Date: 1981-07-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. It is my privilege and pleasure to bring before this Chamber. H.R. 1309. a bill that will help to rectify a case of historic omission and neglect. The bill will authorize assisting the 1890 land grant Institutions with "catchup"" funds for research facilities. so that they may participate fully with the 1862 land grant institutions In a balanced approach to research on food and the agricultural sciences. This bill represents an overdue step toward bringing 17 unique and Important educational Institutions assistance In building a more effective capacity for agricultural research. It leads the way to more efficient and lower cost methods of production for our farmers and to effective methods of protecting the environment while we steadily increase production. It leads to improved marketing systems which cut the cost of food and fiber for all Americans. and finally It leads to giving us the productive capacity which will be absolutely vital to feedIng the world In the 21st century. This Congress has been supporting agricultural research for a long time. As far back as 1862. Congress set up the land grant college system. Over the years. the Institutions created under the 1862 act have been helped to build research programs which are the envy of the world. Later. in 1890. Congress passed a second Morrill Act which was designed specifically to support black land grant Institutions. Without going through the full history of these colleges. some of which were created before 1890. one thing Is clear. These institutions. which were originally created under the old separatebutequal doctrine. have had to make do with Inadequate state funding and little or no Federal funding In the past for research. teaching. and extension. Their achievements with limited resources have been tremendous. but Mr. Speaker. there Is a limit to the number of bricks a man can make without straw. The 17 Institutions we are dealing with need help now to bring their food and agricultural research facilities up to acceptable levels.I The 1890 colleges need. simply. to catch up. That is what H.R. 1309 Is designed* to help them do. The bill would authorize a very modest program of grants to enable the institutions to buy land. equipment. and buildings and to finance the alteration of buildings for research. In the past. researchers at some of the colleges have been forced to work In facilities which limit their ability to do effective work. In some cases. research workers have had to use regular college classroomsrooms which could only be used during hours when classes were not meeting. The results have been predictable. The 17 colleges have not been able to build the kind of research programs they need to give full service to their students.. to their States. and to the Nation. We want the 1890 colleges to become full partners with other land grant Institutions in meeting the needs of their States and the Nation. The legislation before you would authorize grants of $10 million In each of the 5 fiscal years authorized. which. as corrected and updated by my technical amendment. would begin with fiscal year 1982. Mr. Speaker. this bill has the support and approval of the administration and the fiscal year 1982 Reagan budget Includes funds for these grants. contingent on passage of this authorizing legislation. The program authorized by this bill is not a random choice. It grows out of a study made by the 1890 institutions and Tuskegee Institute. with assistance from USDA. to determine what Is needed to make their facilities comparable to those of other State and Federal agricultural laboratories. The bill includes the following provisions: An authorization for appropriating $10 million a year In each of the fiscal years 1982 through 1986. with the funds to be available until expended. Four percent of the appropriations to be used by the.USDA for administering the program. Finally. Federal funds appropriated for grants may not be used for overhead costs at the recipient Institutions. The 17 institutions affected by H.R. 1309 are: Alabama. Alabama A. & M. University and Tuskegee Institute. Arkansas. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Delaware. Delaware State College. Florida. Fbi Ida A. & M. University. Georgia. Fort Valley State College. Kentucky. Kentucky State University. Louisiana. Southern University. Maryland. University of MarylandEastern Shore. Mississippi. Alcorn State University. Missouri. Lincoln University. North Carolina. North Carolina A. & T. State University. Oklahoma. Langston University. South Carolina. South Carolina State College. Tennessee. Tennessee State University. Texas. Prairie View A. & M. College. and Virginia. Virginia State University. Mr. Speaker. we need Hl. 1309 for two reasons. First. we have an obligation to be fair to the 1890 Institutions. to their students. their faculty. their researchers. and the many additional experts they could produce if their facilities were more adequate. Second. we have an obligation to be fair to the States In wvhich these 17 institutions are located. and to the Nation as a whole. When we leave these colleges starved for adequate research facilities. we leave the Nation starved for the benefits which will surely come from those facilities. Mr. Speaker. I urge the Members to join me In support of the legislation.