Vernon Ehlers

America is often called the land of plenty, especially when it comes to our natural resources. Few places are blessed more than we are, and the Great Lakes stand out among our many blessings.

casting a vote over whether to authorize military action may be the most difficult decision a member of Congress is asked to make. It certainly is for me. No matter who the opponent or what the circumstances, the consequences of a…

I commend the chairman's effort in crafting this important legislation and bringing it before us today. In particular, I wish to thank him and his staff for working so closely with me in incorporating provisions of H.R. 2275, which I…

I rise in support of the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002. America is often called the land of plenty, especially when it comes to our natural resources. Few places on Earth are more blessed than we are, and the Great Lakes stand out among…

I rise in support of the Enterprise Integration Act of 2002. Much has changed about the manufacturing industry during the past 30 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, our manufacturing sector was in trouble. Plagued by quality problems and…

In 1994, when I first arrived in this Congress, I was absolutely astounded. I went to my office and, first of all, found that I did not have a computer in my office, but when I tried to use staff computers to send e-mails, I discovered…

Mr. Speaker, most Americans do not understand the power of floods until they encounter them. Floods cause an immense amount of damage to this Nation and also cause an average of approximately 100 deaths per year throughout America. Most…

Some corporate executives have been lying and cheating. They have betrayed their companies, their stockholders, their employees, and the public. I am angry about it. They are as bad as the previous speaker said, as bad as a street punk who…

I just wish to respond to my good friend and colleague from Michigan (Mr. Smith) in regard to his comments, because I also am a very strong supporter of the National Science Foundation and the way they handle their research efforts. But I…

the items the gentlewoman has mentioned are all, if I heard them correctly, are all in the educational area, and are not directing research within the agency.

I would just like to offer some general comments about the nature of basic research and the importance of funding basic research because that often raises questions in the mind of the public and, consequently, questions in the minds of the…

I would like to comment that the issue of creating another layer of bureaucracy has been raised by other Members, and that is totally false. It does not create another layer of bureaucracy, it creates two positions side by side in the same…

the bill allocates only $12.5 million for the newly created Math and Science Partnership program. The conference report states that the conferees strongly urge the Secretary and States to utilize funding provided by the Teacher Quality…

I rise on the premise that every registered citizen has the right to vote, can vote, and should vote. I also believe that every citizen who votes has the right to be assured that his or her vote is counted accurately and, furthermore, that…

Senate Joint Resolution 26 provides for the appointment of Patricia Stonesifer to serve on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents. This board governs the Smithsonian Institution and includes the Chief Justice of the United States…

I take four airplane flights a week. As many Members of Congress do, I fly home every weekend, two segments each time. So I am very familiar with security requirements and that what we have had has not worked. Our purpose now is to make…

I rise to talk about terrorism from my perspective, both as a Member of the Congress and as a scientist. It is very clear that the purpose of terrorism is an effort by a nongovernmental agency or group of individuals to disrupt the…

I want to rise, first of all, to pay personal tribute to one of my heroes, and that is Betty Ford who occupied the White House, and she was the first American woman who openly discussed breast cancer and opened the floodgates for the women…

I rise in support of H.R. 1860, the Small Business Technology Transfer Program Reauthorization Act of 2001. Approximately 5 years ago, I was chartered by then-Speaker Gingrich and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the…

many of us have been quiet about what has happened this week, but many of us also feel the need to speak. What I say is not in the mold of reviewing it or condemning anything that has happened, but I just want to express some personal…

I firmly believe it is extremely important for Congress to increase fuel efficiency standards to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen dependence on foreign oil. I am very anxious to include in this energy bill…

Energy, energy, energy, energy. That is all we are hearing these days, especially on the floor of the House. Tomorrow we are going to hear even more, energy, energy, energy, because for the first time in 20 years we will be talking about a…

This is an excellent bill. I strongly urge the House to pass this bill and to work diligently with the Senate to make certain that we get these programs passed into law. One of the most important aspects of this bill is that it establishes…

I am very pleased to join him and the gentleman from Utah in a discussion of the Republican energy plan, which is progressing nicely through the House of Representatives, and I hope we will be able to enact it fairly soon. I will be taking…

this evening, several of us want to address an extremely important topic, and that topic is energy. Energy is normally not a high-priority issue for most members of the public, and, in fact, for many Members of this Congress. Nevertheless…