IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 316 

Recognizing the accomplishments of Roger D. Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig 

Mello, John C. Mather, and George F. Smoot for being awarded Nobel 

Prizes in the fields of chemistry, physiology or medicine, and physics. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 18, 2007 

Mr. MCNERNEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Science and Technology 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the accomplishments of Roger D. Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig Mello, John C. Mather, and George 

F. Smoot for being awarded Nobel Prizes in the fields 

of chemistry, physiology or medicine, and physics. 

Whereas, according to the National Academies landmark report ‘‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm’’, the United 

States is in peril of losing its global competitive edge unless we make substantial investments in science, math, 

research, and innovation; 

Whereas breakthroughs in scientific research are the building 

blocks of a productive, competitive, and healthy society; 

Whereas the Nobel Prize is a prestigious international award 

administered annually by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, and has since 1901 recognized the world’s 


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•HRES 316 IH 

most outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, 

physiology or medicine, literature, and peace; 

Whereas on December 10, 2006, in Stockholm, Sweden, the 

following five American scientists were awarded the three 

Nobel Prizes for science. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 

was awarded to Roger D. Kornberg from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, for his studies of the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription. The Nobel Prize 

in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Andrew Fire 

from the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo 

Alto, California, and Craig Mello from the University of 

Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, for their discovery of RNA interference through 

gene silencing by double-stranded RNA. The Nobel Prize 

in Physics was awarded to John C. Mather from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard 

Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the 

University of Maryland and George F. Smoot, a National 

Science Foundation grantee from the University of California at Berkeley for their discovery of the blackbody 

form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background 

radiation; 

Whereas American scientists have not swept the Nobel Prize 

science awards since 1983; 

Whereas Roger D. Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig Mello, John 

C. Mather, and George F. Smoot have represented the 

United States and have served as unofficial ambassadors 

of science overseas; and 

Whereas the accomplishments of these scientists are significant achievements in the field of scientific research and 

further promote the United States among the world leaders in science: Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 316 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes Roger D. Kornberg, Andrew 

3 Fire, Craig Mello, John C. Mather, and George F. 

4 Smoot for advancing scientific discovery and dedi5 cating their careers to scientific research; 

6 (2) recognizes the National Science Foundation 

7 and the National Aeronautics and Space Administra8 tion for their support of the physics Nobel Prize 

9 winners; and 

10 (3) congratulates the achievement of Roger D. 

11 Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig Mello, John C. 

12 Mather, and George F. Smoot for being awarded 

13 Nobel Prizes in science. 

Æ 


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