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“HONORING NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY AND ITS EMPLOYEES FOR 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H453-H456 on Feb. 28, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY AND ITS
EMPLOYEES FOR 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NATION
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 27) honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its employees for 100 years of service to the Nation.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 27
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology was founded on March 3, 1901, originally as the National Bureau of Standards, and is our Nation's oldest Federal laboratory;
Whereas, prior to formal establishment in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and Technology's mission was first stated in the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of these United States, and is as old as the Republic itself;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology strengthens the United States economy and improves the quality of life by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards;
Whereas in the past 100 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has helped to maintain United States technology at the leading edge, while also making solid contributions to our economy and international competitiveness;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has served as a behind-the-scenes specialist, with its research, measurement tools, and technical services integrated deeply into many of the systems and operations that, collectively, drive the economy, including manufacturing cells, satellite systems, communication and transportation networks, laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended enterprises of the new economy;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has also made solid contributions to improving our lives by helping develop image processing, DNA diagnostic ``chips'', smoke detectors, automated error correcting software for machine tools, atomic clocks, X-ray standards for mammography, scanning tunneling microscopy, pollution control technology, and high-speed dental drills;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology plays a major role in the National Conference on Weights and Measures, the organization of State and local officials who ensure fairness in sales of more than $4,000,000,000,000 worth of goods and services--from deli meats to gasoline to railroad freight;
Whereas National Institute of Standards and Technology research has additionally provided a broad and varied stream of benefits, such as decreases in train derailments as a result of standards ensuring the quality of steel, smoother riding, lower maintenance automobiles as a result of technology that improves the fit of assembled parts, and reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions as a result of improved measurements in the oil industry;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has been a leader in helping small manufacturing companies in all 50 States to modernize and prepare for the 21st Century;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology, through its Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program, has helped define best practices in business, in education, and in health care, and has helped leading companies become even more competitive;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology employs about 3,300 people, and operates primarily in 2 locations, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado, with some of our Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal scientists, including Nobel Prize winners;
Whereas the lack of laboratory space led to the establishment of a cryogenic engineering laboratory and radio facilities on land donated by citizens of Boulder, Colorado, in 1950, and the eventual partnership with the University of Colorado of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics;
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology is poised to embark on its second century with 2 new state-of-the-art laboratories, the Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory and the Advanced Measurement Laboratory at its Gaithersburg, Maryland, headquarters, to fulfill its mission; and
Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology is committed to building the advanced science and technology infrastructure needed to ensure future prosperity and the global competitiveness of United States industry in the 21st century and beyond: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress--
(1) recognizes the historical significance of the centennial of the founding of the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
(2) acknowledges 100 years of achievement and service by the National Bureau of Standards and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to the United States; and
(3) reaffirms its commitment to support during the next 100 years the research, technological advancements, and discoveries made at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a crown jewel in the Federal Government.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
General Leave
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 27.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have introduced, along with my colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), H. Con. Res. 27, the resolution that honors the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its employees for 100 years of service to our Nation.
A century ago on March 3, 1901, the 56th Congress established the National Bureau of Standards, the predecessor to NIST, and created the Nation's first Federal laboratory.
When NBS was originally founded, its mission was to support industry, commerce and scientific institutions, as well as all branches of government. Prior to this formal establishment, however, the core mandate of NBS was first laid out in the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of these United States, thereby making NIST's mission as old as the Republic itself.
NBS was created at a time of enormous industrial development in the United States to help support interstate commerce in industries such as steel manufacturing, railroads, telephone and electrical power, that were technically very sophisticated for their time but lacked adequate standards.
In the first 2 decades of the 20th century, the Federal laboratory won international recognition for its outstanding achievements in physical measurements, development of standards, and test measures, and this tradition continues today.
In these early years, the research conducted by NIST scientists laid the foundation for a number of advances in many scientific and technical fields, such as standards for x-ray dosage, fire hose couplings, lighting and electrical power usage, temporary measurement of molten metals, materials corrosion studies and testing, and metallurgy, among others.
Both World Wars found NIST deeply involved in mobilizing science to solve pressing weapons and war material problems, including research on, one, the determination of the properties and purities of uranium and other critical materials used in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs; two, testing and development of standards for material used by industry in the production of synthetic rubber; three, the design of two early smart weapons, the radio proximity fuse and the Bat, the first fully automated guided missile ever used successfully in combat; and, four, quartz crystals used in radio equipment, new metal alloys, new plastics, and specialized paper for war maps.
In 1949, the atomic age of time-keeping began at NIST; and ever since, the advances in the performance of atomic clocks have supported the development of new technologies such as high data rate, telecommunications and the global positioning system. During the 1950s and 1960s, NIST research helped usher in the computer age and was employed in the space race.
NIST's Standards Eastern Automatic Computer, the first operational, internally programmed digital computer in the United States, was a marvel at the dawn of the computer era, introducing many firsts and early applications of the technology that helped shape the information technology boom of the late 20th century.
In 1966, the need for expanded facilities led NIST to move from its aging facilities in the District of Columbia to farmland in what was then considered the rural community of Gaithersburg, Maryland, although the site is now considered prime real estate in an ever expanding Washington suburb.
In 1988, the National Bureau of Standards was renamed the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in recognition of its expanded mission to strengthen the United States economy and improve the quality of life by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards.
NIST scientists continue to make solid contributions to our economy and international competitiveness, while serving as a behind-the-scenes specialist with its research, measurement tools, and technical services integrated deeply into many of the systems and operations that collectively drive the economy, including manufacturing cells, satellite systems, communication and transportation networks, laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended enterprises of the new economy.
NIST has been a leader in helping small manufacturing companies in all 50 States to modernize and prepare for the 21st century, as well as helping lead companies to become even more competitive by defining best practices in business, in education, and in health care through its Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Program.
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud to represent NIST's Gaithersburg, Maryland, headquarters and some of our Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal scientists, including Nobel Prize winners that work there. I am also very pleased to note that to better fulfill its mission, NIST is embarking on its second century with two new state-of-
the-art laboratories, the Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory and the Advanced Measurement Laboratory, at its Gaithersburg, Maryland, headquarters.
NIST will now possess the equipment to perform its vital job of tackling the awesome technological challenges that face our Nation as we begin this new millennium.
As the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology with budget authority and legislative oversight over NIST, I have long been concerned that NIST laboratory infrastructure had been obsolete and required repair. It was clear to me and to others that without state-
of-the-art measurement and calibration equipment, NIST simply could not fulfill its mission. NIST laboratories needed to upgrade the facilities to meet the increased precision required by an increasingly complex technological world, and these two new laboratories further bolster NIST's efforts and reputation as the crown jewel of the Federal science and technology efforts.
Of course, we all know that world-class facilities are useless without world-class employees, and luckily NIST already has the latter. After all, state-of-the-art laboratories are merely enabling tools. NIST and our Nation, for that matter, are fortunate to have one of the world's finest assemblages of scientific and engineering expertise. It is a dedicated workforce that is committed to building the advanced science and technology infrastructure needed to ensure future prosperity and the global competitiveness of the United States industry in the 21st century and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize the historical significance of the centennial of NIST's founding and acknowledge its 100 years of achievement and service. So I urge passage of this very significant resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and to join my colleague, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) in honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its employees on the occasion of its centennial.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology was chartered by Congress on March 3, 1901, as the Federal Government's first physical science research laboratory. Scientists, engineers and industrialists first advocated the establishment of a standards laboratory, pointing to the new challenges facing the U.S. as a rapidly industrializing world power.
Beginning with just a staff of 12, NIST has grown to become a vital arm of the Department of Commerce's technology administration. In its first 100 years, NIST has partnered successfully with industry, science and government to establish the foundations for this country's technological advances. The resolution we are considering today appropriately calls NIST a crown jewel in the Federal Government, emphasizing its contributions to the Nation.
In particular, I would like to draw attention to the work of NIST's laboratories in Boulder, Colorado, in my district. In 1950, to address the lack of laboratory space, NIST established a cryogenic engineering laboratory and radio facilities on land donated by the citizens of Boulder, Colorado. NIST facilities were expanded in the mid-1960s when NIST and the University of Colorado joined forces to create the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, known as JILA, a cooperative effort that has gained widespread recognition in atomic physics and other fields.
This partnership between NIST and the University of Colorado has led to some amazing discoveries. Beginning in the 1970s, the discipline of cooling and trapping atoms was established in part by experiments with electrically charged atoms by researchers at the NIST Boulder campus. This work inspired Dr. William Phillips and his team to demonstrate both the trapping and the cooling of atoms well below the temperature limits generally believed possible. Dr. Phillips was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 for this work.
In 1995, using the same techniques of laser cooling and trapping of atoms, scientists at JILA cooled rubidium atoms to less than one-
millionth of a degree above absolute zero.
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This was 300 times lower in temperature than ever achieved before, and created a new state of matter predicted decades ago by Einstein and the Indian physicist Bose. The Bose-Einstein condensate is widely hailed as one of the century's major achievements in physics. This research has enabled the design and construction of one of the world's most accurate clocks, which is used by NIST, in cooperation with the Naval Observatory, to maintain the Nation's time standard.
This clock, which is called the NIST F-1, is so accurate that it will neither gain nor lose a second in 20 million years, something that is almost incomprehensible.
If we think about this precise time information, it is needed by electric power companies, radio and television stations, telephone companies, air traffic control systems, the Global Positioning System, participants in space exploration, the Internet, and navigators of ships and planes. All need to compare their own timing equipment to a reliable, internationally-recognized standard, which NIST provides.
Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the contributions NIST has provided to the Nation in the half century of their existence. As we approach the 50th anniversary of these labs in Boulder, I would like to raise my remarks on another issue in regard to the current state of the labs.
Some know, and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) just mentioned it, NIST celebrated the completion of the NIST Advanced Chemistry Science Laboratory in Gaithersburg. After an $80 million investment, NIST can now boast another world-class facility in which to conduct more world-class research.
Also at Gaithersburg just last year, ground was broken for the Advanced Measurement Laboratory, which has projected costs of over $200 million.
Now that Gaithersburg's needs have been addressed, Boulder is next in line to receive critical funding for construction and maintenance projects. This, according to NIST's published plans, lists construction and maintenance project priorities for the labs.
I am very hopeful that the new administration will recognize the value of the Boulder lab's contributions, and the necessity of upgrading these facilities so the scientists in Boulder can continue to contribute top-flight research. NIST's Boulder campus, as has the campus in Gaithersburg, has done much for the Nation and for Colorado, and it will continue to do so in the future. But in order to get the full value from the asset, we must invest in its upkeep.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that Congress is acknowledging today the critical role NIST has played in helping build this country's science and technology infrastructure in the 20th century. This resolution also recognizes that NIST is poised to make significant contributions to even greater advances in the 21st century. I will continue to support NIST's work, and call attention to NIST's important contributions to ensure our ``crown jewel'' gets the credit it deserves.
As always, I am grateful to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), for working with me on this important resolution. Again, I salute NIST on the occasion of its 100th birthday, and urge the adoption of this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Science is meeting on an energy topic. Otherwise, there would be many others who have joined in support of this resolution who would be here speaking of it. But I think the 100 years of achievement, looking on into the future, perhaps mentions it well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to add a note to what the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) just said, that when we look at our colleagues on the Committee on Science, particularly the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Ehlers), he served at the JILA Laboratory in Boulder a number of years ago, and has the direct experience himself with the great contributions that these labs have provided. I know he would be here today with us if his schedule permitted.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join with the gentleman, who represents NIST in Boulder, Colorado, as I represent Gaithersburg, Maryland's NIST facilities, in this resolution, which is so important.
I urge all of our colleagues to support it.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to support H. Con. Res. 27, a resolution honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its valuable employees for 100 years of service to our country.
A century ago, our predecessors here in Congress recognized the importance of creating an institution with a mission to work closely with private industry to help further our nation's technological progress and strengthen its economic performance.
So strongly did our colleagues feel about the important role in our economy that this new entity could play, the Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures that recommended its creation at that time wrote:
No more essential aid could be given to manufacturing, commerce, the makers of scientific apparatus, the scientific work of the government, of schools, colleges, and universities than by the establishment of the institution proposed in this bill.
And thus the National Bureau of Standards, which we now know as the National Institute for Standards and Technology, was created.
And over the past 100 years, Mr. Speaker, NIST and its employees have not let us down. Literally, it is all but impossible to name a major innovation that has improved our quality of life with which NIST has not had some involvement.
NIST's federal laboratories have partnered with industry to initiate innovations for safer and more fuel efficient automobiles, biomedical breakthroughs like breast cancer diagnostics, refrigerant and air conditioning standards, analysis of DNA, and calibrations for wireless telecommunications systems, among numerous others.
Activities as far reaching as trading on the New York Stock Exchange and space navigation rely on NIST for their work in the area of high-
accuracy timekeeping. In fact, with the newly enhanced NIST-built atomic clock that will neither gain nor lose a second in 20 million years, the Institute receives millions of requests for accurate time via the Internet each and every day.
NIST has also proven to be a valuable resource to our nation's small businesses--the backbone of our economy. NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, or MEP, provides small manufacturers with a network of over 400 centers nationwide that they can rely on for the advice and expertise they need to succeed in the ever-changing business world.
NIST is a well-run agency that has supported our nation's economic growth by working to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards integral to our ability to compete in today's global marketplace.
As the Chairman of the House Science Committee, I want to acknowledge the efforts of my colleagues, Mrs. Morella and Mr. Barcia, the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Technology Subcommittee last Congress. I appreciate their commitment over the past few years to ensuring that NIST's laboratory functions have received the budget prioritization they deserve. NIST labs continue to be the cornerstone of our federal science and technology efforts.
With construction underway on NIST's much needed Advanced Measurement Laboratory located at its Gaithersburg campus, we can also be assured that the Institute's lab system will continue to shine well into the next century. This new state-of-the-art laboratory will allow NIST's world class scientists to make precision measurements under stable conditions with tight control of vibration, temperature, humidity, air cleanliness, and electrical power.
I want to thank Congresswoman Morella and Congressman Udall for introducing this resolution today. But most of all I want to thank NIST and its employees for their 100 years of service to our nation.
I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 27.
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I support H. Con. Res. 27, Honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Its Employees for 100 Years of Service.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is our Nation's oldest Federal laboratory, with a mission that dates back to the founding of our Republic. NIST employs about 3,300 people, with some of our Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal scientists, including Nobel Prize winners.
In the past 100 years, NIST has helped to maintain United States technology at the cutting edge, while also making contributions to our economy and international competitiveness. Many advances can be traced to the assistance of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including satellite systems, communication and transportation networks, image processing, DNA diagnostic ``chips'', smoke detectors, automated error correcting software for machine tools, atomic clocks, X-ray standards for mammography, scanning tunneling miscroscopy, pollution control technology, high-speed dental drills, laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended enterprises of the new economy.
I am concerned, however, that the President's proposed budget may cut funding for some NIST programs, including the Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
I am also troubled by potential proposed cuts in other science programs, such as an apparent decision to cut the Energy Department's budget to $19 billion, roughly $700 million below current levels. At a time when our states, including California, are facing great challenges in providing sufficient energy, and at reasonable prices, we should not be cutting funding for programs, such as those which explore renewable energy sources.
America has been on a course of jobs and prosperity, developed by the hard work of the American people over the last eight years. We should not change course. We still have much work to do in our communities, to encourage research and development, foster small business development, launch new high-tech revolutions. We must create new jobs, provide educational opportunities, ensure that all who are willing to work can advance.
Therefore, as the Congress today celebrates the work of NIST and its proud traditions, let us resolve not unilaterally to disarm our nation of the finest minds and resources, which have led to an economic and technological renaissance. Our nation is the admiration of the modern world. People come here to learn in our universities, work in our corporations, and find a better life. Let us resolve to continue our fight to keep America number-one in scientific innovation and job creation.
Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 27 honoring the National Institute of Standards and Technology on its centennial.
Chairwoman Morella has already described many of the important activities that NIST performs. I just want to add that though NIST is often un-noticed inside the beltway, its work is widely recognized and utilized in industry and homes across America.
For example, in my home state of Michigan, with its strong manufacturing base, NIST measurement standards and reference materials are widely used in our automotive and chemical industries. However, NIST's products go well beyond our industrial base.
Basic research by NIST scientists have resulted in a Nobel Prize and the synthesis of the Bose-Einstein Condensate--dubbed the molecule of the century. In addition, NIST is probably the only Federal research laboratory to receive an Emmy--for its pioneering work to develop closed captioning technology used in television.
I want to take this time to thank NIST employees for their hard work and dedication, often with much less recognition than their counterparts at other federal laboratories. On a personal note, I would like to also express my thanks to all NIST employees for talking to me about their work and improving my understanding of the important work performed at the Boulder and Gaithersburg facilities.
On behalf of the Science Committee, I want to commend you for the outstanding work done in the last one hundred years. You've set high standards for future NIST employees to match in the next one hundred.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 27, which honors the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its employees for 100 years of service. Chairwoman Morella has already highlighted many of NIST's achievements. I want to speak about the philosophy and hard work of NIST's employees.
The Constitution gives the Federal government the responsibility to
``fix the standard of weights and measures.'' In 1901, the National Bureau of Standards (NSB) was formally established. Little could the Founding Fathers, or President McKinley who signed the original legislation, have guessed at the scope of activities that agency would have to undertake.
Initially NBS set simple standards such as the length of a foot, the weight of a pound, and the volume of a gallon. Today, NIST, the successor agency to the NBS, is involved in measurement activities including time measurement accurate to a loss of a second every 20 million years which is important to the global positioning system, setting the length of nanometer essential to the semiconductor industry, and accurate measures of X-ray emissions used to calibrate hospital equipment. These are just a few examples of NIST measurement and standards activities that support many of the daily services we rely upon.
NIST has been successful because it is responsive to the needs of industry. NIST is one of the few federal agencies that work in partnership with industry to develop the measurement tools that are the basis for the development of new technologies. NIST constantly re-
invents its research mission to meet industry's evolving needs. Many in Congress complain that Federal agencies are unresponsive to their customer's needs--and this complaint is true some of the time. But NIST's record proves that an agency can serve its customers and further the public's interests in reliable standards for products.
I urge my colleagues in joining with me supporting this resolution honoring NIST employees.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 27.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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