Marcia Fudge

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I, as well, would ask that my colleagues support H.R. 5220, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for 5 legislative days during which Members can revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 1292.

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 1292, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1336, which congratulates the University of Texas men's swimming and diving team for winning the NCAA Division I national championship. On the final day of 2010 NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championship competition, the University of Texas swim team knew they had a battle to fight. They started the day in second place, with an 18.5-point deficit to California. The Longhorns quickly roared from behind and overtook the Golden Bears, taking first place with 500 points, clinching their 2010 NCAA championship title. This NCAA championship title is the Longhorns' first title since 2002. It is especially notable because of Head Coach Eddie Reese, the first coach in NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving history to win NCAA team titles in four separate decades. This victory grants the University of Texas its 45th all-time NCAA championship title and 49th overall national championship. The entire Longhorn men's swim team demonstrated excellence this season and performed their best in their final matchups. I would like to especially recognize sophomore Jimmy Feigen, who took second for a second consecutive year in the 100 freestyle with a time of 41.91, and senior Dave Walters, who took eighth with a time of 42.96 in the event. Texas expanded its lead over California to 433-408.5, after picking up 29 points in the 200 breaststroke. Texas wrapped up the meet by taking second in the 400 freestyle relay, as Walters, Feigen, Jostes, and Berens finished with a time of 2:49.9. University of Texas sophomore Eric Friedland nailed down his first individual All-American finish by taking seventh with a time of 1:54.8. Congratulations to Walters and Feigen, who were named the 2010 Big 12 Co-Swimmers of the Year, and sophomore Drew Livingston, who was named the 2010 Big 12 Diver of the Year. Madam Speaker, once again, I express my support for H. Res. 1336 and congratulate the University of Texas men's swimming and diving team, Coach Reese on his outstanding achievements with the team, and each of the Longhorn men's swim team members on this extraordinary victory, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1361, which celebrates North Carolina Central University for 100 years of leadership and service in higher education. North Carolina Central was originally opened to students in 1910, through the work of the school's founder, Dr. James Shepard. NCCU became a State university in 1923, when it was renamed the Durham State Normal School. In 1969, the institution came to be known as it is today--North Carolina Central University. The 135-acre campus of North Carolina Central University is situated on the sloping, green hills of Durham, North Carolina. The university is home to over 8,500 students this year--a record enrollment level. In fact, this year, NCCU has the largest freshman class in its history. The university currently offers bachelor's degrees in more than 100 fields of study and awards graduate degrees in about 40 disciplines. NCCU has also achieved athletic distinction. The NCCU Eagles have won 41 conference championships, 3 NCAA regional titles, and 2 national championships. More than 50 student athletes have won individual NCAA and NAIA national championships. Finally, North Carolina Central University is also known for giving back to the Raleigh-Durham area, thanks to their community service program, which requires each student to contribute 15 hours of community service per semester. NCCU students serve as tutors in local schools, help build Habitat for Humanity housing, assist with a variety of youth programs, and promote the causes of nonprofit service agencies around the campus and neighboring community. This commitment is indicative of NCCU's tradition of cultivating graduates, who will become meaningful contributors to society. The students, faculty, and staff of North Carolina Central University have much to be proud of as they remember and celebrate the rich cultural and academic history of their university over the past century. Once again, I congratulate North Carolina Central University on its 100-year anniversary, and thank Representative Price for bringing this bill forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I would urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1361, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. I thank the gentlewoman from California so much. This is something for which I am very, very passionate, and I am pleased and proud to be one of the sponsors of this legislation and to be on this floor today to talk just briefly about it. I, along with Representative Kay Granger of Texas, introduced House Resolution 996, designating September 2010 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. This is a bipartisan resolution, supported by over 75 national organizations including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Education Association, the YMCA, the YWCA, the American Medical Association, United Way, NAACP, and the National Indian Health Board. Dedicating at least one month out of each year to bring awareness to the issue of childhood obesity will help maximize the effect of programming, messaging and campaigns--all aligned with the sole purpose of eradicating childhood obesity. According to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, one in three children are already overweight or obese. Unless we work to reverse this epidemic, these 23 million kids will be in danger of never being grandparents. Imagine living a life, and you know that you may never live long enough to be a grandparent. Imagine a day when our children can't play on playgrounds because they can't play kickball because they're winded; or they can't play basketball because they're winded; or they can't run track. This is very, very important. I want to say that it is significant that we today work with the White House and so many others who are looking at how we deal with not just obesity but nutrition. It is important for us to be sure that young people receive a healthy start, and a lot of that is not in the hands of young people. It is in our hands. The financial implications of childhood obesity are overwhelming, at $14 billion per year in direct health care costs. Supporting awareness and prevention of childhood obesity will eliminate billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs and help promote a healthier lifestyle that will prolong and improve the lives of the next generation of Americans.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Chairman, I too congratulate Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall on this landmark legislation. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with them on this critical initiative. I represent Cleveland, an area that is rapidly strengthening its science and technology resume. In my district, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are performing revolutionary biomedical research. Research and development efforts are supported by the students and faculty at Case Western Reserve University, one of the leading research universities in the country. Also, the Ohio STEM learning network, a paragon of STEM learning, has expanded education to traditionally underrepresented groups and is being modeled in other areas of the country. There is still work to be done. Collaboration among Federal agencies is essential, which is why I have incorporated an amendment in committee that would instruct the NSF, NIH, and the Department of Education to collaborate in identifying grand challenges in education research and then determine what specific role each agency should play. This section of COMPETES instructs these agencies to solicit input from a variety of stakeholders in STEM education, those who know best the needs of a STEM community. This will ensure that the research performed is relevant and useful. The America COMPETES Act draws attention to what we really need to focus on to continue our leadership and innovation: STEM education and research and development. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1307, the resolution now under consideration.

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

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Science Foundation for 60 years of service in promoting the discoveries and innovations that have made this country great. As the Federal agency charged with ensuring U.S. excellence in science, engineering, and mathematics through basic research and education, the Foundation's efforts have been critical to maintaining our leadership in a competitive world. In addition to its primary mission to support fundamental research in all science and engineering disciplines, the Foundation supports many crosscutting and transformative research and education programs that should serve as models for other agencies and other nations. I will cite just a few examples here. First, the Foundation supports Engineering Research Centers, which serve as models for public-private partnerships in areas of national needs. Today, the Foundation is funding ERCs in such areas as smart lighting, nanotechnology, and robotics. Second, the Foundation supports much of the basic climate science and model development that will enable scientists and policymakers to understand and predict changes to the climate on a regional scale. Finally, the Foundation supports the Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, a central piece of the K-12 STEM education initiatives included in the 2007 America COMPETES Act. The Noyce program provides scholarships to undergraduates who major in a STEM field while preparing to become certified or licensed to teach in a K-12 classroom. But this program is about more than providing scholarships. It is about reforming how K-12 STEM teachers are prepared. And no agency is better positioned to do this than the National Science Foundation. Keeping America competitive provides good jobs and a strong, growing economy. That process begins with a high-quality educational system and continues with investments in new ideas and skilled people. The National Science Foundation's capable leadership and its staff meet these national needs with expertise and enthusiasm, and I commend them for the continued high caliber of their performance. I want to thank the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Science and Technology, Mr. Gordon and Mr. Hall, for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1213) recognizing the need to improve the participation and performance of America's students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, supporting the ideals of National Lab Day, and for other purposes.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1213.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1213 recognizes the need to improve the performance of American students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. This resolution support the ideals of National Lab Day, a nationwide effort to connect students, STEM educators, and volunteers in order to build the STEM community. All children have an innate curiosity about the world around them. Research shows students begin to lose this inquisitiveness as early as middle school. During National Lab Day, students in all grades participate in hands-on scientific educational projects to demonstrate real-life applications of the STEM fields. For example, a teacher in my district posted a project requesting a scientist to illustrate how chemistry is used in real-world applications and careers. The National Lab Day Web site will connect this teacher with a professional scientist to perform experiments and talk to students about careers in chemistry. These activities keep students interested and engaged in math and science throughout primary and secondary school. We hope that by keeping children interested early in life more American students will enter STEM fields. America has a rich history as a leader in technology and information. However, we are at serious risk of losing our world status if we don't train and encourage and engage our youth. Research shows that the United States is graduating significantly lower percentages of students in STEM fields than other nations. In 2006, for example, a little over 4 percent of American students received undergraduate degrees in engineering compared to 33 percent in China. We can change this trend. Last week, I was visited by a constituent named Sheari Rice. Sheari is a full-time engineer working toward a Ph.D. at Cleveland State University in my district. She is a strong, powerful role model for female minority students and said she would be thrilled to volunteer for National Lab Day. People like Sheari will make this initiative successful and teach our children that careers such as hers are within their reach. There are Shearis in every district, and I hope my colleagues will join me in reaching out to these role models. Tell them they can visit www.nationallabday.org to sign up for projects in their communities. I look forward to seeing successful lab days all around the Nation and eventually a more technologically competitive America. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 1269, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1269, the resolution now under consideration.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1269) commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first use of the telescope for astronomical observation by the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I would just ask that my colleagues would support House Resolution 1231, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

Ms. FUDGE. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1231, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United States Television Infrared Observation Satellite. Launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on April 1, 1960, the United States Television Infrared Observation Satellite, better known as TIROS I, demonstrated the beginning of a new American capability--the ability to examine weather patterns from space and to enable the early warnings of storms. The TIROS I spacecraft gave the United States crucial experience related to satellite technology and applications. Over the past 50 years, NASA has continued to develop increasingly capable weather satellites for operation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Because of the technology pioneered by TIROS I, meteorologists have access to information that helps to save lives and property around the world. Today, American Earth observation satellites track everything from the movements of volcanic ash over Europe to the spread of petroleum over the Gulf of Mexico. TIROS I is a shining example of the peaceful use of outer space and of the benefits that our civil space program provides for the United States and for the world. I want to thank my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1231, marking the 50th anniversary of TIROS I. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.