Ralph Hall

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. This amendment would double to $100 million annually the authorization levels of the new never-done-before loan guarantee program created in the bill. I have major concerns with this program as it stands, particularly because it's heavily redundant with existing loan guarantee programs, such as those at the Small Business Administration where small manufacturers can and do apply for support. Doubling the amount and doubling this spending on an unnecessary and redundant program is not good policy. Accordingly, I oppose the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank Ms. Fudge for her good presentation, and I rise in support of H. Res. 1213, supporting the ideals of National Lab Day. H. Res. 1213 recognizes the need to improve the participation and performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, or STEM fields. In order for America to continue its competitive edge in technology and innovation, a solid foundation in STEM education for our students is very vital. Without early exposure to science in the classroom, students will either lack the interest to pursue a career in STEM fields, or will lack the preparation and skills required to be successful. H. Res. 1213 puts one step forward to ensuring that our children and grandchildren, the innovators of tomorrow, have the well-rounded education they need if they are to become the leading minds of America's future. National Lab Day's purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of STEM education by creating a ``nationwide initiative to build local communities of support that will foster ongoing collaboration among volunteers, students and educators. Volunteers, university students, scientists, engineers, other STEM professionals and, more broadly, members of the community are working together with educators and students to bring discovery-based science experiences to students in grades K-12.'' I applaud those efforts that do not rely on the Federal Government but engage our communities to become more involved in improving lab experiences for students in kindergarten through high school, and hope my colleagues will join me today in recognizing the importance of what National Lab Day presents. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1231, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United States Television Infrared Observation Satellite, which is the world's first meteorological satellite, launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on April 1, 1960. The launching of Sputnik in 1957 signaled the Soviet Union's advances in the space race with the United States. This event caused the creation of NASA, and it precipitated the push by the U.S. to gain a technological advantage in space. It was during this time that NASA launched the Television Infrared Observation Satellite, or TIROS, to determine if satellites could be useful in the study of the Earth. It was unknown whether or not satellite observations would be an effective means to determine the meteorological condition on the Earth's surface. Scientists postulated that space-based observations would be highly useful for weather forecasting. TIROS was equipped with two television cameras, with a magnetic tape recorder and with antennas. This simple configuration relayed thousands of pictures of the Earth's cloud cover, giving scientists the first real insight into the complexity of the Earth's atmosphere. When the first accurate weather forecasts based on data collected from TIROS were completed, it became obvious that this technology would revolutionize meteorology and that it would have long-lasting impacts on society. To demonstrate its usefulness to the world and to fulfill President Dwight D. Eisenhower's pledge to promote the peaceful use of space for the benefit of all mankind, NASA and the U.S. Weather Bureau invited scientists from 21 different nations to participate in the analysis of weather data from successive satellites. It was due to this information that the Weather Bureau issued its first advisories on air pollution potential over the eastern United States. Today, weather forecasting is used in every part of our society. It is used to help protect human welfare and to guard against property damage; it is used to enhance commerce, and it is used to inform officials of dangerous environmental conditions like hurricanes and blizzards. The technological advances that we have made since then in satellite technology have been astronomical, and the commercialization of this technology has brought us even more clarity about the world we live in than has ever been known or appreciated before. TIROS was only operational for 78 days, but those short weeks demonstrated the power and usefulness of space-based observations. It has been 50 years since the U.S. launched the first meteorological satellite into space, but as with other groundbreaking advances, it's appropriate to look back and appreciate the momentum that brought this Earth into the space age. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1231. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support and as an original cosponsor of H. Res. 1307, honoring the 60th anniversary of the National Science Foundation. We are proud of the work of this independent agency that focuses on basic research in the frontiers of knowledge and is a very vital asset to our Nation. It's the only Federal agency that supports all fields of fundamental science and engineering, and makes sure that research is integrated with education so that our next generation of scientists and engineers are also world class. According to NSF, basic research is, quote, ``where discoveries begin,'' and I could not agree more. NSF funds more than 10,000 new awardees a year. From those awards have come discoveries that have revolutionized the way every American lives in one way or another. It was NSF-funded research that led us to the Internet and to the Web browsers that we use today. Fundamental research supported by NSF is responsible for what we now know as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. Bar codes appear on nearly everything we purchase today, from toys to shoes to boxes of cereal, helping industries with a range of activities from inventory to marketing to pricing. This is yet another technology where the National Science Foundation plays a crucial role. The American Sign Language Dictionary, speech recognition technology, fiber optics, Doppler radar--all end results of NSF-sponsored research. NSF-funded researchers have won more than 180 Nobel Prizes in numerous disciplines, and the agency leads a robust international research program in the polar regions, including managing U.S. interests in Antarctica. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the role of the current director of the Foundation and its recent accomplishments. Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., has led the agency with distinction for the past 6 years. He will be returning to Purdue University in June. This Congress and Nation owe him a debt of gratitude for his service. Likewise to those National Science Board members whose term is up next week, including President Steven G. Beering. We also appreciate his hard work and dedication in ensuring our scientific enterprise remains unsurpassed. I encourage our colleagues to join Chairman Gordon and me in supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1310 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the construction of the laser, marking a major milestone in scientific discovery. In 1953, Charles Townes produced what would become a precursor to the laser--the first microwave amplifier. Townes and his colleagues teamed up with Bell Laboratories in 1957 to begin extensive research on the amplification devices. Their focus shifted only to those amplifiers which produced visible light. In 1958, Bell Laboratories submitted a patent for an optical laser. However, such a device had yet to be successfully created. It was not until Charles Townes and Gordon Gould met in 1958 that the fundamentals of the laser and of the open resonator design were first discussed. In 1960, Theodore Maiman constructed the first operational laser. He used theories and plans published by Bell Labs, Gould, and Townes to construct this remarkable device. Charles Townes was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics, along with scientists Nikolay Basov and Aleksandr Prokhorov, for their work in quantum electronics, which laid the groundwork for the construction of lasers. We rely on lasers in our daily lives, and they are found in everyday products, such as laser printers, barcode scanners, and numerous medical devices. The world sales of lasers are estimated at well over $5 billion to date. Today, in large part, we realize that great success stories, such as the construction of lasers, are due to American ingenuity, which stems directly from the investment in basic research and in our outstanding institutions of higher learning. The laser is a prime example of basic research that ended up having multiple applications well beyond what its creators could have ever conceived. The construction of the laser is but one example that leaves me confident in America's place at the top of the scientific world. I applaud these great scientists for their contributions to our community, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1269, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first use of the telescope by Galileo Galilei to peer into heavens. Galileo's brilliant refinements of existing telescope designs allowed humans for the first time to discern the Earth's closest neighbors to a level of detail that was breathtaking, such as valleys of the Moon, fellow planets in our solar system, and the moons of Jupiter. Most importantly, unlike his peers who trained their telescopes to look across the Earth's terrain, Galileo instead aimed his telescopes to look out into the heavens. Four hundred years later, who could have imagined the transformations unleashed by Galileo and his search of the night skies, both in terms of designs and capabilities of follow-on telescopes, as well as informing Earth's inhabitants of their genesis and their place in the universe. Today, ground-based telescopes sitting high atop mountain peaks are collecting immense amounts of data, enabling astronomers to discover new details about our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe. Just as important, their findings raise new questions, leading to follow-on research campaigns all across the globe. Space-based telescopes, which have only been launched in the last several decades, have been equally spectacular. Virtually every citizen on Earth has seen pictures produced by the Hubble, Chandra, Compton, and Spitzer space telescopes. And the future of space-based and ground- based astronomy promises to be just as exciting. To cite one example, NASA is hard at work completing construction of the James Webb space telescope, scheduled to be launched in 2014. It is designed to look at the infrared spectrum and will have a mirror that's 21 feet across, far larger than the mirror on Hubble. The potential discoveries that await are unknown. For men and women all across the globe, probably no field of science is more captivating and more exciting than astronomy. Galileo and his early telescopes provided the foundation, and this resolution rightly acknowledges his genius. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health care bill.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as we enter the most important and eventful week of the thirty years I've been up here--I think of the consequences of the votes we will cast--both Republican and Democrat. When we passed the health bill on this very floor--the Democrats-- with a 40 vote advantage on the House Floor--passed H.R. 3962 with a 5 vote advantage--which showed that the outrageous health bill had been lessened in severity in the Commerce Committee--and was softened up enough for the Senate to kill it. Then, a series of Senators negotiated gifts they were not entitled to--each receiving a different consideration--into being the coveted 60th vote. If we take the Floor back--I would favor subpoenaing those who may have made the overtures to compare it to the law of bribery or corrupt deals. I would send the results to the Federal and State Prosecutors. The bribery penalty as set out in 18 U.S. Code Section 203 ``is imprisonment for not more than a year and a civil fine of not more than $50,000 for each violation.'' I consider offering a bribe--for a personal benefit--as worse than accepting one; let's clean up the United States Congress--and listen to our people whose only request is to take back our country. Webster's Dictionary defines ``bribe'' as money or favor given or promised to a person in a position of trust to influence their judgment or conduct.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments of a man who has dedicated his life to service and a greater cause, Fred E. Allen of Mt. Pleasant, TX. Mr. Allen has been an outstanding citizen and patriot throughout his life. Much of his energy has been directed through the noble organization of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, which has played an important role in the history of this nation since its founding. Many influential Americans have been members of the Masons, including Presidents, Members of Congress, Justices, and Governors, and their ranks have included scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, entertainers, clergy, entrepreneurs, businessmen, and pioneers-- basically all walks of life. In October of 2009 Mr. Allen was honored with The Grand Cross by the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite. This is the highest individual honor that The Supreme Council bestows. It is a rare honorary degree that is bestowed on Thirty-third Degree Masons, and is awarded only for the most exceptional and extraordinary services. Mr. Allen is one of those exceptional Masons, a man who, in the words of the philosopher Jeremy Benson, sought ``the greatest good for the greatest number.'' It is a privilege to pay tribute to such an honorable and devoted citizen in the Fourth Congressional District of Texas, and I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognition of this great American, Fred Allen.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. As we enter into the most important and eventful week of the 30 years since I have been up here, I think of the consequences of the votes we will cast, both Republican and Democrat. When we passed the health bill on this very floor, the Democrats, with a 40-vote advantage on the House floor, passed H.R. 3962 with only a five-vote advantage, which showed that the outrageous health bill had been lessened in severity in the Commerce Committee and was softened up enough for the Senate to kill it. Then a series of Senators negotiated gifts they were not entitled to, each receiving a different consideration, into being the coveted 60th vote. If we take the floor back, I would consider subpoenaing those who may have made the overtures to compare it to the law of bribery or corrupt deals. I would send the results to the Federal and State prosecutors. The bribery penalty as set out in 18 U.S. Code section 203 is imprisonment for not more than a year and a civil fine of not more than $50,000 for each violation. I consider offering a bribe, for a personal benefit, as worse than accepting one. Let's clean up the United States Congress and listen to our people whose only request is to take back their country.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The bill before us today is the same bill that was before this body 3 days ago. As such, I don't have much to add today except to compliment the gentleman from Washington and tell him that he has made a difference in the time he has been here and he will be missed when he leaves in November. And it is tough to go against a bill that I'm in favor of the thrust that he has, but I have some concerns about it. I will simply reiterate that I'm supportive of the underlying goals of this legislation. It fosters continued research into the causes of harmful algal blooms, explores ways to manage these events, and sets up mechanisms to potentially predict when they might even occur. While supportive of the goals of the measure, I and several of my Republican colleagues, and there is a difference among us on this side, have some concerns about the authorization levels in this bill as well as the potential for unfunded mandates on States and localities. This bill authorizes funding that is almost three times the amount that had been appropriated in recent years and is 50 percent higher than the last reauthorization in 2004. In authorizing legislation, we must be mindful of fiscal constraints both at the Federal and the State level. I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Baird and my colleagues on the House Science and Technology Committee as this bill moves through the process. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mack).

Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. In closing, I just want to point out once again to be guarding against unfunded mandates on States and localities. This bill will reach probably a conference committee somewhere down the road. I would like to have that remembered. In authorizing legislation, we have to still be mindful of fiscal constraints both at the Federal and the State level. The President's budget request for the NOAA program is $12.7 million. Forty-one million dollars in authorization is significantly above the request. It is a good program, a great thrust. I support the thrust. I just ask those who vote upon it, for or against it, to remember the unfunded mandate danger and the fact that it is well above. I now see my colleague from Michigan, Dr. Ehlers, here, who is probably going to disagree with me. I will yield him 5 minutes.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a few minutes to remember a patriot, a great Texan, and a great friend, Charlie Wilson. I had the pleasure of serving with Charlie in the Texas State Senate and then in the House for another 17 years, and though we didn't see eye to eye on every issue, it was not often we disagreed. Charlie was a courageous and kind man with a strong sense of justice that compelled him to work for the good of others. I think that, more than anything else, will be the enduring part of his legacy. He decided to commit his energy, and the efforts of this country, to helping the Afghani people against the Soviets, not just because it was the Cold War and it was us versus them, but because he saw the atrocities committed against the Afghani people and he knew that the United States could not sit by and just allow it to happen. It was actions like that and his dedication to American values that ultimately helped President Reagan bring down the wall between East and West and bring democracy to so much more of the world. Charlie was also known for his ability to party, and it is true that he knew how to have a good time. He was married earlier in his life before coming up here to Washington, and I remember once, he had been dating this Russian beauty, and there were loud talks and rumors in the tabloids that wedding bells were inevitable, and then one day I woke up and the headlines read that the matrimony was off. So I asked him what happened, and he said to me, ``Ralph, you knew I wasn't going to marry that girl,'' and I said, ``Charlie, how was I supposed to know that?'' And he said, ``You ever see a three legged fox get near a trap again?'' Well, he was a wise old fox indeed and managed, himself, to trap the love of his life, the beautiful Barbara Alberstadt, and she blessed the last 11 years of Charlie's life. We're all sad that he's gone, but I for one am proud to have served in this Congress with such an outstanding man, Charlie Wilson.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1055, supporting the goals and ideals of National Robotics Week, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. National Robotics Week, which annually occurs during the second full week of April, recognizes the transformative role of robotics technology, the ability of robotics to inspire and educate, and the need to underscore education at all levels. This event celebrates the U.S. as a leader in robotics technology, which becomes more prevalent in our lives with each passing year. The mission of National Robotics Week is to educate the public about the social and cultural impacts of robotics technology and to inspire students of all ages to pursue careers in robotics and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related fields. Events are scheduled around the country for this purpose. For those who cannot attend in person, the National Robotics Week Web site provides other ways for parents and teachers to get involved. Affecting numerous sectors of our economy, including national defense, robotics will continue to be an emerging market, with substantial growth expected. As such it is important for us to recognize the many aspects of the specialized field. Despite the projected growth, the United States is facing a shortage of graduates in STEM-related fields. National Robotics Week is yet another tool to help parents and teachers motivate and inspire our children to learn about the exciting role robotics plays in our everyday world. Somewhere out there, the next Isaac Asimov is receiving inspiration. Perhaps it is at a National Robotics Week event. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HALL of Texas

Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1069, which honors and congratulates Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for receiving the Nobel Prize in physics on December 10, 2009, for their invention of the imaging semiconductor circuit, the charge-coupled device, or CCD. This accomplishment, achieved by Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith while working at Bell Laboratories, has greatly influenced the way human beings view the world. The invention of the charge-coupled device allows for the direct capture of images electronically rather than on the basis of film. The CCD has given the power of instantaneous imagery to people worldwide. This image-capturing device is not only more efficient but also is more accurate than conventional photography. It has allowed for the development of high-resolution picture-making and has helped create the ability to process and to develop photographs in a real-time setting. Their design has gone on to be the core of every digital camera, camcorder, and telescope in existence today. In addition, CCD is used in various surgical cameras, as well as in cameras used by NASA. They have enabled millions of people worldwide to capture images sharply and effectively. It's with great appreciation that we recognize these men today for their accomplishments and for their achievement in winning the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).