Bill Foster

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. I thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their work on this bill and for their support of this amendment. Before I yield, Mr. Chairman, I would like to read a section from a June 21, 2014, report by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, which assessed workforce development needs and the importance of a wide education pipeline: A complete picture of the scientific workforce must be understood in the context of the broader education pipeline. There are many reports that discuss the challenge of training highly qualified individuals in the so-called STEM--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--fields. We believe that a robust workforce for fusion energy sciences requires a wide pipeline that starts with precollege activities and ends with strong employment opportunities. This pipeline should also tap into the full potential of the American populace, with opportunities to attract women and groups that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. The adoption of our amendment today will help address this point in part, but we would also like to state our opposition to the Department of Energy's plan to remove precollege science education activities from its mission portfolio. The Department of Energy labs provide world-class facilities, where students and scientists conduct groundbreaking research. These facilities should operate both as hubs of innovation and as research tools to engage students. When young students and teachers are able to directly engage with our national labs, it inspires an interest and a passion for science beyond what any textbook or online resource could ever provide. Both Representative Holt and I worked at a national lab for many years before coming to Congress, and we have witnessed firsthand how a young student's time spent among researchers and experiments can inspire a lifelong interest in science. We fear that, in limiting educational activities only to the Education Department, that we will further isolate the public from important scientific research that is being conducted in our national labs and that we will diminish science education in America overall. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to increase overall spending for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The underlying bill provides a budget allocation approximately $40 million below the President's request for the Office of Science. My amendment would restore the funding level to the President's request. Our national labs and the major user facilities housed at those labs are some of the greatest tools that we have to offer researchers and industry. My amendment would ensure that our national labs are on a sound footing to maintain our role as a global leader in innovation and scientific research. The greatest long-term economic and national security threat that our country faces is the prospect of losing our role as world leaders in science and technology. Nothing is more critical to preserving our role as world leaders than the fundamental and applied scientific research that is supported by the DOE Office of Science. As a physicist who worked at Fermi National Accelerator Lab for over 20 years, I understand the productivity and the potential of the Department of Energy's national lab system, their contributions to our economy, and the wide range of scientific research that they support. The Chicago area is home to a number of scientific centers, including Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory. The economic impact of Argonne and Fermilab in Illinois alone is estimated to be more than $1.3 billion annually. The work done at Argonne and Fermi national labs not only supports our local economy, employing roughly 5,000 people in Illinois, but it is critical to our Nation's long-term economic success. Despite the economic benefits of scientific research, Federal investments in research and development are at historically low levels. In 2014, our Federal spending on R&D, both defense and nondefense, amounted to less than 1 percent of our GDP, a trend that simply must be reversed. In fact, over the last 3 years, Federal research and development expenditures decreased by 16.3 percent, which is the steepest decline over a 3-year period since the end of the space race. We simply cannot sustain this downward trend and still expect to be at the cutting edge of scientific research and innovation. The Office of Science is responsible for supporting research that is too big for any single company or university to develop. Our national labs are critical research tools to academics and industry alike. For example, Eli Lilly conducts nearly half of its drug discovery research at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne. The Office of Science is also home to the Department's newest ventures, the innovation hubs, which seek to discover and develop the next generation of energy sources and delivery systems. Programs like the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, headquartered at Argonne, and the Fuels from Sunlight Hub, headquartered at the California Institute of Technology, bring together multiple teams of researchers who are working to develop energy advancements that have the potential to transform energy systems. The Office of Science also invests in fusion, a safe, clean, and sustainable energy source that has the scientific potential to provide the U.S. with energy independence and a nearly limitless energy supply. Through the Office of Science's Biological and Environmental Research programs, we have become world leaders in biofuels research. This research is laying the foundation for a revolution in biofuel production that will help to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. And the list goes on. The investments in the DOE Office of Science have also supported research driven by intellectual curiosity alone, such as the discovery science at the forefront of high energy and particle physics, astronomy, or the physics of ultracold atoms. These investments have led to the development of new technology such as the construction of accelerators and detectors that enable our scientists to discover new particles, including the top quark, the heaviest known form of matter, and the Higgs boson, that help explain the fundamental nature of the universe. But perhaps most importantly, the Office of Science has supported the training of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers for more than 60 years. At a time of continuing economic stress, we must continue to develop the next generation of American technical workforce. As other world powers are growing and challenging our position as a global leader in science and innovation, we cannot afford to let the number of American scientists and researchers, or the quality of their research facilities, diminish. Funding scientific research and development results in one of the highest return on investments that our Nation can make. It is essential that we continue to fully support funding for our national labs to preserve our global competitive advantage. I rise in strong support of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to offer this amendment on behalf of Representative Rush Holt, who is, even as we speak, being honored for his many years of service to science, to Congress, and to the citizens of New Jersey. Our amendment simply transfers funds within the Department of Energy's Office of Science account with the intent of restoring the National Undergraduate Fellowship Program, sometimes affectionately referred to NUF. The Department of Energy's FY 2015 budget request would zero out funding for NUF while increasing funding for the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships, sometimes referred to as SULI. Our amendment would simply reallocate the additional SULI funding back to NUF, allowing the program to continue. The elimination of NUF would reduce the overall slots available for those wishing to study plasma physics. Additionally, the goal of NUF is to support a very specific workforce need, and an analysis of the numbers proves that this program has been remarkably successful, particularly in encouraging female participation in the sciences. According to the data collected by program administrators, since 2000, almost three-quarters of the undergraduate students who have participated in NUF have entered a doctoral program in physics, and nearly half have studied plasma physics or related fields. The program has succeeded in encouraging women to study plasma physics. The Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society has a female composition of only 7 percent, yet 51 percent of female NUF participants enter a Ph.D. program, with almost half of those entering the plasma physics Ph.D. program. I urge support for this amendment, which would restore the NUF program, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Herschel Luckinbill of Montgomery, Illinois, as the Illinois Veteran of the Month for June 2014. The title of Veteran of the Month is bestowed upon individuals who have been exceptionally dedicated to honoring veterans and improving our community. A Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, Mr. Luckinbill has taken great effort to continue his service beyond Active Duty. As a member of the Aurora Veterans Advisory Council, Mr. Luckinbill represents the interests of veterans in our community. Mr. Luckinbill organized efforts to bring The Vietnam Moving Wall to Aurora in 2013, giving the community and the next generation the opportunity to honor the fallen. Working as part of the organization Honor Flight Chicago, Mr. Luckinbill has helped World War II veterans fly to Washington to view the monuments that were erected in their honor. We can never fully repay those who have risked and given their lives in service to our country, but because of the tireless efforts of advocates like Herschel Luckinbill, their sacrifice will not be forgotten. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Mr. Herschel Luckinbill for his service to our country and to veterans in our community.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, one of the greatest legislative achievements in the history of our country. There were so many men and women who were a part of the civil rights movement, but I would like to take this time to highlight one of them who has been especially important in my life, and that is my father, who was a civil rights lawyer and who wrote much of the enforcement language behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was one of the greatest achievements in human rights in our Nation's history. Like me, my father was trained as a scientist. During World War II, he designed fire-control computers for the Navy. Most of the way through the war, he started getting reports about how many people had been killed this week by his team's equipment. Despite his understanding of the justice of that war, he became deeply unhappy with the idea of his technical skills being used to hurt other human beings. So when he came back from the war, he thought about it for a while and decided that he wanted to spend part of his life in service to his fellow man. This was the late 1940s and 1950s and the birth of the civil rights movement. My father grew up in the South, where he saw firsthand the struggles for equality and basic human rights. He saw civil rights as the great cause of his generation. So he left behind his career in science and became a civil rights lawyer. My father, among other things, wrote the Federal regulations for implementing school desegregation under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There were 10 years between the famous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which established the right of children to attend integrated schools, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During those 10 years, only the Federal courts attempted to desegregate the public school systems. My father spent much of those 10 years traveling around the South, interviewing and offering advice to school districts that were struggling with the implications of Brown v. Board of Education. My father served as sort of an informal advance man for the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. He would send back memos saying, for example, that in one southern county there was one guy who runs the place, that understands the tide of history, and if you could get Burke Marshall or Robert Kennedy or whoever was running the Justice Department to give him a call, then everything would be okay; but in another county, it was a lost cause, and you should just plan on bringing in troops and filing suit. It was while actually reading my father's papers after he passed away that I first started thinking about stepping away from my career in science and spending part of my life in service to my fellow man. It was as a result of this work that when the Civil Rights Act was passed, my father, who had become somewhat of an expert on the nuts and bolts of desegregating schools, was called upon to write what were referred to as the Federal guidelines for implementing title VI of the Civil Rights Act. These were the detailed rules that called out what Southern school systems had to do each year to desegregate their schools in order to qualify for Federal funds. With the carrot of Federal education funding and the stick provided by the Federal guidelines for title VI of the Civil Rights Act, more school desegregation was achieved in the year following the Civil Rights Act than had been achieved in the previous 10 years following Brown v. Board of Education. My father had the chance to work with some of the leaders of the civil rights movement. He described having dinner at the kitchen table of Myrlie and Medgar Evers and holding their infant child in his hands only weeks before Medgar was shot down in his driveway. My father was not an activist or a protester, but he saw a great injustice and he quietly devoted himself to changing it. Martin Luther King, Jr., famously said: The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. But the arc does not bend on its own. On July 2, 1964, when President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, the arc was bent towards justice, but only because of the tireless efforts of so many who fought so long to bend it in the right direction. I am proud to say that my father was among them. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor all of those who played a part in advancing civil rights and making our country and our universe more just.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Loaves & Fishes 7th annual Day Without Hunger. Over the past thirty years, the Loaves & Fishes team has been committed to providing a hand up to those most in need in DuPage County with food assistance and other services. This organization has grown exponentially in size and scope in order to realize their vision of ending hunger in DuPage County. In 1984, the year of their founding, the Loaves & Fishes team assisted eight households in the Naperville area, providing them with food to sustain their families. Today, Loaves & Fishes has expanded to serve all of DuPage County, helping thousands of families. Last year alone, Loaves & Fishes distributed over 3,200,000 pounds of food, serving 18,564 individuals. The Loaves & Fishes team has helped close the gap for children who rely on school food services. Since 2004, they have assisted with school nutrition programs, ensuring that Naperville students get meals during the summer months. Additionally, breakfast assistance programs which they support give students a proper meal to start the school day. In addition to food assistance, Loaves & Fishes has expanded to do even more to support the community. Since 2011, Loaves & Fishes has supported Pathways to Empowerment programs which provide assistance with various services, from health care enrollment to support in starting a job search. The Loaves & Fishes team not only provides food for those in need, but they also provide an opportunity for individuals to serve their friends and neighbors by volunteering. Truly, this organization empowers both recipients and volunteers. Today, I am proud to recognize Loaves & Fishes for the invaluable service the organization has provided and the thousands of lives they have touched.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, as a scientist, it is not often that I come to the floor to speak out on works of science fiction, but I rise today to recognize the Fifth Annual Star Wars Day, hosted by the Joliet Public Library on Saturday, June 7, 2014. The event not only brings the community together into the historic and welcoming streets of downtown Joliet, but also promotes literacy, science, technology, engineering, and math in a fun and exciting atmosphere that captivates young minds. Thanks to the library's Star Wars Day, no Jedi mind tricks are needed to get children to read over the summer. In its 5 years, Star Wars Day has grown to over 7,000 attendees, thanks to the hard work of many people. And as the Star Wars parade marched proudly down Ottawa Street, with Imperial Storm Troopers, Jedi Knights, and Ewoks in full costume, I would like to especially recognize the Sand People who, of course, march single file to hide their numbers. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the Joliet Public Library for their efforts to promote library services, literacy, and STEM education with their Fifth Annual Star Wars Day.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Safety and Security Department of Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois. Safety and security is a growing concern for healthcare facilities, and Presence Mercy Medical Center has responded by preparing their security team to prevent crimes before they begin and respond to criminal activity promptly. The 2012 Crime and Security Trends Survey conducted by the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) highlights the increasing dangers healthcare workers face. The survey found that in 2012 there were over 20,500 crimes committed in healthcare facilities, a 37 percent rise from 2010. The Safety and Security Department at Presence Mercy Medical Center has responded to these recent developments by exposing their security officers to comprehensive training and preparation programs. All of their department's members have studied, tested, and received certification in Basic Training by the IAHSS, 92 percent have received Advanced certification, and 83 percent have received Supervisor certification. These efforts have made Presence Mercy a model security team at a time when healthcare safety and security is a significantly mounting concern. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Safety and Security Department members for their excellence in safety and security preparation: Doug Kaiser; Robert Lea; Christian Pfister; Darin Northern; Jim Rees; Victor Jimenez; Miguel Saenz; Kerry Haggard; Tom Greiner; David Oliver; Nora Rodriguez.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, on May 28, I missed two recorded votes. Had I been present, on rollcall No. 241, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 242, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Houbolt, a native of Joliet, Illinois. He was one of the great unsung heroes of the Apollo program. Politicians are fond of citing President Kennedy's famous speech made in this room at a joint session of Congress more than 50 years ago to ``commit this Nation, before this decade is out, to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.'' Politicians like to imagine that anything is possible if the right politician and speechwriter can muster just the right words to stir a country to action, but engineers know differently. If you do not have a workable engineering concept and a set of design parameters that respect both available resource limitations and engineering reality, then no amount of fine words from politicians is going to make any difference. Dr. John Houbolt provided that crucial engineering concept that made the 10-year success of the Apollo program possible. John Houbolt came from humble beginnings, working 16 hours a day on his family's dairy farm near Joliet, Illinois, where he developed an early interest in aviation, building model airports in his free time. He graduated from Joliet Township High School and Joliet Junior College. He obtained a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Illinois in civil engineering. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. and serve as an engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center. His contributions to the U.S. space race in the 1960s were vital to NASA's successful Moon landing. He is best known for his advocacy of lunar orbit rendezvous, the crucial mission design decision that proved essential to carry the Apollo crew safely to the Moon and back in 1969. Dr. Houbolt, along with several of his colleagues at Langley, became convinced that this relatively obscure technique was the only feasible way to land on the Moon by the end of the decade. Initially, NASA rejected Dr. Houbolt's plan for being too complicated and risky, but like the world's greatest innovators, Dr. Houbolt didn't let initial failure stop him. Despite opposition from NASA and from leading rocket scientists at the time, Dr. Houbolt tenaciously advocated for lunar orbit rendezvous. To convince the decisionmakers at NASA to consider his plan, Dr. Houbolt took the bold step of writing a letter directly to the associate administrator of NASA--at the time a clear breach of protocol. ``Do we want to go to the Moon or not?'' asked Dr. Houbolt. Because of his tenacity, NASA gave his idea another chance and eventually approved it. Now, John Houbolt won that argument, despite having had all the political winds blowing against him, because he had fundamental engineering reality on his side. It was simply not possible, with the engines and boosters that could plausibly be developed in the 1960s, to launch a payload that would allow a manned rocket to land in its entirety on the Moon, including all of the fuel necessary to return to the Earth. But, as John Houbolt pointed out, if you left the fuel for the return trip in lunar orbit and rendezvoused with the command module after making the lunar landing, then a single Saturn booster, already under design at the Marshall Space Flight Center, could do the job. NASA Administrator George Low later said of this pivotal moment: It is my strongly held opinion that without the lunar rendezvous mode, Apollo would not have succeeded; and without John Houbolt's letter, we might not have chosen the lunar orbit rendezvous mode. The lunar rendezvous mode has been described by space historians as ``Langley's most important contribution to the Apollo program'' and is widely credited for allowing the United States to accomplish the goal President John F. Kennedy set out in 1961, to land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Dr. Houbolt received numerous awards for his work, including NASA's Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and was the first recipient of Joliet Junior College's Distinguished Alumni Award. Additionally, the Joliet Historical Museum is home to a permanent exhibit dedicated to Dr. Houbolt and to his family, titled, ``The Soaring Achievements of John C. Houbolt.'' They have now declared July 20, 2014, the 45th anniversary of the Moon landing, as Houbolt Family Day at the museum. The museum will be open free to the public each July 20 to encourage families to learn about Joliet's local contribution to one of humankind's greatest scientific achievements. Dr. Houbolt retired after a distinguished career in 1985. He and his family remained noted philanthropists and supporters of the community of Joliet, touching countless individuals with their generosity. Dr. Houbolt passed away on April 15, 2014, at the age of 95. His life is an example of the impact that a determined, intelligent, and passionate individual can have. I rise today to remember Dr. Houbolt for his outstanding contributions to American science and engineering. In a society where we seem to celebrate mainly the accomplishments of our heroes in sports and entertainment, as well as those who ride our rockets off into space, it is important also to celebrate the heroes of science and engineering who make the modern world possible.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, on May 7th I missed one recorded vote. I would like to indicate how I would have voted had I been present. On rollcall No. 199, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the NJROTC Marksmanship Team at East Aurora High School for earning a top 10 finish at the Navy National Marksmanship Meet. The NJROTC Marksmanship Team at East Aurora qualified for the Navy's National Marksmanship Meet by finishing eighth out of 600 teams from across the country in the Secretary of the Navy Postal Competition. Participants at the Navy National Marksmanship Meet are scored on their ability to accurately shoot an air rifle from three positions: lying down, kneeling, and standing. The competitors in the Navy National Marksmanship Meet must use intense concentration and remain calm to shoot accurately. The performance of its Marksmanship Team at the Navy's National Marksmanship Meet provides a shining example of why East Aurora High School's NJROTC program is nationally recognized as a distinguished unit and regularly receives awards and honors. As recently as 2012, the Armed and Unarmed Drill Teams finished in first place in the Challenge Division, and in 2006, the Color Guard won the overall championship while competing against 500 high schools. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the following members of the East Aurora High School NJROTC Marksmanship Team for their excellent finish at the Navy National Marksmanship Meet: Cadet Master Chief Giovanni Gutierrez, Cadet Senior Chief Austin Martinez, Cadet Second Class Petty Officer Luis Nevarez, Cadet LCDR Jesus Ortega, and Cadet Senior Chief Sylvanna Parra.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the student engineers of Team Titan from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy for being selected as national finalists in NASA's Exploration Design Challenge. Team Titan, led by Dr. Eric Hawker, is one of just five high school teams from across the country to be selected as finalists for the opportunity to contribute to the design of radiation shields for NASA's Orion spacecraft. Over 125,000 students from 81 countries have participated in NASA's Exploration Design Challenge. This competition is designed to engage students on the topic of space exploration and challenge them to think like scientists and engineers. The shield designed by Team Titan could protect a sensor inside the Orion spacecraft against space radiation. Team Titan's design was reviewed by Orion engineers, as well as educators from NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace, and selected as a finalist among the forty-six teams that submitted engineering notebooks with radiation shield designs. IMSA has continuously demonstrated a dedication to offering the kind of education necessary to create future generations of scientists and engineers. Team Titan's selection as a finalist in NASA's Exploration Design Challenge provides a shining example of why IMSA is internationally recognized for its leadership in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to students in grades 10-12. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Dr. Eric Hawker, and the students of Team Titan: Cassandra Erwin, Ryan Franks, Claire Hensley, Michael Hrcek, Alec Mangan, and Alonzo Marsh, for being selected as finalists in NASA's Exploration Design Challenge.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Amma Sri Karunamayi, a prominent Hindu spiritual leader who has devoted her life to promoting public service and peace. Amma is best known for her acts of charity, which include providing spiritual guidance to those in need, establishing a free school for more than 700 students and constructing a hospital that provides free care to patients in need. After spreading her teachings in India for many years, Amma sought to take her mission overseas. In 1995, Amma took her first tour of the United States and returned every year thereafter. This year, she will be back for her 20th anniversary tour. To commemorate this occasion, Amma will be hosting an interfaith World Peace prayer ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia from May 1st until May 11th. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Amma Sri Karunamayi's achievements, and to congratulate her on 20 years of spreading spirituality and peace throughout the United States.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. William Grahame Wilkin III of Aurora, Illinois for his contributions to our nation's Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. Mr. Wilkin is currently an art teacher at Aurora Christian High School, helping young men and women learn how to express themselves through art. However, in 1983 when he was a young art student at Glenbard South High School, Mr. Wilkin participated in an art contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. While his entry did not win the competition that day, it would go on to become an image we all recognize. His artwork reminds us of soldiers who were held captive and those whose deaths were never confirmed. His entry was a circle with the black silhouette of a man's face, a guard tower to the left with three supporting crosses, and barbed wire on the right. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Wilkin for his contribution to all of our veterans and their families.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take note of a recent scientific discovery, a result which, if confirmed and understood in its full theoretical context, has the potential to change the way we think about the beginnings of the universe. Before coming to Congress, I was a high-energy particle physicist and a particle accelerator designer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory for over 20 years. While I sometimes miss being back in the lab, I am very pleased when I have the opportunity to advocate in Congress for scientific research and development. Twice in my life, I have had the privilege of participating in a fundamental breakthrough in science. The first was during my Ph.D. thesis work when we observed a subatomic process, known as proton decay--which was confidently predicted by many, if not most, of the theoretical physicists at the time--was, in fact, not happening. The second time was at Fermilab, when I was part of the team that discovered the top quark, which is the heaviest known form of matter and, quite possibly, the heaviest subatomic particle that will ever be discovered--or not. So like scientists around the world, my pulse quickened with the announcement that the first independent confirming evidence for cosmic inflation in the early universe had been discovered. Humans have wondered about the origin of the universe for thousands of years. Now, thanks to a team of clever and hard-working scientists and of Federal investments in basic science, we appear to be an important step closer to understanding the birth of the universe. Immediately following the big bang, which is the moment at which the universe burst into existence, scientists have hypothesized that the universe underwent a period known as inflation. During inflation, which lasted for only a tiny fraction of a second, the universe expanded at an exponential rate. Now, the BICEP2 team, which is a collaboration of 12 institutes, including universities, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy and NASA laboratories, has found direct evidence that appears to verify the theory of inflation. They were able to study the very first moments of the universe at less than a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the big bang, and they were able to obtain direct observational evidence of inflation, which, until now, has been mainly based on theoretical work. To do this, the team constructed a telescope at the National Science Foundation's U.S. Antarctic Program's research station at the South Pole to observe the cosmic microwave background radiation, a faint glow left over from the big bang. They observed a pattern in the cosmic background radiation that was consistent with being left over from inflation, giving us a glimpse of the universe over 13.7 billion years ago. They were able to detect this, in large part, because of recent advances in highly sensitive detector technology. This project was primarily funded by the National Science Foundation, and it received generous support from NASA and from the Department of Energy, as well as from private industry, and it is an example of the importance of Federal funding for basic science research. It is also an example of the interplay between technology and basic science and of how new technology will lead to even greater advances in basic science and vice versa. Additionally, study after study has shown that there are few investments our government can make that provide as high a return on investment as scientific research and development. Despite this, Federal investments in research and development are at an historic low, comprising merely 3.8 percent of the Federal budget-- or 0.8 percent of the GDP. In fact, over the last 3 years, Federal research and development expenditures have decreased by 16.3 percent, which is the steepest decline over a 3-year period since the end of the space race. These results are an important reminder of the value of Federal investment in research and development. Without the proper investment in scientific research, we must expect fewer of these groundbreaking scientific discoveries, at least in the United States. The greatest long-term threat that our country faces on both the military and economic fronts is the threat of losing our role as world leaders in innovation and in science and technology. Nothing is more crucial to preserving that role than having adequate funding for fundamental and applied scientific research. The recent advances in cosmology are just one of many examples of the breadth of intellectual capital and state-of-the-art technology that the U.S. currently possesses. As Congress determines how to allocate funding for these agencies in the coming year, with many proposing budgets that will cripple future investments in education and research, I urge my colleagues to capitalize on these discoveries and ensure that we are investing enough in research, science, and education. Because of Federal investments in science, we have just looked significantly farther into the early universe than anyone has done before. This not only tells us about the birth of the universe, but it also gives us insight into our fundamental understanding of the laws of physics. This discovery by the BICEP2 team has been globally recognized as one of the most important fundamental breakthroughs in science in our lifetimes, a landmark of American academic achievement that will live on in the science textbooks forever.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Robert Morris University Men's ACHA Division 1 hockey team as the 2014 National Champion Runners-Up. Robert Morris University is a private, non-profit, multi-campus university in Illinois, with an enrollment of approximately 6,000 students. Facing competition from prestigious universities with enrollments greater than 30,000, the Robert Morris players and coaches demonstrated remarkable stamina, character, and determination in realizing their goal of competing for the national title. Off the ice these student-athletes distinguished themselves academically as well. During the first quarter of the year, 11 players earned a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average, and 21 of these hockey players earned a 3.0 GPA or better. The team can also boast they have a 100 percent graduation rate, as all 9 seniors on the team will be graduating after 4 years. The life of a student-athlete can be both physically and mentally exhausting, as they must balance a full-time course schedule, daily practices, 2-3 day road trips every other week, and quite often, part- time jobs. This is especially true for these young men, as their hockey season extends for over 6 months, the majority of their academic school year. Their ongoing dedication to excellence, both on and off the ice is a credit to themselves, their coaches, their school and their families. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Robert Morris University student-athletes: Mitch Tews, Mason Riley, Christopher Cimoch, Ryan O'Connell, Tyler Martorano, Joey Francis, Kyle Hamilton, Derek Winkler, Nick Ernst, Tony Domico, Derek Diaz, Gehritt Sargis, Markus Ellis, T.J. Karavos, Robert Chapman, Andrew Montague, Adam Keasey, Chris Pontello, Chayce Coenen, Oleg Popov, Paul Isleib, Andy DiCristofaro, Anthony Petrak, Robert Kennedy, Zach Kuta, Head Coach Tom Adrahtas, Assistant Coach Chad Berman and Director of Player Personnel Tom Wendlandt. Your outstanding achievements this year are truly admirable.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1874 and to explain to my Republican colleagues why their tax policies have not worked and will not work to produce economic growth and jobs. I am a scientist who has spent over 20 years at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory conducting research and a successful businessman before that, and a scientist proceeds on the basis of facts. The historical facts on Republican tax policies are clear. Tax policies during the Clinton years, predicted by the Republicans to restrict economic growth, in fact generated the strongest uninterrupted period of job growth in our lifetimes--over 22 million new American jobs in 8 years. Then the Bush tax cuts enacted in 2001 reversed those policies, and in the following 8 years, the net number of new jobs was essentially zero--actually, slightly negative. Twenty million Americans entered the workforce during the Bush years, and the Republican policies produced zero net jobs for them, opening up a jobs gap of over 20 million jobs, a jobs gap that we are still closing today. So to the extent that there is a causal link between tax policies and job creation, the data is clear: Republican policies have destroyed jobs and Democratic policies have created them. I will now attempt to explain why this is and why the simplified macroeconomic modeling promoted by this legislation will fail to match the real world. Generally speaking, Democratic tax breaks deliver benefits to the middle class while Republican tax breaks deliver benefits to the very wealthy, and, as it turns out, the very wealthy spend and invest their money very differently than the middle class. Mr. Chairman, the macroeconomic models promoted in this legislation typically model our economy with a single aggregated consumer. Like the Republicans, they pretend that giving an extra dollar to a billionaire is no different than giving an extra dollar to a working class family. However, if you give an extra dollar to a middle class family, they will spend it in the local economy, increasing local economic growth, or they will invest it in some of the highest return investments available to anyone, investing in their children's college education or, perhaps, buying a second car so that their spouse can get a job. Now, if you give that same dollar to a very wealthy individual, they will not change their spending habits because they are already spending as much as they feel like spending and this will not change, so there will be no local economic growth. The investments of the very wealthy are also very different since they no longer have available to themselves the high-return investments available to the middle class. The very wealthy have already spent everything they can to send their children to the finest schools. They already have seven Cadillacs in their garages. So the marginal investments of the wealthy are intrinsically less productive due to the basic principle of economics known as the ``law of diminishing returns.'' Since economic growth is equal to investments times return on investment--sorry about the equation--the economic growth from channeling money to the wealthy is far less than the same relief being given to the middle class. Democratic middle class policies are pro-growth policies, and Republican policies are not. Mr. Chairman, there is also another important effect not captured by the single-consumer macroeconomic models in this legislation, which is the increasing propensity for wealthy people to move their money offshore. If you give an extra dollar to wealthy people, they will turn it over to their money managers, who look around for high yields and who will increasingly invest those dollars overseas, perhaps increasing the net worth of the wealthy investors but competing with and destroying American jobs. Had that same dollar been given in tax relief to middle class families, it would have been much more likely to stay in America. So, in the real world, Republican policies trickle down, but they trickle down to jobs in China, and that is why the Bush tax cuts have generated zero jobs in the 8 years after having been enacted. Announcement by the Chair

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the ENFORCE Act. For 20 years, our immigration system has been left to rot due to congressional inaction. As a result, today we have over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows. After 20 years of neglect, we finally have a commonsense immigration reform package that has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support and has an unprecedented array of support from religious groups, law enforcement, and business leaders throughout the country. It is rare to find a subject that labor leaders and the Chamber of Commerce can agree on, but both have called on Congress to promptly pass comprehensive immigration reform. Speaker Boehner and the House Republican leadership have ignored the millions of voices calling for reform, refusing even to bring it up for a vote. Now, today, we are preparing to vote on the ENFORCE Act, legislation that would have the practical effect of ripping millions of young men and women away from the only home they have ever known. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has allowed countless undocumented youth to remain in the U.S. to attend our schools and to contribute to our economy.

Mr. FOSTER. Instead of fixing our broken immigration system, Republicans are doubling down on costly deportation and detention practices that are costing taxpayers millions and tearing families apart. Mr. Chairman, we can't fix the problem by ignoring the symptoms. We cannot fix our broken immigration system either with more deportations or specious constitutional arguments, which is exactly what Republicans are attempting to do today with the ENFORCE Act. It is time for Republicans to stop inventing incoherent, self- serving, and self-contradictory lines of constitutional reasoning and to start listening to the millions of voices calling for action and pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud President Obama's new initiative, My Brother's Keeper, and to highlight one organization in our district doing outstanding work to mentor young men. Boys 2 Men was created in November 2002 by Clayton Muhammad, with the mission of bringing young Black and Latino men together to build a bond of brotherhood and to redefine manhood. The organization has been a phenomenal success. The members of Boys 2 Men are graduating from high school, going to college, and serving our country in the military. Boys 2 Men has produced outstanding young men like Gilberto Chaidez, a graduate of West Aurora High School and a senior at the University of Illinois majoring in civil engineering. Gilberto was named the National Star Student of the Year by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Jamario Taylor is a graduate of East Aurora High School and a senior at Western Illinois University. Jamario is a record-holder in the high jump and a top-ranked NCAA athlete. Alexander Sewell is a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. Alex went on to work in the office of Leader Pelosi; for the Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu; and now in the office of Senator Landrieu. Initiatives like Boys 2 Men and My Brother's Keeper are invaluable resources to help young men get their lives on the right track, even if, despite everyone's best efforts, some of them end up working for the United States Congress.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the achievements of Ms. Yolanda Jordan on being named Calumet District's 2014 Social Worker of the Year. Each year, the eight Illinois districts of the National Association of Social Workers select a member to receive the Social Worker of the Year award. Recipients of this award are individuals who embody the mission of the National Association of Social Workers, and who strive to help others while abiding to a strict code of ethics. These individuals have each made invaluable contributions to the people they help and the communities in which they work. After more than 20 years of service in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, it is clear that Ms. Yolanda Jordan was meant to receive this prestigious honor. Throughout her career, Yolanda has provided the people of Kankakee, Will, and Grundy counties with unparalleled social services. She has helped families and children navigate the complex child welfare system, and worked as a clinical practitioner, operating her own private practice. Ms. Jordan, along with other Illinois social workers who received this award, will be honored during the month of March, which is National Social Work Month. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Jordan's service to the members of the Calumet District, and to acknowledge the vital role social workers play in creating a healthy society.