Bart Gordon

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. 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. 793, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me thank Dr. Ehlers for bringing both his real-world experience to the Science Committee, as well as his passion for the work that we do there. He makes us a better committee. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 793) supporting the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 793, a resolution recognizing the importance of chemistry and honoring National Chemistry Week. I want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) for introducing this resolution. The importance of chemistry and chemical engineering in our lives cannot be overstated. These disciplines contribute to public health by helping to keep our water clean and our food pure. They contribute to advances in medicine through new biomaterials, drug design and drug delivery techniques. They help make cleaner and more efficient energy technologies possible, and they help keep toxins out of our homes and out of our natural environment through the development of green chemicals and materials. In short, chemistry and chemical engineering contribute in immeasurable ways to the economic strength, security, and well-being of our Nation and all its citizens. For this reason, it is important to get young people excited about chemistry and interested in pursuing careers in chemistry and in the sciences in general. National Chemistry Week plays a great role in this effort. National Chemistry Week activities are carried out by local sections of the American Chemical Society located in all parts of our Nation. It is estimated that over 10,000 volunteers from industry, government, and academia will participate in National Chemistry Week activities this year. They will be working to design hands-on activities, to provide demonstrations and to develop exhibits. Through these activities, they will help stimulate the interest of young people in chemistry and in pursuing careers in science and technology. So, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the American Chemical Society for its efforts to establish and to sustain National Chemistry Week. Once again, I thank Mr. Reyes and his cosponsors for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of chemistry in our daily lives and the positive impact of National Chemistry Week by supporting H. Res. 793. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House is considering H. Res. 558. I would like to thank my good friend from Michigan, Dr. Vern Ehlers, for his leadership on STEM education generally and for his resolution highlighting computer science education. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) for his work on the resolution. Today's world is run by computers. From communications, to finance, to transportation and national defense, almost every facet of the modern world is tied to computers. As we move forward in the 21st century, the country that leads in innovation in the computing and IT fields will very likely lead in productivity and economic growth. If we want America to be the leader, it is vitally important that we train the next generation of IT and computing professionals to provide this spark to our economy. This resolution recognizes the importance of computer science education to our country, and encourages increased efforts and participation in this field. I want to highlight the attention this resolution pays to the important issue of increasing the involvement of women and underrepresented minorities in the computer science field. If we want to be truly successful in our efforts to maintain an innovative economy, we need everyone in our country involved in the effort. This is true across the STEM fields, where the problem of underrepresentation of certain groups persists. I want to once again thank Dr. Ehlers and Mr. Polis for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I want to once again thank Dr. Ehlers for his leadership in this area. It has been very evident by his conversation today of his passion that he brings to this important subject. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. 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. 797, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 797, a resolution to applaud the goals and activities of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month. The Science and Technology Committee has been a leader in Congress supporting the efforts to promote better security and cybersecurity, and I am pleased to support this resolution and to help raise awareness of this critical issue. Each year, Americans become more and more dependent on technology for their daily lives. More than 200 million people in this country use the Internet for shopping, education, socializing, information gathering, banking and entertainment, and an increasing number of Internet users are children and seniors. Unfortunately, with this growth in use, we have also seen a startling increase in cybersecurity. Bank accounts are now being hacked; children are being bullied or harassed on social networking sites; and personal information is being stolen from relatives, retailers, universities, and even government agencies. For example, earlier this year, computer systems at the FAA were hacked, increasing the risk of large-scale commercial air traffic systems disruption. Improving cybersecurity will take the effort of all of the key stakeholders: Federal, State and local governments, academia, business and individuals. We are all part of the user community and we each must do our part, from updating the Web browsers of our personal computers to improving the coordination of cybersecurity research investments across the public and private sectors. We need to change the way we think about cybersecurity and ensure it is built in from the beginning. Cybersecurity is a challenge that transcends borders. There are 1.7 trillion Internet users worldwide, which means that we can only advance cybersecurity through increased international collaboration. That's why I join my colleagues in applauding the efforts of the National Cyber Security Alliance, a public-private partnership focused on improving cybersecurity for home users, small businesses, and education institutions. I want to thank my friend from New York (Ms. Clarke) for introducing this resolution and urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the author of this resolution, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), and congratulate her on an outstanding hearing last Friday on this issue.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 797) expressing the sense of Congress with respect to raising awareness and enhancing the state of cyber security in the United States, and supporting the goals and ideals of the sixth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In conclusion, I want to once again thank the gentlewoman from New York for bringing this important resolution to us. I think that this will help give our country a better awareness of the concerns we have about cybersecurity. Also, as Dr. Ehlers notes, our Science and Technology Committee has spent quite a bit of time on this issue, being the first to have a review of the 60-day review. Hopefully, we are going to be seeing in the next very few days a significant bill coming out of our committee concerning the necessary research and technology aspect of moving forward with our research in the cybersecurity area. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. 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.R. 3819, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong support of H.R. 3819, a bill to extend the current commercial space transportation liability regime. First established by Congress as part of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments of 1988, the commercial space transportation risk- sharing liability and insurance regime has been extended four times since its original enactment. The current extension expires on December 31 of this year, and it is therefore important for Congress to act now so that there is sufficient time for this legislation to make its way to the President before the current authority expires. The liability and insurance regime that would be extended by this legislation is three-tiered and was originally modeled on the Price- Anderson Act that governs liability risk-sharing under the nuclear power industry. Under the regime, commercial space launch providers licensed by the U.S. Government are required to provide third-party liability insurance to compensate for maximum probable losses from third-party claims up to a level of $500 million. For claims above those maximum probable losses, the U.S. Government may pay successful liability claims up to $1.5 billion in 1989 dollars above the insurance level, subject to funds being appropriated by Congress for that purpose. Finally, for successful claims above those amounts, the licensee assumes responsibility for payment. To date, not a single dollar has had to be appropriated by the U.S. Government to pay third-party claims, but the existence of the liability risk-sharing regime has enabled the development and sustainment of a commercial space launch industry in the U.S., including the emergence of several new companies in recent years. In addition, the regime has allowed U.S. companies to remain competitive with their international counterparts, almost all of whose governments provide similar or more generous risk-sharing liability regimes to that of the U.S. I should note that, in the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, we directed that there be an independent review of the current risk-sharing regime to see whether or not it was working and whether it needed to be continued or passed, and that review was completed in 2006. I think a number of the review's findings bear mentioning; and, therefore, I will quote a couple of those. First of all: ``Private liability insurance capacity remains fragile and far below what would be needed to compensate for government indemnification if it were eliminated.'' Secondly: ``Foreign competition has increased, and all credible international competitors have risk-sharing schemes rivaling or surpassing that of the U.S.'' Finally: ``The current regime has become the industry standard. Its elimination could send the wrong signal to international customers and competitors and would be a negative factor in the competition for global launch business.'' In sum, the commercial space transportation liability and insurance regime has worked. It has not cost the American taxpayers a single dollar in claims payments to date. It has strengthened U.S. competitiveness in commercial space launch, and it is not a blank check, since any potential claims payments must be subject to prior congressional appropriation. The bill before us today extends the liability risk-sharing regime for a period of 3 years. As Members may know, there currently is debate on the potential role to be played by would-be commercial providers of crew transportation to the international space station. At present, no such commercial crew transportation systems exist. Before a meaningful decision can be made on the potential role of commercially provided crew transportation in meeting governmental needs, important policy and safety issues will have to be addressed. The most optimistic projections of the would-be commercial providers are that it will be at least 3 years before such crew transportation systems could be developed, and many independent observers argue it will be longer than that. Therefore, the duration of the extension contained in this bill is limited so as not to prejudge the outcome of the deliberations on those policy and safety issues or to take a position on the role to be played by commercial crew transportation systems. So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank Ranking Member Ralph Hall, Space and Aeronautics Chairwoman Gabrielle Giffords, and subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Olson for cosponsoring this important legislation. I want to extend my thanks to Dick Obermann, who is the staff director for our subcommittee, and his very good team. This is a good bipartisan bill, and I urge Members to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and dedication of Mark William Libell, a member of my staff who is leaving my office to pursue the next phase in his career. Mark grew up in Alabama and received his bachelor's degree in History from Maryville College in East Tennessee. After getting his start on the Senate side of the Hill, Mark returned to school to pursue a J.D. at the University of Alabama, which he completed in 2 years. Mark was drawn to the pace and promise of Washington at a young age. With a love of American history, Mark grew up reading the stories of our Nation's leaders. In fact, I think he has the record in my office for the number of books he requested from the Library of Congress. His commitment to public service is evident in his work and has earned the respect of his colleagues. As the Senior Legislative Assistant in my office, Mark was a valuable resource to me and my staff. His broad knowledge of policy, his appreciation for the rules of the House, and his enthusiasm for the job helped me to advance my legislative priorities and better serve my constituents. While Mark's work-related contributions have been greatly valued, his sheer presence in the office will be sorely missed. Mark was always one of the first in the office to grab lunch, usually around 11:30 a.m. His choice of food was always a topic of discussion in the office as the aroma filled the air, whether fish from the cafeteria or Chinese food. Madam Speaker, there is no question that Mark's character of thoughtfulness, dry humor, and fun spirit is strong and will be missed by all. Mark, I thank you for your service and wish you the best of luck in the future and in your new position.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the founding of the West End Church of Christ congregation in Silver Point, Tennessee. In 1909, Pastor George Phillip ``G.P.'' Bowser relocated the Laurel Hill congregation to Silver Point and established the Putnam County Normal and Industrial Orphanage to provide housing, education, vocation, and religious instruction to the African American children of the region. In 1913, the school became the Silver Point Christian Institute, educating grades one through eight. A small printing press was operated by the school, which led to the development of the Christian Echo--a publication that is still printed today. By 1915, the church and school combined into the West End Church of Christ Silver Point. A new building was constructed, which still stands to this day. In December 2007, the building was included in the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. National Park Service. The geographically isolated Highland Rim area of Middle Tennessee has always focused on small-scale agriculture and timber resources grouped into small towns. Farms were tended by individual families with little outside help. Until the early 20th century, these small communities in Silver Point had few religious organizations and even fewer schools. Classes were often taught in buildings that could not afford proper maintenance or enough supplies for students. The school that Pastor Bowser established in 1915 provided the young children of the community with educational opportunities never before seen in the area. Though the school closed in 1959, the Church remains active. Many prominent and nationally-acclaimed leaders have been personally involved with the Church, including Sam Womack, Alexander Campbell, Marshall Keeble, Henry Clay, J.S. Winston, R.N. Hogan. G.E. Stewart, and Levi Kennedy. Through its 100 year history, the West End Church of Christ in Silver Point has provided a place of identity and congregation for the African American community of western Putnam County. I congratulate the congregation on its centennial anniversary.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and dedication of Sarah R. Tuke, a member of my staff who is leaving my office to pursue the next phase in her career. Sarah Tuke is a Tennessee native, raised in the Nashville area. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in History, she moved to St. Louis to work for a non-profit organization. Sarah quickly realized, however, that working in politics interested her more, and she returned to Tennessee to volunteer for Harold Ford Jr.'s U.S. Senate campaign in 2006. Following the campaign, Sarah moved to Washington, D.C. to further pursue her interests in politics and the legislative process. She joined my staff in February 2007 after an internship with the House Science and Technology Committee. From the first day she walked into my office, her enthusiasm and kind spirit impressed me and everyone she worked with. Her commitment to helping Middle Tennesseans has always been strong--I have never had a staffer with the patience and kindness that Sarah exudes, especially when answering questions from constituents and volunteering to help her co-workers with projects. She has also worked hard to understand the complexities of adoption and veterans issues, which has helped me in pursuing my legislative priorities. Madam Speaker, if you would like to package kindheartedness, you could just put a bow on Sarah. It's Sarah's ``can-do'' attitude, combined with her genuine compassion to others that has led this wonderful individual to rise and succeed as she has done in my office. Sarah, we're all going to miss you. I wish you the best of luck in your new position with the Japanese Embassy.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of a valued staff member of the Committee on Science and Technology, Michelle Dallafior, on her last day with the Committee. Michelle serves on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, where she manages a broad portfolio of energy issues, including nuclear energy, carbon capture and sequestration, and the transition to a smarter electrical grid. She's worked on key pieces of legislation including the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the American Recovery Act of 2009, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, as well as the Energy and Water Research Integration Act, which was passed out of Subcommittee yesterday. Before she joined the Science and Technology Committee, Michelle was Chief of Staff to Rep. Charles Wilson (D-OH). Michelle worked for Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH) for almost a decade, serving as his Legislative Director and, later, his Chief of Staff. Michelle first came to the Hill to work for Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) on Great Lakes legislative issues. Michelle holds an M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. She is a proud Yooper, and her Wolverine pride is especially apparent during football and basketball season. Madam Speaker, Michelle's expertise and ability to reach consensus have made her a valued member of the Committee staff. Despite balancing a heavy work load with her avid pursuit of bocce and cycling, she always finds time to invest in other staffers. She's shown a special talent for mentoring junior staffers and helping them get substantive experience and exposure. I know that all of the Science and Technology Committee's Members and staff wish her well as she transitions to the Administration. Michelle will be joining the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy, continuing her work on carbon capture and sequestration and the creation of a smarter electric grid. Michelle, thank you for all your hard work and counsel. We will certainly miss seeing you day-to-day, but we hope that we will get the opportunity to work with you in your new role.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the founding of the West End Church of Christ congregation in Silver Point, Tennessee. In 1909, Pastor George Phillip ``G.P.'' Bowser relocated the Laurel Hill congregation to Silver Point and established the Putnam County Normal and Industrial Orphanage to provide housing, education, vocation, and religious instruction to the African American children of the region. In 1913, the school became the Silver Point Christian Institute, educating grades one through eight. A small printing press was operated by the school, which led to the development of the Christian Echo--a publication that is still printed today. By 1915, the church and school combined into the West End Church of Christ Silver Point. A new building was constructed, which still stands to this day. In December 2007, the building was included in the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. National Park Service. The geographically isolated Highland Rim area of Middle Tennessee has always focused on small-scale agriculture and timber resources grouped into small towns. Farms were tended by individual families with little outside help. Until the early 20th century, these small communities in Silver Point had few religious organizations and even fewer schools. Classes were often taught in buildings that could not afford proper maintenance or enough supplies for students. The school that Pastor Bowser established in 1915 provided the young children of the community with educational opportunities never before seen in the area. Though the school closed in 1959, the church remains active. Many prominent and nationally-acclaimed leaders have been personally involved with the church, including Sam Womack, Alexander Campbell, Marshall Keeble, Henry Clay, J.S. Winston, R.N. Hogan. G.E. Stewart, and Levi Kennedy. Through its 100-year history, the West End Church of Christ in Silver Point has provided a place of identity and congregation for the African American community of western Putnam County. I congratulate the congregation on its centennial anniversary.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Marilyn M. Mathis who is leaving Murfreesboro City Schools after 26 years of service to pursue a new phase in her distinguished career. Marilyn joined City Schools in 1983 as the Assistant Superintendent for Administration under the leadership of School Director Dr. John Hodge Jones. After Dr. Jones' retirement in 1997, Marilyn was appointed Director of Schools. During her 26 year tenure, Marilyn has seen the City School's student population nearly doubled. As Director, she has been influential in improving City Schools over the last 12 years. Marilyn was determined to live up to the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act and strived to make City Schools one of the top school districts in the state of Tennessee. She led the system by its mission statement: ``to assure academic and personal success for each child.'' Under Marilyn's leadership, City Schools added three new schools including the Bellwood-Bowdoin Preschool for more than 400 at-risk preschool students, and the opening of Scales and John Pittard Elementary Schools. She also established Bradley Academy as ``An Arts Integrated School,'' the Discovery School for high achieving students at Reeves-Roger, and named Hobgood Elementary as a NASA Explorer School. Marilyn also supported and participated in a public education foundation for Murfreesboro City Schools and created a partnership agreement with Middle Tennessee State University located in Murfreesboro. Her legacy to City Schools will live on for years to come, and the students of Murfreesboro are better prepared for the future because of her hard work and dedication. Thank you Marilyn. I wish you the best of luck in your new position as Executive Director of the Association for Independent and Municipal Schools.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Charles Myatt who is retiring from First Tennessee bank after a 40 year career. In 1969, Charlie graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. He began his banking career with First Tennessee in Chattanooga, and his talent and understanding of business were quickly recognized. Over the course of his 19 years in Chattanooga, he was promoted to numerous leadership positions, including senior vice president and manager of the branch division, as well as senior vice president and manager of the east region of Chattanooga's correspondent division. Charlie returned to Murfreesboro in 1988 to become First Tennessee's Rutherford County Regional President. During his 21 year tenure as Regional President, Charlie more than tripled the number of First Tennessee banking centers from three to ten locations in Rutherford County. Throughout his career, Charlie proved to not only be an excellent banker but also a dedicated community leader. Charlie is an active member, deacon, and past chairman of the budget and finance committee at First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. He has maintained a constant connection with MTSU, serving on numerous boards and committees, and he has been recognized as an MTSU ``Distinguished Alumnus.'' Charlie has also served as President of the Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County, Chairman of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission. The many awards and distinctions Charlie has received highlight his successful career, including the Daily News Journal--SunTrust Bank ``Humanitarian of the Year'' and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce ``Business Person of the Year.'' Charlie, I hope you enjoy a long and happy retirement with your wife, Judy, as well as your children and grandchildren.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).