Bart Gordon

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell). (Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the former youngest attorney general in the Nation, who saw firsthand the problem with methamphetamine in Kentucky (Mr. Chandler).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to a former DA from New York State who, once again, has seen this epidemic firsthand and has dealt with it there, and now, as a new Member of Congress, he is dealing with it on a national basis, Mr. Arcuri.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, Oregon has long had a terrible problem with methamphetamines, and a real fighter there has been Ms. Hooley, and I yield 2 minutes to her.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill).

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, no Member of this Congress has done more to fight this epidemic of methamphetamine than the cochairman of the Methamphetamine Caucus, Mr. Larsen. I thank him for his good work and yield him 1 minute.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, our final speaker is the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) and I yield him 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, it certainly is nice to see a good bipartisan piece of legislation pass through this House. It is a good way to start. I appreciate the cooperation of everybody involved. In closing, I want to say that this targeted bill can help every community where a meth lab has been discovered. I would urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 365.

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 move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 72) recognizing the work and accomplishments of Mr. Britt ``Max'' Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center upon his retirement.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 72, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) be allowed to control the time on our side. Mr. Mahoney has taken the lead on this bill, and I appreciate him doing so.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, the cost of college education continues to rise at an alarming rate. You may ask, ``why does it matter?'' The simple fact is that education is the single most important factor when it comes to equalizing opportunity and ensuring all students are able to achieve a better future and, of course, greater income. A well educated society is paramount to our global competitiveness and national security. Because education is so critical, I believe we have a duty to ensure it is available to all our citizens. The legislation before us represents an opportunity to assist borrowers with repayment of their student loan debt--a debt that is an investment in their future. While I support that goal, I also urge my colleagues to dig deeper into the problem, and take a hard look at the problem of rising tuition costs. After all, the debt incurred by students is the costs incurred to participate in postsecondary education. I would like to see us engage in a dialogue with the higher education community to understand why college costs are rising so rapidly and what can be done to assist students who are struggling to even enroll because the cost barrier is too high. I would also like to speak for a moment about the cost of this proposal. I fully support a fiscally responsible approach, and our newly reinstated PAYGO rules demand that we offset the cost of this proposal. As such, this bill is being paid for through reductions in government payments to the private and non-profit lenders and guarantee agencies that provide student loans. I have some concerns about how the cost of this bill may affect student benefit programs now available. We need to invest in education and we all need to take a hard look at the programs now available to ensure they are efficient and effective. However, we must not lose sight of the strengths inherent in our current system. Students and families benefit greatly from solid competition within the student loan program, which today results in reduced fees, repayment incentives, and yes, lower interest rates. But there is more: student outreach, need-based scholarship programs and services, statewide career testing for 7th through 12th grades--all of which are helping to make college more affordable and accessible. We shouldn't neglect that. As we proceed with this and other higher education legislation, I want to protect students and families from a one-size-fits-all mentality and ensure these programs that have served so many will go forward in an efficient manner for the students and families they serve, as well as for the American taxpayers making this crucial investment. I thank Speaker Pelosi and the Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee for including higher education in the First 100 Hours. It shows how important the issue is and that this Congress is committed to moving forward with an investment in our students and an investment in the future of our Nation.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I hereby submit for printing in the Record the Rules of the Committee on Science and Technology, as agreed to and passed on January 24, 2007. Rules Governing Procedure of the Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, for the One Hundred Tenth Congress

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a father of a 5-year-old daughter, I am deeply concerned about the future of our country. I am concerned that our children could be the first generation of Americans that do not have a better quality of life than their parents. I am concerned about the availability of quality jobs for our children. I am concerned that our country's competitive position in the world will continue to deteriorate. And I am concerned that our country will not have access to energy supplies needed to sustain our economy and our growth. For far too long, our country has relied on foreign sources of oil to meet our energy needs. This dependency is bad for our economic security, it is bad for our national security, it harms our ability to create new quality jobs, and it harms our ability to maintain our competitive position in the world. Ten years from now, I want to look at my daughter and know that I did my part to find a solution. The bill we are considering today will make a significant down payment for the development of new energy technologies. A stable domestic energy supply is essential to economic well-being and security of our Nation. For years, we have been chipping away at energy policy, increasing production here, a tax incentive there, funding energy R&D when it is convenient, and letting programs languish when it is not. It is time we think of new ways to approach this problem. Replacing traditional energy sources requires an unprecedented basic research and development technology effort. We must be a world leader, developing new technologies and sustainable energy sources that will maintain our competitive position. As chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, you have my commitment that our committee will be doing our part. We will be working to use R&D to accelerate the production and use of new biofuels, increase the use of renewable energy, like solar, wind, geothermal, and boost energy efficiency in part by making the Federal Government a model of conservation. We will not ignore the potential contribution of clean coal, carbon capture and storage technologies and better, cleaner ways to produce oil and gas. And we will not shy away from engaging in a thoughtful dialogue of the role of nuclear power. In these ways, we will help ensure a strong, secure energy future for our children and help manufacturers keep jobs here by ensuring a stable, reliable, and affordable energy supply. Mr. Speaker, today I will have the privilege of yielding my time to the next generation of leaders in the energy debate. These new members of the Committee on Science and Technology came to Washington to change things and to make a difference. This is their chance. This is their opportunity to leave a legacy that includes the creation of a reasonable, balanced, and effective energy policy for years to come. I am proud I can join with them in supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) and welcome him back to Congress and to the Science Committee, my friend.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell), the former mayor of Tempe, as well as a former member of the Arizona State Senate.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Arcuri), the successor of the former chairman of the Science Committee.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the former State senator from Arizona (Ms. Giffords), who really has experienced both the private sector and the public sector and will be a great addition to our Science Committee.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney) one of the few Members of this body that really brings real world experience in the renewable energy area.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas, and I yield myself the balance of my time and his time. You know, most of my life I have heard of red herrings. Today, I got to hear about a red tuna. It is amazing to me to think that the opponents of this bill could categorize it as sending money overseas. The fact of the matter is what we are doing is we are going to be developing an energy efficiency, an alternative energy, renewable energy in this country so we don't have to send money overseas. It is just the reverse. And not only are we doing that, we are doing it in an economically responsible way in that we are paying as we go. And that is the reason that we are taking these unneeded tax breaks and using them to help us to develop a new type of energy for this country, new jobs for my children, for your children, and for our Nation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I encourage Democrats and Republicans alike to support this good bill.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the chairman of the Space and Aviation Committee from Colorado (Mr. Udall). (Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the banking career of Bill Smith, who, as he puts it, started out as an errand runner and left as chairman of the board. Bill began working for the Bank of Commerce in Woodbury, Tennessee, in 1950. At the time, there were five other employees working at the bank on the west side of the Cannon County Square. He began as a runner and went on to fill many other positions at the bank, including using a pen and ledger to keep the balance of the entire bank. In 1954, the bank moved to its current location on the north side of the square, and Bill continued moving up. In 1964, an addition was added to the bank, and Bill earned the title of vice president. In 1967, the Bank of Commerce was sold to Third National Bank, and Bill became president. Another addition to the Woodbury branch was added in 1982. Under Bill's leadership, the Bank of Commerce sponsored the Cannon County Good Ole Days for 25 years and started the annual Red Apple Days in Auburntown. Bank branches were built and obtained in the Edgefield community and in Auburntown. When the bank sold in the early 1980s, it had grown to about 50 full- time and 20 part-time employees. The bank sold again in 1991 to Regions, and Bill's son, Steve, who had begun working for the bank while attending Middle Tennessee State University, became president. Bill became chairman of the board until he retired from the banking industry on August 31, 2005. In his so-called retirement, Bill has been helping his son, Mike, with their family business, Smith Funeral Home, and managing his family farm. He is an active member of the Church of Christ. Christine Dillon, who has worked with Bill since 1951, both at the bank and the funeral home, says Bill is described by friends as kind, friendly, a good Christian and a great marketing person. He is much loved by his friends and former banking colleagues. I congratulate Bill on his retirement, and I wish him many years of happiness.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor David Ogg on earning the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. Today, BG Ogg is being honored in a ceremony to commemorate this great achievement. During the course of his 28 years of distinguished service, BG Ogg has served in Germany, where he was on the front line of the cold war in Europe. Later, his career transitioned to project management, and he worked with some of the military's most important and most sophisticated new hardware, such as the M113 and Stryker combat vehicles. While his military service has led him around the globe, BG Ogg has never forgotten where he comes from. Although he is currently stationed in Michigan, BG Ogg still calls Murfreesboro, Tennessee, home. In fact, he returned to his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, to teach ROTC for 4 years. And his two sons now are continuing the family tradition and seeking their degrees at MTSU. As a fellow MTSU alumnus and former student of MTSU's ROTC program, I thank BG Ogg for his service to his country, and I commend him for his hard work and dedication. I also commend his wife, Pam, and their sons, Jason and Stuart, for the sacrifices they have made as BG Ogg has proudly worn the uniform of this Nation. I wish David Ogg and the entire Ogg family continued success and happiness.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of a valued staff member--Charles E. Cooke--who retired this month from the House Science Committee. As a professional staffer on the Energy Subcommittee, Charlie's expertise on the issues of energy production, energy research and development, and energy conservation have been unmatched. Charlie has been working on energy issues since the 1960s, when he was a staffer for the Texas State Legislature. In the 1970s he moved to Washington to work with the Federal Power Commission. He represented Southern California Edison in its Washington office in the late seventies. From 1979 to 1985 he was a principal in a consulting firm that represented Texas interests in Washington and Austin. Charlie came to Capitol Hill in 1985, first as a legislative assistant to Rep. Ralph Hall (TX) and then as staff of the Committee on Science. In 1990, Charlie went back to work for Southern California Edison on energy restructuring, telecommunications, electric transportation, and tax issues. After leaving Edison, he joined the EOP Group, an energy and environmental consulting firm, and then returned to the Hill in 1998 to serve as Special Assistant to Congressman Hall, working on utility restructuring. Finally, in 2000 Charlie returned to the Science Committee as a professional staff member with responsibility for energy issues. Before switching to the political science field, Charlie began his early studies in electrical engineering, and his engineering training comes through, both in his approach to problems and in his passions: home improvement and landscape architecture. He has been an active volunteer in planning the House botanical gardens and on the Advisory Board of the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Texas. Charlie's easy going personality, issue expertise, and his talent for making great barbeque will be long remembered on this Committee. The Science Committee's Members and staff wish him well as he moves on to new endeavors and a relaxing retirement. Thank you, Charlie, for your many years of dedicated and loyal service.