Bart Gordon

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Doug Young and City Tile and Floor Covering Company on its 50th anniversary. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, store began with fewer than five staff and now has about 20 employees and 30 subcontractors. Doug's father, Andrew Young, was a partner in the business and brought Doug in as a partner shortly before he passed away. In 1978, after college and a tour in the U.S. Army, Doug became the sole proprietor of the business while in his late 20s. Today, Doug's son, Andrew; brother, Rule; and son-in-law, Jerry Clark, are future partners-in-training. Doug says the tremendous amount of trust that exists in having a family business is the way to go. That trust exists not only inside the business, but also for City Tile and Floor Covering Company customers, as well. Doug's family has provided any type of flooring you can imagine for current generations, their parents and grandparents. Doug lived down the street from me as we were growing up, so I have had the opportunity to watch and admire as Doug has developed his business and raised his family. Doug, I wish you and your family business many more happy milestones.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dale Short, Middle Tennessee State University's tennis coach, upon the occasion of his retirement after 20 years with the university. During Dale's time as head coach of MTSU's tennis program, the teams moved fom competing in the Ohio Valley Conference to the Sun Belt Conference. Coach Short has coached the Blue Raiders to 383 victories, 11 regular season championships and nine conference tournament titles. Dale and his teams have also participated in eight of the last 12 NCAA Team Championships, and several athletes have made the NCAA Singles or Doubles Championships in 10 of the last 13 seasons. Before coaching tennis, Dale racked up an impressive record as a player. He was named OVC Player of the Year twice as a student at MTSU and All-State performer as an Oakland High School student. Director of Athletics Chris Massaro calls Dale ``Mr. Tennis,'' and says while Dale will be missed by MTSU, he will always be a Blue Raider. In his retirement, Dale says he and his wife, Ava, are looking forward to enjoying Blue Raider athletics--especially football, basketball and baseball, the sports they couldn't watch as fans due to his busy coaching schedule. Coach Short, I wish you the best in your retirement. As an MTSU alumnus, I'll be watching the Blue Raiders right along with you.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a valued professional staff member of the Government Accountability Office--Allen Li--who is retiring from GAO after more than 28 years of service. During that time, he has provided invaluable oversight assistance to the Congress, and in particular to the Committee on Science and Technology. As Director of the Acquisition and Sourcing Management Team, Mr. Li has been responsible for leading GAO's work related to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Examples of his recent oversight efforts include NASA's efforts to develop and build the International Space Station (ISS), Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the James Webb Telescope, and shuttle alternatives for supplying the ISS; the agency's management of its Deep Space Network (DSN); and NASA's implementation of its financial management system. He also has been a strong advocate for better cost estimation and project management at NASA and has aided the Committee's efforts to seek improvements at NASA in those areas. Mr. Li appeared before the Committee to testify on a range of NASA issues over the years, and we always found his testimony to be serious and thoughtful. He also testified before the Columbia Accident Investigation Board following the tragic loss of the Shuttle Columbia and its crew. Prior to assuming the aforementioned duties, Mr. Li was an Associate Director in GAO's Energy, Resources, and Science Issue Area where he directed work on research and development, nuclear safety, and Department of Energy management issues. However, those assignments represent only a part of his service to Congress and the Nation. Over the past 28 years at GAO, he has worked in several other units in GAO, including the Transportation Issue Area where he specialized in aviation safety and air traffic control modernization. Mr. Li has also frequently testified before Senate and House Committee and Subcommittees on civil and military issues, such as the F-22. The quality of Allen Li's service has been recognized by GAO, and he has received the Comptroller General's Distinguished Service Award, two Comptroller General's Meritorious Service Awards, and Director and Outstanding Achievement Awards from several GAO units. Those who work at GAO make important, though often unheralded, contributions to improving the performance of our government. As Allen Li retires from GAO, I know that my fellow Committee members join me in wishing him well and in thanking him for his decades of dedicated public service.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I thank Dr. Baird. Let me just say that I have a 6-year-old daughter at home, and I am very concerned that she could be a part of the first generation of Americans to inherit a national standard of living less than their parents, a complete reversal of the American Dream. And if we are going to avoid this, it is very, very important that we follow through on the recommendations of the report on Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Now, last week we did. We got a good start. Last week, we passed the K-12 improvements in math and science education, as well as investments in our education system in other regards. This week, we are going to take another step forward, and that is follow the recommendations of increasing our commitment to basic research. Tonight, we are going to pass the National Science Foundation authorization which will double the National Science Foundation. Tomorrow, we are going to double the NEST budget. Let me on behalf of my daughter, I want to thank Dr. Baird, I want to thank Dr. Ehlers and our excellent staff for working together in a bipartisan way. I want to remind everyone that this is a bill that came out of the Science and Technology Committee unanimously because it is a good bill, it was worked on together in a bipartisan, Democrats, Republicans, with a very good staff. Again, I thank you for the great work you did, and my daughter thanks you even more.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I submit the accompanying exchange of letters regarding H.R. 363. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, April 27, 2007. Hon. Bart Gordon, Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding H.R. 363, which authorizes appropriations for basic research and research infrastructure in science and engineering, and for support of graduate fellowships, and for other purposes. I am concerned that certain provisions of the bill as reported may be broad enough to include applicability with respect to biomedical and behavioral research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health or other agencies of the Public Health Service. As you know, those matters are within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I support passage of the bill based on my understanding that you have agreed that the inaction of the Committee with respect to the bill does not in any way serve as a jurisdictional precedent as to our two committees. Further, as to any conference on the bill, the Committee on Energy and Commerce reserves the right to seek the appointment of conferees for consideration of any portions of the bill that are within the Committee's jurisdiction. It is my understanding that you have agreed to support a request by the Committee with respect to serving as conferees on the bill (or similar legislation). I request that you send me a letter confirming our agreements as to jurisdiction, including with respect to conferees, and that our exchange of letters be included in the Congressional Record as part of the consideration of the bill. I look forward to working with you on this important legislation. If you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, John D. Dingell, Chairman.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bill Shuster, publisher of the Cookeville, Tennessee Herald-Citizen, upon the occasion of his retirement after 38 years with the newspaper. Bill began his newspaper career as a journeyman printer in Nashville, and from there, became the pressman for the Putnam County Herald and the Cookeville Citizen. In 1970, he was named production manager of the two papers the same year they merged to become the Herald-Citizen. Bill became the newspaper's publisher in 1995. I imagine that, in addition to witnessing the phenomenal growth of Cookeville during his tenure at the newspaper, Bill worked through many changes in technology to get the Herald-Citizen in the racks. Newspaper pages that were literally put together by staff hands are now put together on computer screens. Bill always made sure the Herald-Citizen was cutting edge--designing, building and moving into the plant on Neal Street; implementing computer software and hardware updates; and creating new sections of the newspaper. While time has brought many changes, one thing that has remained constant is Bill's commitment to a fair story. I could not sum up Bill's work ethic any better than he did when he said, ``Early on, I learned that hard work would bring rewards, how to treat people, how to set my moral compass, and that the best course is to put aside personal preferences and go straight to the side of public good.'' I know Bill has always been concerned about his community and takes great pride in our Nation. I was always happy, when needed, to provide a flag for the Herald-Citizen facility, where I had the pleasure to celebrate its grand opening with Bill. Bill, congratulations, again, on your retirement. I hope you enjoy many lazy days of fishing; many games of golf; traveling with your wife, Jan; and the opportunity to spend more time with your grandson, Eli.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Giffords), the former State senator.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, thanks to the generosity of our ranking member, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to one of his fellow Texans (Mr. Hinojosa), chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I would like to once again thank Dr. Ehlers for his support for this bill, but more importantly for making a good bill a better bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), the vice chairman of the Science and Technology Committee.

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

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

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I certainly thank the gentleman for his generosity. There is a lot of interest in this bill. I would like to yield now 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan), another active member of our committee.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program at the National Science Foundation aims to increase the number of first-rate math and science teachers in the U.S. The program targets two resources from which to recruit these teachers: one, undergraduates who are majoring in the math and science field; and, two, science and math engineering professionals who want to switch to a teaching degree. The reported version of H.R. 362 considerably expands the Noyce program. It also amends a part of the program that targets undergraduates. But the part of the program that targets professionals was left for the most part unchanged. This amendment establishes within the Noyce program a new model for recruiting professionals to a teaching career. This new model is based on a program called Math for America, which has shown astonishing success in making first-rate teachers out of former scientists and engineers. Math for America was launched in 2004 by James Simons, a mathematician who founded an enormously successful private investment firm in New York City. Mr. Simon's philanthropic foundation has provided much of the funding for Math for America. This is just the third year of Math for America, but already they have recruited 90 teachers for New York City public schools. The math for America model has so much in common with the Noyce program at the National Science Foundation. Consistent with the Math for America model, my amendment has the following features: An institution of higher education wishing to establish this new program must create a partnership with at least one non-Federal entity to be eligible for the NSF support; a scientist or engineer participating in the program must demonstrate advance content knowledge through a nationally recognized standardized test; participants take specialized education courses in a 16-month teacher certification program during which they receive a stipend; graduates from the program must teach in a secondary school for a period of 4 years, during which they receive a teaching supplement to their ordinary salary. The teaching supplements are provided by the partnerships from non- Federal sources. This amendment, therefore, adds a component to the Noyce program to develop the kind of public/private partnership that we see working so well in Math for America. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the motion to recommit.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 362, and yield myself such time as I may consume for an opening statement. In 2005, the National Academies assembled a blue-ribbon committee of national leaders in academia, business and government to address concerns about the national prosperity and the global economy in the 21st century. The Academies' report was entitled, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.'' That report catalogs a number of worrisome indicators and presents recommendations that the Nation must follow to maintain its competitiveness. What did this distinguished committee tell us is most important to the future of the economic health of our Nation? Here is the first recommendation from the report: Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 science and mathematics education. The Gathering Storm report goes on to tell us where the focus should be in efforts to improve K-12 science and mathematics education. In brief, it says, ``Focus on the teachers.'' H.R. 362 follows that blueprint. In January, I partnered with Mr. Hall, ranking minority member on the Committee on Science and Technology, to introduce H.R. 362, whose purpose is to implement all of the action items from the Gathering Storm report and address the report's first recommendation. I want to thank Mr. Hall for his assistance in developing this bill. With his support, it was favorably reported by the Science and Technology Committee by a unanimous vote. This bill is endorsed by a wide variety of educational organizations and business coalitions, including the Association of American Universities, the Business Roundtable, the Council of Competitiveness, the National Education Association, the National Science Teachers Association, and the STEM Education Coalition. These organizations are enthusiastic about H.R. 362 because it will dramatically improve the national corps of math and science teachers. We call the first title of the bill ``10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act.'' The bill will create thousands of new teachers with content and teaching skill expertise in their area of teaching. The vehicle for accomplishing this goal is the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program at the National Science Foundation. Noyce awards go to universities that build model programs for recruiting math and science students into teaching. These programs provide mentoring, early field experiences, and a streamlined path toward teaching certification. Students who enroll in this program will receive $10,000-per-year scholarships. In return, they will make commitments of several years to the teaching profession. H.R. 362 will also create summer institutes and graduate programs that provide sustained, content-oriented professional development to in-service teachers through the Math and Science Partnership Program at the National Science Foundation. We have a critical shortage of math and science teachers in the U.S., and many of our math and science teachers have no degree or certification in the field they teach. In fact, 87 percent of middle school and 58 percent of high school physical science teachers lack these qualifications. This bill tackles this problem from both ends. On the one end, we bring in a new cadre of math and science teachers who are well-educated and well-prepared. That is what the Noyce program does. On the other end, we improve the teachers that we have through innovative, effective programs led by disciplinary faculty from higher education. That is what the Math and Science Partnerships program does. Other provisions of H.R. 362 include an expansion of the STEM Talent Expansion Program at the National Science Foundation, a program to enhance the undergraduate education of the future science and engineering workforce, and a pilot program at the NSF to improve laboratory science in high-need secondary schools. To maintain our high national standard of living, we need a workforce that is prepared in a world-class math and science education system. But there is a dark cloud looming. American students have performed poorly in recent years on an assortment of international tests of math and science achievement. That does not bode well for the future. Our next generation of innovators, where will they come from? That is what the gathering storm on the horizon is all about. To rise above it, we need to reform the math and science teaching profession. That is what this legislation now before us will do. The stakes are high and the concern is urgent. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 362. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will yield further, let me first of all thank the gentleman for his recommendation and assure you that it is my intention when we go to conference on H.R. 362 to work to increase the size of the Noyce scholarship to $12,000 per year for students who agree to carry out their teaching commitment in high-need schools.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say amen to most of Dr. Ehlers' eloquent statement. He is a very constructive and positive force on our committee. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), a former science teacher.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will yield further, I certainly do; and I once again thank the gentleman for bringing this up. As the gentleman points out, H.R. 362 now requires the National Science Foundation track the proportion of Noyce graduates who elect to teach in high-need schools. I will seek to expand this provision in conference to require NSF to assess the effect of increasing the size of scholarships on attracting graduates of the program to teach in high-need schools.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 362, as amended.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

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

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding, but more importantly, I thank her for bringing this amendment before us. It really is an example of why diversity of collaboration helps you make better decisions. This was a niche that we simply overlooked; and with her help, as well as our fellow member of the Science Committee, Mrs. Biggert, we have a better bill. We thank you for the amendment. We thank you for another example of, again, why diversity helps us make better decisions. This is a good amendment. I support it.