Full Committee Markup -- H. Con. Res. 76

Opening Statement By Chairman Bart Gordon

Today we are meeting to markup three bipartisan bills.

I realize that I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but I sincerely hope that the Committee on Science and Technology is a place where members of both parties can come together to get work done on important issues in a bipartisan way.

The important, non-partisan issue of this markup is U.S. competitiveness. This is one of the most critical issues facing our nation today. H.R. 362, the “10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds” Science and Math Scholarship Act, which I sponsored and Ralph Hall co-sponsored, takes a big step forward in dealing with this vital issue.

Together with H.R. 363, which this Committee reported out earlier this month, these bills take recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” report, and turn them into real legislation that will make a difference.

In addition to H.R. 362, we are also marking up two other bills:

H.Con.Res. 76 is a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year, an international cooperative initiative that led to significant advances in space and Earth science, and which was marked by the dawn of the Space Age.

H.Res. 252 recognizes the 45th anniversary of John Glenn’s historic space mission in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

The space race of the 1950’s and 1960’s helped to drive scientific achievement and technological innovation in the 20th century.

It is fitting that today, as we honor the scientific and technological achievements of the past, we are also helping to insure this country’s ability to make these great gains in the future.

Opening Statement By Rep. Mark Udall

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased that we are here today to mark up H.Con.Res.76, A Concurrent Resolution Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY).

This resolution marks the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), honors its contributions to space research, and looks forward to future accomplishments.

I am pleased that several of my colleagues from the Science and Technology Committee have joined me as original cosponsors and would like to thank Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ranking Member Calvert, Chairman Gordon, Research and Science Education Subcommittee Chairman Baird for their support.

The International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958 was a highly successful international effort involving 67 nations that came together during the Cold War to coordinate global observations and measurements of the solid Earth, oceans, the atmosphere, and the near-Earth space environment.

During the IGY, the successful launches of the first artificial satellites took place—Sputnik 1 by the former Soviet Union and Explorer 1 by the United States—marking the dawn of the Space Age.

Explorer 1 also enabled one of the most notable achievements of the IGY, the discovery of belts of trapped, charged particles in the Earth's upper atmosphere by the late Dr. James Van Allen of Iowa.

I introduced a similar resolution in the 108th Congress, which passed the House, to honor the IGY and to encourage the celebration of its 50th anniversary throughout the country and the globe.

This year’s commemoration serves to not only remember the great scientific work that was done during the IGY, but also to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, who will be critical to our continued progress and economic well being.

In that regard, H.Con.Res.76 encourages the public and in particular our young people to participate in celebrations planned for the IGY anniversary year and to embrace challenging goals for future research in Earth and space science—so that we will be able to look back, 50 years from now, on equally exciting accomplishments and discoveries.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support H.Con.Res.76 at today’s markup in order that we may recognize and honor the fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year.

Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.

Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY)