Vernon Ehlers

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in favor of the Coble amendment. The economic growth that we are experiencing today, the economic growth that provides the budget surpluses that we are enjoying, arises from work done in research, development and invention; and it is absolutely essential that we continue that process of research, development and invention, and that we get the patents issued promptly so that we can continue this economic boom, this economic growth which we enjoy. I remember not too many years ago when there were long delays in the Patent Office, and this body raised the fees of the Patent Office so that we could process the inventions more rapidly. But now once again inventors and manufacturers are beginning to experience delays in the processing of their patents. I have two letters here indicating that patents are being held up because there are insufficient personnel and facilities to process these patents. That, again, has a debillitating effect on the advancement of our economy. Mr. Chairman, my conclusion is we must increase the funding. We must fund them the Patent and Trademark Office adequately, so that we do not have delays in processing. In response to the chairman's comment a moment ago, I would like to ask the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), is it not true that the amount of money being expended for this purpose is counted towards the cap, the allocation that is fixed in your budget? In other words, if more money were designated for the Patent and Trademark Office and everything else remained constant, you would exceed your allocation. Is that correct?

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I appreciate the point the gentleman made, and I respect the ability of the committee to examine those issues. However, based on the information I am being given by the inventors and the researchers in the field, the additional funding for the Patent and Trademark Office is needed in order to process the new patents rapidly enough.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the chairman for his assurance. I look forward to working with him on this issue.

Mr. EHLERS. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage the chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary of the Committee on Appropriations in a brief colloquy. I rise to commend the subcommittee for generously increasing funding in the Immigration and Naturalization Service budget so this new agency can hire new inspectors to serve at our Nation's airports. While I am supportive of this increase, I am concerned about the disparity of INS inspector staffing that exists between the New York Metropolitan Airport relative to other airports. Detroit Metro Airport desperately needs additional inspectors. The INS has not kept up with the great increase of passengers at this booming airport, and has let the number of staff at Detroit decrease relative to other international airports. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport has 2.1 million inspections per year with 78 inspectors on staff. Both Dallas Fort Worth and Dulles International Airports each have 2 million inspections each year, with 78 and 74 inspectors on staff respectively. In comparison, Detroit Metro Airport has 1.8 million inspections per year with only 47 inspectors. Relative to other major airports, Detroit inspectors have to process almost 40 percent more people per inspector. Clearly the INS has understaffed the Detroit Metro Airport. I had requested the chairman correct this problem by allocating specific inspectors to Detroit Metro Airport. I can appreciate the difficulty of my request and the committee's position that they cannot earmark new inspectors for individual airports. However, I am encouraged that the report language dealing with this account says: ``The recommendation includes $18,489,000 for adjustments to base; and $12,186,000, 154 positions and 77 FTE to increase primary inspectors at new airport terminals. INS is expected to consult with the committee prior to the deployment of these new positions.'' I ask for assurances from the chairman of the subcommittee that when the INS consults with the subcommittee, he will specifically encourage the INS to address the staffing problems, the staffing shortfall, in Detroit, and give the airport due consideration for these new positions.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise and comment on this bill. It is a pleasure, also, to recognize the efforts of our good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), who faced a very difficult position in this particular subcommittee this year, because it simply was not given an allocation sufficient to do the job. I have previously made an issue of this inadequate allocation on the floor. I have also generated a letter to the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations and to the Speaker pointing out the need to increase the allocation to this subcommittee so that it can meet its responsibilities in the various areas. I am referring particularly to one special area, and the rest of my comments will be regarding that. Many times I have spoken to the House and to the Nation about the importance of continuing a strong research effort in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. Very few people in this country realize that this marvelous economic boom that we now enjoy is due largely to advancements in science and technology. One-third of our economic growth is due just to one factor. That factor is information technology. When we add to that the improvements and increases in technology in other areas, we find well over half of our economic growth is due just to advancements in science and technology. It is absolutely essential for our country to keep ahead of this research curve if we want our economic boom to continue. Right now, relative to other nations, our investments in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics research have been decreasing. For example, Japan's research funds, as a percent of GDP, are greater than ours and increasing faster. Germany is above us. South Korea, believe it or not, is advancing rapidly and very shortly will be spending more for research, as a percent of GDP, than the United States. Those countries recognize that they have to do this to remain economically viable and to catch up with us. Our Nation has made improvements in the last several years. I am really delighted with the budget that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) and others developed last year in this area. I am also pleased with what he has been able to do this year within his allocation. Last year the funding in the House bill was so abysmal that I offered a floor amendment. This year I do not plan to do that, because the gentleman from New York has done yeoman's service in coming to the floor with an amount for science, mathematics, and engineering research that is appropriate, given his allocation. But the point is the allocation simply was not large enough. I want to get on the record that my lack of offering an amendment this year does not mean I am happy with this bill's scientific research budget or think it is great enough. Rather, I am convinced that given the gentleman from New York's good efforts and what he has done with the small allocation he has, I believe that, when we go to conference and deal with the Senate and negotiate with the President, the final result will be good for the Nation and good for the scientific research community. I wanted to get on the record that this is an extremely important area for our Nation and for our future, particularly our long-term future. I hope all of us in this Congress will unite in providing sufficient funding for scientific research.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to comment on the situation in Sierra Leone, a marvelous country, a country with great promise, a country that provided freedom for slaves many years ago. Today it is in utter chaos. Revolution is taking place. But what is unique about this is that it is not a political revolution, even though it pretends to be that, but it is basically a band of bandits trying to take over the country so that they can have access to the diamonds and the diamond mines. They already have access to many of them and they are using those diamonds to finance the revolution. The rebels are incredibly inhumane. Most of their captives have been released but only after a hand, a leg, a foot, or an arm have been chopped off and amputated. The inhumanity is such that last week, an 8-month-old baby had his arm amputated when his mother was captured as part of the revolution. Imagine the rebels amputated the arm of an 8-month-old baby! We must work with the British and the U.N. to stop this. We must act in a meaningful, humane way, and not back down from this as we have been backing down for a decade. It is time for our State Department and our President to act.

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 on House Resolution 280.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 280) recognizing the importance of strong marriages and the contributions that community marriage policies have made to the strength of marriages throughout the United States, as amended.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I have outlined some of the reasons that our nation should consider as we try to strengthen marriages in our country. The benefits of health, the benefits of stability, the benefits for our Nation and particularly for our children and their education. I have stated that the purpose of the resolution is simply to commend communities throughout the entire Nation that have established community marriage policies. But I would like to point out that the Congress itself should focus on ways to undue the bias against marriage in certain Federal programs. This House has already passed the elimination of the marriage penalty in our income tax, and we hope that that will soon pass the other body and be signed into law by the President. The earned income tax credit should also not have a marriage penalty, which it presently has. There are other issues in poverty programs and many other programs in the Federal Government where one can detect some antimarriage bias. I think we as a Congress should address those issues. In addition State governments, with their responsibility for the marriage laws, should do what they can to encourage proper premarital counseling and especially proper counseling of individuals considering divorce. In the State of Michigan, we have done that through a State law which sets up a mechanism for counseling at the local level, using funds from marriage license fees. Churches and local communities, through initiatives such as community marriage policies, also should encourage this. In summary, we have demonstrated there are substantial effects of divorce on children. There are substantial effects of divorce on the health of individuals. And we have also outlined a number of the benefits of marriage. It is very important that we as a Nation and as a Congress emphasize the importance of stable marriages for the well-being of our Nation, our citizens, and especially our children. This resolution is one small way we can do that, and I urge the adoption of the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of marriage and its benefits for individuals, for communities and for our Nation. There have been considerable discussion about the state of marriage in this Nation over the past half century because there has been such dramatic changes in our Nation and in the institution of marriage. If we look at the details of what has happened to marriage in this half century and what has happened as a result, we find some very interesting things. As an example, there has been a great deal of debate in America about the growing gap between rich and poor; and almost all of it focuses on the changing job force, the cost of living, and the tax and regulatory structure that hamstrings businesses and employees. But analysis of social science literature demonstrates that the root cause of poverty and income is definitely linked to the presence or absence of marriage. Among other problems, broken families earn less and experience lower levels of educational achievement. Let's consider some of the statistics that have been offered: in 1950, 12 out of every 100 children, in other words, 12 percent, entered a broken family. By 1992, 58 percent, or 58 out of every 100 children born, entered a broken family. Children living with a single mother are six times more likely to live in poverty than are children whose parents are married. Of families with children in the lowest quintile of earnings, 73 percent are headed by single parents. Ninety-five percent in the top quintile are headed by married couples. In 1994, over 12.5 million children lived in single-parent families that earned less than $15,000 per year. Only 3 million children lived in single-parent families with annual incomes greater than $30,000. Three-quarters of all women applying for welfare benefits do so because of a destructive marriage or live-in relationship. Those who leave the welfare system when they get married are the least likely to return to the welfare system. Co-habitation doubles the rate of divorce. Co-habitation with someone other than one's future spouse quadruples the rate of divorce. Divorce reduces the income of families with children by an average of 42 percent, and almost 50 percent of those families experience poverty. Married couples in their mid-50s amass four times the wealth of divorced individuals, $132,000 versus $33,600. I think this illustrates some aspects of the current situation. But let us also consider, research that has been done on marriage and happiness and particularly marriage and health. University of Chicago demographer Linda Waite found that life expectancy is more adversely affected by being unmarried than by being poor, overweight, or having heart disease. Similarly, scholars at the National Institutes for Health Care Research recently compiled a lengthy report showing that divorced men are particularly likely to experience health problems. When compared to married men, divorced males are twice as likely to die prematurely from hypertension, four times as likely to die prematurely from throat cancer, twice as likely to die prematurely from cardiovascular disease, and seven times as likely to die prematurely from pneumonia. In other words, being married is healthy. Why does marriage offer such extraordinary health benefits? The previously mentioned demographer, Linda Waite, states that marriage provides individuals a network of help and support which can be particularly beneficial in dealing with stress and in recovering from illness and accidents. Of course the long-recognized linked between stable marriage and greater wealth is not simply due to the fact that married men have stronger incentives to work hard. It is also due to the fact that married-couple households benefit from role specialization and from pooling resources. Another interesting aspect, Washington State University researcher Jan Stets reports that women in co-habiting unions are more than twice as likely to be the victims of domestic violence than married women. Data from the National Institute of Mental Health shows that co- habiting women have rates of depression that are more than three times higher than married women and more than twice as high as other single women. On and on the statistics go. I think a very important item to mention is that research reviews by UCLA Professor Robert Coombs and others find that the longer lives of married people cannot be explained by the fact that healthy people are more likely to get and stay married. The state of marriage itself is more important in fostering good health. Now, that is very important to recognize because an immediate response of many people to all the statistics that I have given here is that we simply have not done a controlled experiment. The problem, they would say, is simply that the healthier people and the happier people are the ones more likely to get married and stay married. But as I said here, the research by Robert Coombs of UCLA indicates that is simply not true. The state of marriage itself is more important in fostering good health. The conclusion is that marriage is healthy. It is good for couples. It is good for children, good for communities, good for the Nation. It improves health, well-being, and makes children's lives, on average, more stable. The question is what can we do to encourage marriage if marriage is so wonderful? Is there some magic wand we at the Federal level can wave and solve that particular problem? I think it is important to recognize that we cannot do a great deal at the Federal level. But we can certainly encourage community-level activity, particularly activity that is having a good effect. I want to make it clear I am not up here to condemn divorce; I am simply pointing out that marriage can be a positive factor in many lives and that we should try to encourage those who are married to stay married and those who are not married to become married. An example of a way to handle this appropriately is to mobilize religious and community support. Something that has emerged in this country, which is very good and has had a positive influence, is something called a community marriage policy. Let me cite some material from a recent report, ``Toward More Perfect Unions: Putting Marriage on the Public Agenda,'' a report from the Family Impact Seminar, reported by Theodora Ooms. She notes that perhaps the most promising and innovative marriage-strengthening strategy bubbling up from the community level is the community marriage policy. This is a strategy rooted in the religious sector and was originally conceived of and promoted by Michael McManus, a syndicated columnist and author of ``Marriage Savers.'' In the community marriage policy initiative, clergy and congregations in a community get together and agree upon a set of guidelines. A particularly good example of such a community marriage policy is that of the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan, area which I represent. I do not say that just because I represent it. In the words of the report Family Impact Seminar report, the best community marriage policy is taking place in Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan, where, in 1996, the community launched an ambitious community-wide mobilization designed to support children-strengthening marriage. The initiative has some core funding, an executive leader, Dr. Roger Sider, and institutional support from Pine Rest, a Christian Community Mental Health Center. I should point out in an aside that Pine Rest is more than just a center; it is the second largest private community member health facility in the United States. What distinguishes the Grand Rapids community marriage policy is that it involves a high caliber and breadth of community leadership, including many civic leaders and health professionals as well as the clergy. They have taken pains to be inclusive of many different views of marriage. For example, they have been careful to listen to and accommodate the concerns of feminists working with battered women and minority leaders working with single-parent families. Let me emphasize that this community marriage policy is voluntary; but the Grand Rapids one is unique in that it has involved the broader community, not just the religious community. In Grand Rapids, pastors, rabbis, priests, judges, doctors, lawyers, counselors, elected officials, business leaders, educators and concerned citizens are being asked to find ways that they can strengthen and support marriages throughout their life cycle. The chairman of the 50-person steering committee is Bill Hardiman, a good friend of mine, and the mayor of Kentwood, the second largest suburb of Grand Rapids. He has put many hours into this and has done exceptional work. After more than a year of careful planning, in the spring of 1998 the initiative began implementation, starting by offering training to ministers and courses to others. The Greater Grand Rapids Community Marriage Policy has set itself a goal of reducing the divorce rate by 25 percent by the year 2010, a very ambitious goal; and they are well on the way to achieving that. It will also establish some interim benchmarks of progress towards this goal. So the purpose of this resolution is to commend community marriage policies throughout this land; and, in particular, although it is not specifically stated in the resolution, I want to commend the Greater Grand Rapids community in developing their community marriage policy. It has worked well. It holds great promise. We hope that it will achieve a great increase in the stability of marriages in our community and eventually throughout our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Rabbi Albert Micah Lewis, who is retiring from Congregation Emanuel in my home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan after 28 years of leadership. Not only has he been a tremendous force within his congregation, Rabbi Lewis has also provided outstanding leadership and dedication to numerous organizations and projects within our community. His strong academic background and intellectual ability have led to national respect for his work and writings. Even though he is ending his day-to-day role at Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Lewis will continue to be a driving force in Grand Rapids. He will continue his duties as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Religion and Aging at Aquinas College where he has been teaching since 1972. He will also remain as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology and Gerontology at Aquinas College, and will continue on the staff at Hope College as an Adjunct Professor of Jewish Studies, where he has served since 1994. Rabbi Lewis' contributions to our community have been numerous and generous; they could easily fill many pages in the Congressional Record. I will highlight just a few of his many contributions. He is the founder and co-coordinator of Interfaith Forum for Understanding and Growth. He also founded and served as President of the Hospice of Greater Grand Rapids and the Western Michigan Chapter of the Michigan Society for Gerontology. In 1999 he was honored as Man of the Year by the Jewish Community Fund of Grand Rapids. Earlier this year, he was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan and to the Board of Directors of the Henri Nouwen Literary Society. He has also authored numerous publications on a variety of subject matters. On a personal level, I have always appreciated Rabbi Lewis' moral presence in our community. He has thoughtfully and insistently spoken on behalf of issues important to us, our community, and our relationships with God. Such moral leadership is enormously important as we strive to lead the people of this nation toward our common goals of freedom, liberty, and respect for each other. Mr. Speaker, I commend Rabbi Lewis for the tremendous impact he has had on our community. As you can see, Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Lewis is a outstanding individual committed to service to God and fellow human beings. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him for his contribution to society.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the Local Legacies project that has served as the focal point of this year's Library of Congress Bicentennial celebration. Last year, each Member of Congress was asked to submit audio, visual, or textual documentation for at least one significant cultural heritage that has been important to his or her district, serving as a record for future generations. This documentation will be permanently housed in the collections of the Library's American Folklife Center. This evening, Members of Congress and Local Legacies project participants from across the country will gather in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building to celebrate the completion of this magnificent collection of historical material. I am proud to have participated in the Local Legacies project and personally thank volunteers Kathy Kuhn and Eileen Schwarz-Duty, who deserve an enormous amount of credit for gathering and compiling the Local Legacies project for the Third District of Michigan. Kathy and Eileen coordinated the massive effort of documenting The Festival of the Arts: The Nation's Largest All-Volunteer Arts Festival. This Festival is a three-day celebration of the arts held the first full weekend of June in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first festival was held in 1970 and has grown considerably over the years. In 1998, 20,000 volunteers helped showcase the work of several thousand artists, dancers, musicians, poets, and other performers. Festival is also known for its wide variety of food booths set up by non-profit organizations that highlight various ethnic themes and culinary specialities. Festival hats, water bottles, beanie babies, posters, programs, pins, and a video are just a few of the many items that were submitted on behalf of the Third District. Because of the passion these two individuals have for Festival, the Library of Congress has received the best possible representation to what our major West Michigan event is all about. I encourage everyone to take a moment to explore the Local Legacies materials that have been submitted for inclusion in the Library's collection. All information regarding Local Legacies, including a complete project listing, can be accessed through the Library's Bicentennial Web site at: http://www.loc.gov/bicentennial. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to applaud the efforts of volunteers from across the country who have helped in the bicentennial celebration of America's oldest federal cultural institution, the Library of Congress. Thanks to their work and care in preserving the past, the cultural heritage of our nation will be preserved.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 25 young women, ages 14 through 17, from my home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan who are being honored by the Girl Scouts with the organization's highest honor during a ceremony today in Grand Rapids. The young women will receive the Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizing outstanding accomplishments in the areas of leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development. These future leaders have dedicated the last two years to achieving this award. To be considered for the Girl Scout Gold Award, candidates must earn four interest project patches: the Career Exploration Pin, the Senior Girl Scout Leadership Award, and the Senior Girl Scout Challenge, as well as designing and implementing a Girl Scout Gold Award project. The latter is accomplished by working closely with an adult Girl Scout volunteer. It should also be noted that these Girl Scouts accomplish all of this in addition to their school work, chores at home, and extracurricular activities. The 25 young women receiving the Girl Scout's highest honor are: Rachel Voorhees, Carla Kaiser, Rachael Goodstein, Anne Clocklin, Nora Hauk, Holly Morris, Theresa Whitaker, Barbie Gatchel, Jennifer Bryant, Jennifer Kelly, Kelly Slezak, Elizabeth Gillis, Kim Farrell, Eda Koning, Jamie Wakely, Kate Chisholm, Jeannette Durham, Melissa Springvloed, Abby Caldwell, Katherine Muszkiewicz, Cristin McNamara, Andrea Tenkel, Nicole Flanagan, Mindy Peterson, and Libby Bode. Mr. Speaker, it is with great delight that I honor these young women for their outstanding contributions to the Girl Scouts and our community. Their accomplishments and dedication should serve as a model for their peers and future Girl Scouts. To be the best, one must give it their all, and that is what these leaders have done. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating each of these young ladies in reaching this milestone. I wish each of them continued success in their future endeavors.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 93, I was summoned from the House Chamber for a meeting and was unable to return before this vote was completed. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak on this resolution today. I hope the Chair will indulge me as I go through some of my history of involvement in libraries and why I believe this is a very important resolution. This story goes back many years to the time when I was a young lad in Minnesota. I had chronic asthma. I was unable to go to school, and did all my schoolwork at home. I was home schooled before people knew that term. And that left me with a great deal of time to read because I could do most of my schoolwork in 3 hours a day. I lived in a small town of 800 people. We had a library that contained probably that same number of books, about 800 books. I believe I read every book in that library at least once, except for those that the librarian kept hidden under her desk, as they did in those days. This led me to a great interest in reading and a great appreciation for libraries. As I grew up, I continued to value and treasure libraries and the resource they represent for our communities and for our country. Little did I know at that time that I would become involved in politics. I never expected to, never intended to, and yet here I am. But, on the way, I have served as a member of a county library board. I have served as a member of a city library board. I also served as a member of the Board of the State Library of Michigan. And now I am on the Joint Committee of the Library of Congress. My experience with all these libraries increased my appreciation of libraries and librarians. Tremendous resources are available in libraries, and I found this out as I got into the academic world first at Calvin College and then at the University of California at Berkeley. Coming from a very small town, I was just amazed at what I could find in a library not only in terms of books to read but also in material useful for research. I also remember the first time I used the Library of Congress. I was engaged in academic research on energy resources sometime after the energy crisis of 1973, and I studied various aspects relating to scientific analysis of energy resources, the use of energy, alternatiave sources of energy, improving efficiency of energy use, and so forth. On a trip to Washington, I spent a day at the Library of Congress doing research. I was just delighted with all the materials that I found there which were very, very useful in my research. I could easily have spent a couple of weeks devouring the material there and condensing it for use in my work. I was truly astounded at the resources of the Library of Congress but also very, very pleased at the way the employees helped me and treated someone from a small town in Michigan trying to do research on a major national issue. They were extremely helpful. They determined what I needed to find and they helped me find it. My appreciation of the Library of Congress increased even more after I came to the Congress and observed firsthand the services they provide to our country and to our Congress. It is a marvelous institution and is blessed with a good administration, and is blessed now and has been blessed for 200 years with an outstanding staff. It is a venerable institution that started in a small way in this building and then was burned out when the British came in and burned the Capitol and the White House some years ago. Thanks to Thomas Jefferson, who after the fire willingly offered his personal library of some 20,000 volumes to the Congress for purchase at a reasonable price, the Library of Congress was revived and eventually developed into what we have today, the largest collection of books and materials in the entire world. The Library and its employees have also advanced into the modern age with the addition of the Internet, which first of all helps make all public documents of the House of Representatives and the Senate available to every person in this country and indeed on this planet. In addition to that, they make much other information available; they have developed what is called the digital library. With the help of grants from various good citizen and corporations in this country, much of the material in the Library of Congress is available to schoolchildren everywhere. So the Library continues to adapt to the changing times and changing technology, and they are doing a marvelous job of not only providing that information but training the staff to enter the digital age. I am very appreciative of all that they have done, and I rise to support this resolution and urge its passage. It recognizes not only the history of the institution and the contributions they have made but, in particular, the contributions that the staff has made working very diligently to meet the needs of our citizens. I must confess to a little personal interest here as well. I have a daughter who became a librarian and has been the manager of a branch library in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was recently promoted to become the head of the reference section in the main library there; she also has enlightened me about many of the problems of modern-day libraries, and she is my personal consultant on matters relating to libraries. So it is with great pleasure that I recognize the major role that libraries have played but, in particular, what the Library of Congress has meant to this Nation and, indeed, to all academic institutions worldwide and, in addition to that, recognize the staff and administration for the outstanding work they have done for 200 years. We welcome their contributions, and we admire them and congratulate them as they reach their bicentennial. We wish them a wonderful bicentennial year as they engage in many different celebrations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 269) commending the Library of Congress and its staff for 200 years of outstanding service to the Congress and the Nation and encouraging the American public to participate in bicentennial activities.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume in concluding. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for his comments about the Library. He truly recognizes the value of the Library of Congress and what it has done for this Nation. But one comment in particular rang true, that this has truly become the library of the world. When I was a youngster, it was a library of Congress. It soon became the library of this country. And now, through the Internet and through its leadership, it has truly become the library of the world. I personally believe it is having as much or more impact on what is happening in the world around us today than the Library of Alexandria over two millennia ago had on the known world at that time. It is truly a venerable institution and filled with very good people, good scholars, helpful scholars; and it has meant so much to this Congress and to this Nation. I am very pleased that the Congress will be joining us in honoring them for their good work. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.

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. 269.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor the NCAA Division III National Basketball Champion Calvin College Knights from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Knights capped off their magical season on March 18, by defeating a very strong and talented Wisconsin-Eau Claire squad in the championship game, 79-74. The Knights finished their dream season with a 30-2 overall record enroute to the school's second national basketball title. Under the tutelage of fourth-year Head Coach Kevin VandeStreek and assistants Tim VanDyke and Chris Fear, the Knights provided excitement every time they hit the floor this season. Not only did these young men provide numerous memorable moments for the Calvin faithful, they did so with a strong sense of teamwork both on and off the floor. Members of the 1999-2000 Calvin College Knights include Kyle Smith, Bryan Foltice, Jon Potvin, Aaron Winkle, Dave Bartels, Nate Burgess, Nate Karsten, Tim Bruinsma, Jason DeKuiper, Jeremy Veenstra, Brian Krosschell, Nick Ploegstra, Jon VanderPlas, Derek Kleinheksel, Josh Tubergen, and Rob Dykstra. National championships are becoming the norm at Calvin College. In addition to the men's basketball championship, the women's cross country team has captured national titles the past two seasons. And if there were a championship for fans, Calvin would also be in the running for that title. Calvin College fans, also known as the best fans anywhere, are also to be commended for the tremendous support they provide to the student-athletes that represent Calvin College. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in saluting these young men for their fine conduct and stellar play throughout this storybook season. Not only did they serve as fine representatives for Calvin, they also served as ambassadors for all of West Michigan and for their league, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Congratulations and best wishes to everyone associated with the Calvin College Knights!

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) for yielding, and I also thank him for his good service as chairman of the committee and solving first our surface transportation problems and now our air transportation problems. This bill, as presented to us, deserves passage. I am very pleased with the contributions it will make to solving the problems in Michigan, with the construction of the new terminal at the Wayne County Metro Airport and also at the Grand Rapids Airport with the construction that they have, particularly rebuilding a new runway. I am especially pleased because I live in terror that we will have a major mid-air collision sometime, and this bill will provide funding for a new air traffic control system which will solve that problem. I congratulate the chairman.

Mr. EHLERS

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of the rule and of the bill. I also wish to commend the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the Committee on Science, for taking what was submitted to the Science Committee last year as a very flawed piece of work and which he developed into an excellent bill which will serve this Nation well. As was mentioned I have been in the technical field of computers and the Internet, but I am also of an age that allows me to recognize the importance of what went on many, many years ago. Too often our citizens do not appreciate the value of basic research, even though it takes a very long time to pay off. Let me explain. During World War II, a group of scientists working together developed the first computers. It is interesting that some very knowledgeable people in the field at that time predicted that the world probably would never need more than 10 of those huge computers. Today, on every desk in every office in this Congress and this country, we have computers that are far more powerful and faster than those huge computers that were developed back then. It is a rapidly growing field and a very important field, with a multi, multibillion dollar industry that has developed out of this. Similarly, with the Internet, today we have many people who claim to have developed or invented the Internet. That always happens after an invention, but when we look back at history, there is only a small handful of physicists and computer scientists who developed the basic ideas of the Internet. No one at the time really appreciated the future benefits. It was intended simply to allow our national laboratories to communicate information and data very rapidly. However, once the Interenet was commercialized, it developed into a another multibillion dollar industry. Fundamental research in information technology has contributed to the creation of new industries and high-paying jobs that today pay about 80 percent above the average in the private sector. Today, we have 7.4 million people working in high-tech jobs. What this bill does is prioritize the basic information technology research of the Nation, and this is extremely important to us. It funds basic IT research that will provide a real payoff in the next generation of innovations and it will set the framework for our economy for 10, 20, even 30 years from today. We cannot rely on industry to do the basic research; they have to deal with the bottom line every quarter. But the government has an appropriate role here and this bill recognizes that. In addition to that, the bill will help produce the next generation of highly-skilled information technology workers. We need more students in this field. We have a grave shortage, as evidenced by the number of H1B visas that this Nation issues ever year. The internship program in the bill will help meet the need for those new employees. This bill will also meet the need for state of the art computing systems for the civilian research community, a need that will grow in the future, and it provides for a terascale computing competition at the National Science Foundation. Most people do not realize that the Japanese supercomputers have now surpassed ours and they have a huge market they are developing internationally. We must, as a Nation, catch up to that and develop equally good computers, and preferably better computers. This is bipartisan legislation. It passed the Committee on Science on a 41 to zero vote, and I congratulate the chairman on getting that agreement within our committee. It demonstrates a real commitment to upholding our Nation's preeminence in information technology. It has been endorsed by dozens of organizations and clearly is a good piece of work that is going to serve this Nation well. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of this Congress to support this legislation and to recognize the importance of basic research, not only in this field, but in other fields. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.