboratories include Susan Solomon, recipient of the ``Blue Planet Prize'' and the 1999 National Medal of Science for her work on identifying the cause of the Antarctic Ozone Hole. Dr. Hans Liebe of NTIA won the 2002 Harry Diamond Memorial Award, the highest recognition for technical achievement given by the 235,000-member United States unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). This is just a sample of the hundreds of hard- working, dedicated personnel at the Boulder labs, and their contributions to American science and technology. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Department of Commerce laboratories in Boulder, Colorado on their first 50 years. Based on their performance since 1954, I believe we can expect at least another 50 years of pioneering scientific research from these outstanding institutions, their academic and industrial partners, and their many scientists and technicians.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce H. Con Res. 488, a resolution recognizing the hard work and dedication of the employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (better known as NOAA) who provide hurricane forecast and warnings to our citizens. In the past month, the state of Florida was hit by back-to-back hurricanes, a tragedy which has not occurred since 1964. The employees of NOAA worked tirelessly to provide timely and accurate warnings to residents of the affected areas. They remain hard at work even at this moment as another tropical storm, Hurricane Ivan, is heading towards the U.S. coast. Let me name the various offices in NOAA that contributed to accurate forecasts of Hurricanes Charley and Frances: The National Hurricane Center; The Southern and Eastern Region Weather Forecast offices of San Juan, Miami, Tampa Bay, Key West, Melbourne, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Morristown; The National Ocean Service, which provided help with storm surge prediction; The National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, which provided the satellite images we all saw on television; The NOAA Marine and Aviation Operation Hurricane Hunters, who fly planes into the hurricanes to gather data; and The Southeast River Forecast Center, which provided flood predictions And I would be remiss without acknowledging the additional hurricane reconnaissance missions flown by the Air Force Reserve out of Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Also, I want to acknowledge the work of the local and national media in disseminating NOAA's hurricane forecasts and warnings. The dedicated employees at these offices worked round the clock, spending days at a time in their offices away from their families and homes that were often directly affected by the hurricanes. I commend these government employees for their service to provide life-saving warnings and information to the people in the hurricane's path and support them as they continue to provide us with critical information during this (and every) hurricane season.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the congregation of the First Baptist Church in Lowell, Michigan, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of its formation on Sunday, September 19, 2004. The First Baptist Church was started on Sept. 18, 1854, meeting for worship originally in the Lowell Schoolhouse under the leadership of their first pastor, the Rev. A.C. Powell. In 1860, the congregation moved into its own building, which was erected by the congregation members themselves. By 1866, the congregation boasted 74 active members. In 1898, the nearly 40-year-old building was moved approximately 20 feet and expanded to hold about 400 people. The congregation flourished in the community and sent many young men out for church mission work throughout the country. However, by the late 1930s, the church saw major declines in its membership and it temporarily closed its doors. In the early 1940s, the church reopened as a struggling mission church under the Rev. Mel Stadt. In 1949, the Rev. M.K. McIver took the pulpit, and the church saw such resurgent growth that the old building soon was deemed outdated and inadequate. By 1967, a new church building was dedicated and continues to serve as the church's home today. In 1983, a new auditorium was added and, through the years, staff continued to change and new positions were added. In the past decade, the church has undergone a three-phase renovation that has added space for programs and staff, while hosting five new missionaries since 1999. Today, the church continues to thrive under the leadership of Pastor of Ministries Rev. W. Lee Taylor and Youth Pastor Wayne Haines. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure that you and all of my colleagues will join me in congratulating Rev. Taylor, Pastor Haines and the members of First Baptist Church for their 150 years of service and worship in Lowell, Michigan. They have been blessed in their ministry, and their community has been blessed by their presence.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I simply wanted to thank my colleague the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) for coming to the floor to indicate his support for this bill, and especially to thank him for his hard work on the Committee on Appropriations in getting the $106 million funding for this year. I also want to join in thanking the staff, Eric Webster, Olwen Huxley and David Goldston, who have worked so hard on this bill, as well as my staff member, Cameron Wilson. They have done yeoman work, and I deeply appreciate it.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am afraid I have not provided a built-in cheering and applause section, but I believe my ideas are probably worth more applause. What the gentleman proposes is not a bad idea. I had proposed this myself some time ago, and not only in this department but also in the Energy Department I have worked on a similar proposal. The administration at the same time has advanced a proposal to reduce the number of under secretaries and does not support the development of new under secretaries. But what the administration did in response to our request to create this under secretary for manufacturing in the Department of Commerce, the administration heeded these calls and it created a new assistant secretary for manufacturing and took other steps to create a focus on manufacturing in the department, such as creating a manufacturers' council which met just 2 weeks ago. They had their initial meeting. I was present at that meeting, and I was impressed with the quality of the appointees, and I am delighted that the President and the administration took these steps. So I think it is really time to declare victory and go home on this issue because we basically got what we asked for. If instead the Larson amendment were adopted at this point, and if it passed through the Senate and were signed into law, it would force the administration to reorganize yet again. I think that would be counterproductive at that point. I am quite willing to live with the assistant secretary for a time and make sure it works out. If it does not work out, in a few years, we will resurrect the under secretary proposal. In addition, I object to the reorganization the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) has proposed. I do not think it is the best way to proceed because it would add to the bureaucracy that sits on top of NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, when in fact, our goal should be to get NIST out from under the burden of overmanagement. We would like it to have as much of its own funding as possible, as much latitude as possible, and control its own destiny through its own management structure. So I certainly object to that provision in the Larson amendment regardless of the rest of it. I could go on regarding several other points, but I know there are many people anxious to have this debate ended soon and have the opportunity to go home and be with their families for the weekend. Let me close by saying I urge the defeat of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3598, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act. The goal of my legislation is simple: It is to help small and medium-sized manufacturers better compete in the global marketplace. Why is this necessary? Because manufacturing is in trouble in the United States. You have heard the figures of the over a million jobs lost in manufacturing in the past few years. At the same time, the funding has been cut for this particular program. Like communities all over the United States, industries in my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, face countless challenges. Globalization is rapidly changing the way business is done, and our small and medium-sized firms are particularly vulnerable to these changes. Many are literally fighting for survival. I asked them what I could do to help. In talking to manufacturers in my district, one thing was clear. They all said the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program was a tremendously important program in helping them remain competitive. The MEP program has roughly 60 centers and 400 satellite offices throughout the country. These centers provide small manufacturers with tools and assistance to help increase productivity and efficiency. As an example, the Michigan MEP regional office in Grand Rapids, known as the Right Place Program, helped the family-owned Wolverine Coil Spring Company to develop a more efficient packaging and auditing system that cut in half the wait time for delivery of finished products. Unfortunately, Congress cut funding for the MEP program from $106 million in fiscal year 2003 to $39 million in 2004. This limited funding caused many centers to lay off people and cut back their services at a time when businesses needed them most. Another major concern raised by my constituents was technological advances by other countries. For our firms to compete today and in the future, I was told we need more research and development into how to manufacture products better, faster, and cheaper. I also learned that we need to provide a way for manufacturers to learn quickly about the latest advances from the research community. With these thoughts in mind, I developed H.R. 3598, the Manufacturing Technology and Competitiveness Act. This bill specifically will establish an interagency committee and external advisory committee on manufacturing research and development to ensure that Federal agencies will coordinate their programs related to manufacturing R&D and target them on concerns that matter most to industry. It will also help industry improve manufacturing processes and technology by establishing a pilot grant program that would fund joint efforts by universities and industry to solve challenges in manufacturing technology. It would also train more students and senior researchers in the manufacturing sciences by establishing post-doctoral and senior research fellowships at the National Institute for Standards and Technology. In addition, it would authorize the MEP program at $110 million to ensure all centers remain open. Let me just offer a comparison to show that this is certainly a perfectly acceptable amount of funding. If we compare it to the Agriculture Extension Service, which everyone agrees has worked very, very well for a very long time, to the extent that what is discovered in the lab one year is used out in the fields the next year, we find the Cooperative Extension Service of the Agriculture Department is funded at over $440 million per year, four times what we are suggesting for the MEP program. At the same time, in agriculture, we have just 1.5 percent of the American workforce. Manufacturing has approximately 14 percent of the workforce. Clearly, we need a program such as MEP so that we can do for manufacturing what for years we have done for agriculture. The bill also provides new ways to help small and medium-sized manufacturers by establishing a competitive grant program for MEP centers. And it authorizes the laboratory programs at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, which provides critical research and standards for most of our industries. This legislation has received widespread and bipartisan support. The National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Small Manufacturing Coalition, and the National Council for Advanced Manufacturing, just to name a few, all support this legislation. I have also worked with the administration to ensure the bill can be passed into law and will receive the President's signature. Mr. Chairman, this is the key point I want everyone to understand: I wanted to develop legislation that would help our manufacturers and that could make it through the entire congressional and administrative process to become law. Our manufacturers need our help and support now. Some of my colleagues are going to offer amendments that would seriously jeopardize the bill from passing into law. One such amendment will be offered by my colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon). His amendment would increase the authorization of MEP by an additional $90 million over the next 4 years and increase the amount the Federal Government contributes to the program from one-third to one-half. While well intentioned, this amendment will upset the delicate balance of support for full funding of the MEP program and could lead to some centers receiving less money. We are back on the right track with the fiscal year 2005 Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill which passed the House yesterday with $106 million included for MEP, and I do not want to jeopardize the commitments made to achieve this funding level. I acknowledge the hard work of my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) for their help on getting this appropriation. As I said from the beginning, my goal was to develop and pass into law legislation that would help our small manufacturers better compete in the global marketplace, and H.R. 3598 does just that. I want to conclude by thanking the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), the ranking member of my subcommittee, and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), the ranking member of the full committee, for their help and input throughout this process. I especially want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), the esteemed chairman of the Committee on Science, who has done an outstanding job on that committee; and I thank him for his unwavering commitment to move this legislation through the Congress and be signed into law. Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge everyone to support small and medium- sized manufacturers by supporting H.R. 3598.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I must rise in opposition to the amendment being offered by the gentleman from Tennessee. There are two reasons. First of all, it increases the MEP authorization by a considerable amount above the levels that are likely to succeed in the House and the Senate and through the administration; and we simply cannot, given the budget situation this year, increase the level that much and have any expectation that the appropriations will match that. Furthermore, the second reason is that the Gordon amendment will increase the Federal share of money for the centers; and given the shortage of money that we have this year, we want to maximize the use of the funds that we do have available and certainly do not want to add to the Federal burden, particularly because there might be some danger that the States will simply say, well, if the Federal Government has more money to give, we are going to reduce our share because, as we know, every State of this Union is facing severe financial difficulties. We certainly do not want to try to change the formula, first of all, because we do not have the money to do it and pay more and, secondly, because of the fear that the States may use this as an opportunity to reduce their share. So I oppose the Gordon amendment; and perhaps when better times come and we have a better budget situation, it will be entirely appropriate to increase the authorization levels and also the funding levels, and it would be my dream that that happens. But it is not going to happen this year or next fiscal year, and I doubt very much it will happen during the lifetime of this authorization. So I urge the defeat of the Gordon amendment, and I urge all my colleagues to support our efforts to defeat it.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I have been in Congress almost 10\1/2\ years, and I have enjoyed the friendship of the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) almost that entire time. I have always been extremely impressed with him. He is a very fine person. Approximately a decade ago, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) pulled me aside in his role as leader of the congressional delegation to NATO. He explained to me what the NATO Parliamentary Assembly was, explained to me that Europeans all had scientists serving on the Science Committee, but no one from the U.S. did. He asked me to serve since I am a physicist by training. I acquiesced rather reluctantly because it seemed like a huge assignment as a brand-new Member of Congress, but it has given me an opportunity to come to know Doug and Louise much better. I would like to talk about the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) as a diplomat. He is a consummate diplomat. He is patient, with a calm demeanor. He is always polite, no matter what point of view he is being forced to listen to. He is a careful listener. He is a good negotiator, and a decent person, a man of integrity. All of these are hallmarks of a good diplomat. Doug has served not only Congress but our Nation well as a diplomat in his position of serving and leading the NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation from the United States. It has been a pleasure to serve with him and to learn from him in that role. His wife, Louise, is also a good diplomat in the many contacts she has had to make over the years with Members and their spouses, but also with members and spouses from other countries, and she has handled this role with grace, tact, and great care. Also, I have been impressed with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) as a legislator. He has done such good work in so many different areas but above all in international relations. Frankly, my heart is broken that he is leaving us, because I was looking forward to the day he would become chairman of the Committee on International Relations, and I knew he would be a superb chairman. I would also like to mention Doug as a friend. He has been a good friend to me, a confidante and an adviser. I could not have had a better friend and confidante to discuss issues with. He always had wise advice and helpful comments to make when I discussed with him the problems I was having on the Science Committee, particularly in dealing with recalcitrant members from other countries who seemed to enjoy making trouble more than making progress. With his help, I was able to serve 4 years as a rappateur on the Science Committee. The rappateur controls all reports which come before the committee, in fact has to write most of them, and I am currently vice chairman of the Science Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and was asked to serve as president and declined with some regret simply because of my heavy workload in the Congress. I am very pleased that Doug has finally achieved the job of his dreams, to serve in this new position. He is a perfect fit for the job, and the job is a perfect fit for him. I certainly want to wish him and Louise well as they leave this area and move to San Francisco to take up this new position. We hate to see you go, Doug and Louise; but we certainly wish you well and we know you will do well as well.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the rule to bring up H.R. 3598, my bill on manufacturing technology competitiveness. I believe this rule is fair and balanced. The main goal of H.R. 3598 is to authorize manufacturing programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology that help small and medium-sized manufacturers innovate so they can remain competitive in the global marketplace. One of these programs is the highly successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. This program has roughly 60 centers and 400 satellite offices throughout the country. These centers provide small manufacturers with tools and assistance to increase productivity and efficiency. They do many things, and for one, they try to bring ideas from the laboratory down to the manufacturing floor. Another example, they might help to redesign a factory floor or help to train workers on how to use the latest technology or equipment. The net impact of these centers has been very beneficial on small to medium-sized businesses and is strongly supported by them as well as the National Association of Manufacturers. The legislation also creates a collaborative grant pilot program to support research partnerships between academia, industry, nonprofits, and other entities to develop innovative technologies and solutions to scientific problems in manufacturing. To truly help the manufacturers, we must have a bill that can be passed into law. Therefore, I want to keep this legislation focused on these specific programs that have strong bipartisan support. However, others have wanted to add extraneous provisions that, while well intentioned, take away from the focus of the bill. This is why I may oppose some of the amendments made in order, because I believe they will detract from the bill. This rule largely helps ensure that the debate will remain on the manufacturing programs at NIST. I think that is fair and is in the best interests of our manufacturing community. I urge my colleagues to support this fair and balanced rule. I would like to take a few minutes to respond to the ranking member of the Committee on Science for his statements a few minutes ago. I have no question that his intentions and the intentions of his colleagues are good. They are genuinely concerned about manufacturing and manufacturing jobs, just as I am. My concern is that it has taken considerable effort to negotiate this bill. They mentioned that several attempts have been made to kill the MEP program. I believe this bill now fully supports that program, and as written will also receive the support of the administration. I urge my colleague to support the rule and the bill. I have no difficulty with the ATP program. I think that is something that also has to be revised and resurrected, and I will be working in the future to do precisely that. So I want to assure my colleagues that we are in accord on basic ideas, but we have a lot of work to do before we can proceed with the additional activities that they recommend. And I am certainly willing to help them and work with them as we try to do that in the future. With that, I conclude by once again urging my colleagues to support this fair and balanced rule, and we hope they will also support the bill and bring it into effect.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 301, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are considering this resolution recognizing the importance of physics to our everyday lives. This resolution supports the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics and at the same time celebrates the 100th anniversary of Einstein's development of the theory of relativity. I am certain we are all familiar with the equation E=mc2 which, for the first time, recognized that mass is a form of energy and in fact could be converted into energy. This was a key factor in discovering nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. The resolution recognizes the important contributions of physicists to technological progress and the health of many industries. I could go on and on listing all the various benefits that we have developed in today's world resulting from the work of physicists. Many people do not realize, for example, that some of the most important developments in health care come directly from the world of physics. As an example, x- rays were discovered by a physicist. The CAT scan was developed based on work that physicists had done. And MRI imaging, which is very useful for health diagnosis and research, was developed by physicists resulting from work done on nuclear magnetic resonance, which was discovered while I was still a graduate student. In addition, what has developed with lasers is a very important aspect of what was at first a small, unknown field of research, very related to the field of research in which I received my doctorate. Discovery of lasers was the first proof of something that had been developed years ago theoretically, that photons passing through a material in an excited state would result in the emission of additional photons precisely in phase and at the same frequency as the photon that initiated the emission. That was the heart of developing the laser. The ramifications and uses of the laser are so numerous that I can scarcely begin to mention them. They are used in surgery. They are used in factories to cut steel and to cut out patterns for clothes. In many, many other areas lasers play an extremely important role. As I said, I could go on and on talking about the contributions that physicists have made to technological progress in many industries, but this resolution, in addition to recognizing that, encourages the people of the United States to observe next year as the World Year of Physics in conjunction with the United Nations declaration of 2005 as the International World Year of Physics. As a physicist, I recognize the physics principles that are part of our everyday lives. From mechanics and gravity to optical technologies that enable our CD players, physics is all around us. Through physics we can explore the depths of the universe and black holes, as well as the tiniest parts of the atom. And what has always fascinated me about my study of the atomic nucleus and also my readings in cosmology is that we humans are basically at the center of that scale. We are about as far removed from the size of an atomic nucleus, as we are from the size of the universe. I think it is just absolutely marvelous that we can explore our world in both the smaller and larger directions and have not reached limits at this point. This resolution encourages the American public to take note of the physics used every day and encourages them to learn more about it. I hope that the American people will observe the World Year of Physics by supporting physics education and research. I encourage physicists and educators to engage the public, especially the children, in physics to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. I commend the American Physical Society for promoting the World Year of Physics. This is a perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance of physics in our lives, promote public understanding of physics, and express our support for physics research and education. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 301, supporting the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.