Bart Gordon

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek). (Mr. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Houston, Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), a valued member of the Science and Technology Committee.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield the gentlewoman 30 more seconds.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Kosmas).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the chair of the Space and Aviation Subcommittee, the gentlelady from Arizona (Ms. Giffords), who has had, very conscientiously, 17 or 18 subcommittee meetings on this subject.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1421) recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission and the heroic actions of both the crew and those working at mission control in Houston, Texas, for bringing the three astronauts, Fred Haise, Jim Lovell, and Jack Swigert, home to Earth safely.

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

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam 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. 1421, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, it is hard to imagine a more difficult problem than that of figuring out how to safely return to Earth in a critically damaged spacecraft heading towards the Moon--or one that is more urgent. Yet, through the combined efforts of the three consummately trained astronauts, the skilled NASA engineers and flight controllers and contractor workforce, Apollo 13 and its crew were brought back to Earth safely. As we consider the future of NASA and its human spaceflight programs, let this 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission both inspire us and remind us of the importance of ensuring safety and the strength and capabilities of our human spaceflight workforce as we send our astronauts into space. I would like to thank the resolution's sponsor, Mr. Poe, for introducing this good resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6160) to develop a rare earth materials program, to amend the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam 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. 6160, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support today of H.R. 6160, the Rare Earths and Critical Materials Revitalization Act of 2010. This bill was introduced by the gentlelady from Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper) and cosponsored by Mr. Jerry Lewis, Mr. Coffman, Mr. Carnahan, myself, and a number of other Members who all recognize that we must take steps to recapture our technological lead in a wide range of industries critical to our economic health, our national defense, and a clean and secure energy future. For the last week you couldn't open a newspaper or watch TV without seeing a story warning us about the danger of our reliance on China for a little-known but critical class of raw materials called ``rare earths.'' Rare earths are an essential component of technologies in a wide array of emerging and established industries. And, for everything from oil refining to hybrid cars, wind turbines to weapon systems, computer monitors to disk drives, the future demand for rare earths is only expected to grow. However, despite the U.S. at one time being the leader in this field, China now controls 97 percent of the global market. Making matters more urgent, China has begun limiting production and export of rare earths. This is clearly an untenable position for the U.S. This is not the first time the Congress has been concerned with the competitive implications of materials such as rare earths. In 1980--30 years ago--we established a national minerals and materials policy. One core element in that legislation was a call to support ``a vigorous, comprehensive, and coordinated program of materials research and development.'' Unfortunately, over successive administrations the effort to sustain the program eroded. Now it is time to revive a coordinated effort to level the global playing field in rare earths. Mrs. Dahlkemper's bill calls for increased research and development to help address the Nation's rare earths shortage and reinvigorates the national policy for critical materials. Furthermore, the bill does not start a big new government program. All activities authorized in this Act should take place within existing programs at the Department of Energy, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and other relevant agencies. And the bill does not authorize any new appropriations. I call on my colleagues to support H.R. 6160, and I look forward to its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield such time as she may consume to the lead sponsor of this good bill, the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper).

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

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

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 2923, the Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act. I'd like to thank Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Shimkus, Chairman Waxman, Ranking Member Barton, and the staff of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for their hard work on this bill. I'd also like to thank Senator Feinstein for her determination and diligence in the effort to combat the spread of meth. While visiting a Middle Tennessee high school a number of years ago, I asked a group of students to tell me about the most troubling issue facing them. Their top concern shocked me: they were worried about friends who were trying meth. Four years ago, Congress began to tackle this issue head on. In 2006, Congress approved the most comprehensive bill to date targeting the spread of meth by bringing all pseudoephedrine products behind the counter. For a time, this approach worked, and meth abuse rates went down. But the criminals who cook and distribute this dangerous drug have exploited loopholes in the laws that regulate the sale of precursor materials. As a result, we have once again seen an increase in the distribution, use, and manufacturing of meth across the country. In Tennessee, meth seizures have increased 50 percent in the past year. Too many retailers and distributors of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine products are not in compliance with the 2006 law. Even more alarming, recent trends are showing that more and more of those arrested are young people, who are first brought into the business as runners sent to purchase these products from retailers. Building on the 2006 law, H.R. 2923 would: require all retailers of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine products to register with the U.S. Attorney General; require distributors of these products to sell only to retailers who are registered to sell controlled substances; require the Attorney General to provide a downloadable database on its website to all retailers who have filed self-certification; and, clarify that a retailer who neglects to file required self-certifications can face civil fines. This bill has been endorsed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Health Care Distribution Management Association, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the National Narcotics Officers' Association and the Fraternal Order of Police. Meth is a highly addictive and dangerous drug, with widespread consequences for users, their families, and their communities. With this legislation, we move one step closer to securing the safety of our communities across the nation by ensuring these products are used for their intended purpose, and not for illegal drugs.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1660) expressing support for the goals and ideals of the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., and for other purposes.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam 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. 1660, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1660, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival. I want to congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray) for introducing this resolution. A number of much-publicized studies have shown that the mathematics and science achievement of American students is poor by international standards. This is a dark cloud over the future of American competitiveness. Without high-achieving math and science students today, we won't have the innovative scientists, engineers and technologists for tomorrow. As you know, the House recently passed the America COMPETES Act reauthorization, which seeks to improve STEM education at all levels, not only so that our Nation will produce the world's leading scientists and engineers, but also so that all students, high school, and junior college students will have a strong background in math and science. The USA Science and Engineering Festival, which is taking place in October on the National Mall and in satellite locations across the country, is a collaboration of hundreds of science and engineering companies, professional associations, colleges and universities, K-12 schools, and other organizations, all with the goal to recruit the next generation of scientists and engineers by inspiring students and showing them how science intersects daily with their lives. The culmination of the festival will be a free 2-day expo on the National Mall and will feature over 1,500 interactive science activities. Once again I want to commend Mr. Bilbray and his cosponsors for introducing this resolution, and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the goals and ideals of the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I once again thank my friend from San Diego for an excellent resolution and also for the good constructive role he plays on our Science and Technology Committee. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Center for Atmospheric Research on their 50th anniversary. NCAR was created in 1960 as a program of the National Science Foundation and operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a consortium of universities. The mission of the National Center for Atmospheric Research is to: understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related physical, biological and social systems; to support, enhance and extend the capabilities of the university community and the broader scientific community nationally and internationally; and to foster transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth. The National Center for Atmospheric Research has provided a platform for collaboration by the larger university research community and has provided the community with tools, facilities, and scientific expertise for 50 years. As Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, I would especially like to recognize the National Center for Atmospheric Research for its profound impact on the understanding of atmospheric processes and systems and its long partnership with the National Science Foundation. Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating the National Center for Atmospheric Research on its 50th anniversary.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I am submitting, pursuant to House Resolution 1493, changes in law that could help achieve deficit reduction by reducing waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement; promoting efficiency and reform of government; and controlling spending within Government programs for which the Committee on Science and Technology has primary authorizing authority. The specific measures listed below are pending before Congress. If enacted, these measures would reduce government waste, promote efficiency, and help to control spending within Government programs. Coordination and Non-Duplication One of the recurring legislative themes for the Science and Technology Committee during the 111th Congress has been coordination and non-duplication. In tough budgetary times, it is vital that precious Federal research dollars not be spent on duplicative programs. Unfortunately, the coordinating activities necessary to prevent duplicative research efforts have been surprisingly lacking both across the Federal government and within individual agencies. To ensure that Federal research expenditures are most effective, the Committee included coordination requirements in several bills this Congress. The first example of this theme was the House passage of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 554) on February 11, 2009. The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is an effort to coordinate over 1.7 billion dollars in annual Federal nanotechnology research expenditures across 15 separate agencies. The 2009 bill is an update to the existing program which should strengthen the interagency coordination and oversight functions of NNI. Interagency coordination was also the driving premise behind H.R. 1145, the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009, which passed the House on April 23, 2009. The purpose of this bill is to create a Federal initiative to coordinate the Government's efforts in research and development related to water resources. This is another field of inquiry in which multiple Federal agencies are involved, but where little effort has been expended to date to determine if these efforts are complementary or duplicative. H.R. 1145 would remedy this by bringing each of these agencies together, along with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to develop a National Water Research and Assessment Plan to coordinate water research across the Federal Government. The Committee's efforts to coordinate Federal Government activities also extended to the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in H.R. 1709, the STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009, which passed the House on June 8, 2009. The purpose of H.R. 1709 is to establish a committee through the National Science and Technology Council with OSTP, to coordinate Federal programs and activities in support of STEM education across the Federal Government. The coordinating committee would also be charged with developing and periodically updating a strategic plan for STEM education to craft a more cohesive and effective Federal effort toward STEM education. In H.R. 2020, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2009, the Committee updated the successful Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program to codify and emphasize the National Coordination Office to ensure coordination of the computing and information technology research of the 13 Federal agencies performing this type of work. The bill would also require the formulation of a strategic plan to set a coordinated direction for Federal information technology research. Additionally, the bill emphasizes communication with outside communities of interest in an effort to help ensure that Federal research investments in these areas compliment, rather than duplicate, private-sector investments in these areas. The Committee also established an Interagency Coordinating Committee in its reauthorization of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program in H.R. 3820, the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2010. The purpose of the committee is to ensure a coordinated approach in Federal research related to the earthquake and wind programs authorized in H.R. 3820. H.R. 3820 passed the House on March 2, 2010. Finally, the Committee broadly addressed the issue of coordination of Federal efforts in the areas of research and development and STEM education in H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, which passed the House on May 28, 2010. In addition to containing identical provisions as H.R. 554, H.R. 1709, and H.R. 2020, the COMPETES Act contained additional provisions dealing with coordination and non duplication. Under Title VI of the bill, the Undersecretary for Science at the Department of Energy was given additional authority to coordinate energy technology research, development, and demonstration activities across the Department. There are also coordination provisions relating to the management of federal scientific collections and manufacturing research and development. NASA Acquisition Reform Over the course of the past several years, the Committee on Science and Technology has investigated deficiencies in the awarding of major NASA contracts, with a focus on the flawed awarding of the Space Communications Networks Services Contract. This contract award, worth 1.3 billion dollars, has been successfully protested to the Government Accountability Office twice, and significant concerns regarding NASA's contract award management have been raised by these protests. To address these issues, the Committee devoted Title VIII of its 2010 NASA authorization (H.R. 5781) to acquisition management. Notably, this title attempts to avoid organizational conflicts of interest in major NASA acquisitions by prohibiting contractors providing systems engineering or technical assistance to NASA from competing for the underlying management or acquisition contract. Similar provisions applicable to the Department of Defense were included in the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009. In an effort to control spiraling acquisition costs, Title VIII of H.R. 5781 also strengthens a prohibition on expenditure of funds for acquisitions which exceed a 30 percent cost growth. Manufacturing Extension Partnership Management As a component of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, the Committee included a provision requiring the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to conduct an assessment of the governance of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. In carrying out the assessment, the Director is instructed to use criteria established pursuant to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This novel approach is intended to require the director of NIST to use criteria generally applied in making assessments of private sector proposals on NIST's own programs. It is hoped that this critical assessment will lead to better management of the MEP program. Future areas of focus The Committee on Science and Technology continues to look at ways of making the Federal scientific agencies more efficient and better managed. One area of future focus is the management of the Department of Energy's (DOE) civilian research laboratories. DOE's laboratories are currently regulated internally, and, to a large degree, to a single DOE set of standards. However, the safety, environmental, and security requirements of DOE's civilian and military laboratories vary greatly. The Committee has begun to investigate whether turning DOE's civilian laboratories over to non-DOE regulation would prove more cost effective than its current internal management structure. The Committee has also been looking at recommendations from a 2009 report by the National Academy of Public Administration to determine if DOE could implement practices aimed at better management of its human capital. I hope these examples of the Committee's legislative work prove helpful to the Congress at large. As the Congress moves forward with future efforts toward deficit reduction and enhanced management of the Federal Government, the Committee on Science and Technology will continue to be an enthusiastic partner in these endeavors.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and dedication of Ted Canter, a member of my staff who is leaving my office to pursue a law degree at Emory University. Ted grew up in Maryland and graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a degree in English. After getting his start on the Hill with the office of Senator Tim Johnson, Ted joined my office as a Legislative Correspondent last fall and was soon promoted to Legislative Assistant. Ted was a welcome addition to the office from the start. He handled his legislative work skillfully and was good- natured to professional contacts, constituents and coworkers alike. His unflappably good manners on the phone were renowned among our staff. As a Legislative Assistant for education, housing, agriculture and other vital domestic issues, Ted has been a valuable resource to me and to constituents with concerns in these areas. He transitioned easily to the position, quickly grasped the intricacies of the issues, and speaks to the legislative process with the confidence of a veteran staffer. Ted's dedication and enthusiasm for the job helped me to advance my legislative priorities and better serve my constituents. Madam Speaker, I am certain the qualities that made Ted a fine staffer will make him an equally fine fellow lawyer, and I wish him all the best in the future.