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Meet Congressman
Ehlers [Back
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Ehlers joined Congress following a distinguished tenure of service in teaching, scientific research and public service. He has served on numerous boards and commissions and was elected to the Kent County Board of Commissioners, and the Michigan House and Senate. The first research physicist to serve in Congress, Ehlers has been recognized for his strong work ethic and proven leadership skills in his duties on Capitol Hill.
As a member of the 108th Congress, Ehlers serves on five committees. He returns to the Science Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards. During his tenure on the Science Committee, he also has rewritten the nation's science policy and introduced the National Science Education Acts aimed at reforming our nation's K-12 science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education. On the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Ehlers has led efforts to secure a fair funding formula and more dollars for Michigan's roads, highways, and transit systems. In the 107th Congress, Ehlers led the development of the Great Lakes Legacy Act, which authorizes spending $270 million over the next five years to clean up sediments in the Great Lakes. Ehlers also is a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, where he blends his efforts with the Science Committee on improving math and science education. As a member of the House Administration Committee, he has guided the program to revamp the House computer system, connect Congress to the Internet and allow all citizens to access House documents. He also serves as past chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, which oversees the Library of Congress and its departments. Ehlers has served on the Science Committee and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since his arrival in Washington. He joined the House Administration Committee in 1995, the Education and the Workforce Committee in 1999 and the Joint Committee on the Library in 2001.
Prior to Congress, Ehlers served a total of 11 years in the Michigan Legislature - with just over two years in the House and nine years in the Senate. He also served eight years on the Kent County Board of Commissioners, including three years as chairman.
After three years of studying at Calvin College, Ehlers received his undergraduate degree in physics and his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1960. After six years teaching and research at Berkeley, he moved to Calvin College in 1966 where he taught physics for 16 years and later served as chairman of the Physics Department.
He is married to Johanna Meulink and is the father of four adult children and the grandfather of three.
(Note: The preceding biography is intended for speech introductions and publications and should be edited to meet time and space constraints. A more complete biography is available upon request.)
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You may use Thomas, the Congress' on-line database of legislation, to search for a bill with a specific number, date, or keyword.
Committee Assignments
I am a member of the following five committees. Listed below the committees are the subcommittees on which I serve.Committee on Science
The Science Committee tackles some of today's toughest issues and proposes
ways in which research and development can solve some of our nation's most pressing
problems. In carrying out this duty the Committee oversees all non-defense federal
scientific research and development (R&D). Federal agencies that fall under
the Committee's jurisdiction (either completely or partially) include: National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), National Science Foundation (NSF), Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), U.S. Fire Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey.
My Subcommittees:
· Environment, Technology and Standards (Chairman)
· Energy
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
The Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure has responsibility over
several transportation matters, including civil aviation, the national highway
system, railroads, water transportation and navigation, and transportation safety;
the Coast Guard; federal management of emergencies and natural disasters; flood
control; marine affairs, including coastal management and inspection of vessels;
and federal public buildings.
My Subcommittees:
· Aviation
· Water Resources and Environment
Committee on Education and the Workforce
The Committee on Education and the Workforce has responsibility for many labor
and education-related issues, including education, food programs for children
in schools, and the welfare of minors; work incentive programs, wages and hours
of labor, mediation and arbitration of labor disputes, and child labor; and
vocational rehabilitation.
My Subcommittees:
· Education Reform
· 21st Century Competitiveness
Committee on House Administration
The Committee on House Administration has jurisdiction over all federal elections,
including that of President, Vice President, Senators, Representatives and Delegates.
It also covers contested House elections, budgets for House committee salaries
and expenses, general House accounts, the House computer technology center,
employment of House administrative officers and staff. The committee also has
oversight responsibilities for the Library of Congress, the Government Printing
Office and the Smithsonian Institution.
House/Senate Committee on the Library of Congress
(No committee website)
Washington, D.C., is a very exciting place to visit to get a thrilling understanding of our country's history. If you visit, please feel free to contact my office for help with your travel plans. My office can provide congressional tour tickets to Third District residents for the galleries of the United States Capitol and the Kennedy Center. Although these tickets are plentiful, you should call well in advance of your visit for advice on how to plan your visit. Unfortunately, individual tours of the White House and the FBI Headquarters have been suspended until further notice. More information is available from the tourism offices of the city of Washington, D.C.
As of Friday, April 25, 2003, all public tours
of the U.S. Capitol building have been fully reinstated.
Individuals or groups interested in participating in a guided tour of the Capitol
must obtain a timed-entry pass from the kiosk located at the southwest corner
of the Capitol grounds, near the U.S. Botanic Garden building. If the House
of Representatives is in session during your visit, you are also encouraged
to obtain a visitors gallery pass from my office, which will allow you to view
the House members at work.
Visitors are encouraged to call the Capitol Guide
Service recorded information line at (202) 225-6827 for the most up-to-date
public tour information. If you have any other questions, please call my office
at (202) 225-3831.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The Bureau is located at 14th and C Streets SW. See how currency and stamps are printed. Public tours are available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., leaving every 20 minutes. Extended public tour hours are available during the months of June, July and August. The building is closed for tours on weekends and holidays. You may contact the Bureau at (202) 874-3019 for further information on public tours. There are also limited Congressional tours, which can be scheduled through my Washington office, which can also assist in scheduling tours of the U.S. Mints in Denver and Philadelphia.Federal Bureau of Investigation
Due to security concerns, tours of the FBI Headquarters have been suspended indefinitely. For updates on its possible reopening, please call (202) 324-3447. Located at New Hampshire Avenue at Rock Creek Parkway NW. Congressional tours are available through my Washington office. Public tours are conducted daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes. Visitors should go to the Tour Lounge, Parking Level A. You may contact the tour office at (202) 416-8340. Or, take a virtual tour by clicking here: Jefferson Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE. Docent-led scheduled public tours of the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress are offered Monday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., with an additional 3:30 p.m. tour Monday though Friday. Tours are free and reservations are not required. For more information on guided tours contact the Visitor Services Office. Special group tours can be prearranged through the Visitor Services Office for groups of 10 to 60 participants. These tours are available only by reservation, Monday through Friday, and can begin as early as 9 a.m. or as late as 1 p.m. The Library also offers Congressional tours, which can be scheduled through my Washington office. Due to security concerns, unfortunately the Pentagon Tour Program is suspended for everyone except certain groups of students. If you have any questions about tour guidelines, we recommend that you contact the Pentagon Tour Office at (703) 695-3324. If you wish to write instead, the address is: Pentagon Tour Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301. For a virtual tour of the Pentagon, click here: Located at First Street and East Capitol Street NE the Supreme Court offers a variety of educational programs. Exhibits, which are changed periodically, and a theater, where a film on the Supreme Court is shown, are located on the ground floor. Lectures in the Courtroom are typically given every hour on the half-hour, on days that the Court is not sitting, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and concluding at 3:30 p.m. The building is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Located near the Jefferson Memorial and Potomac River. Open 8 a.m. to 12 midnight daily, except closed Dec.25. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is one of the newest and most expansive memorials in the nation. Yet, its shade trees, waterfalls, statuary, and quiet alcoves create the feeling of a secluded garden rather than an imposing structure. The memorial is divided into four outdoor galleries, or rooms, one for each of FDR's terms in office. The rooms are defined by walls of red South Dakota granite and by ornamental plantings; quotations from FDR are carved into the granite. Water cascades and quiet pools are present throughout. Located on the northwest side of the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial on Henry Bacon Drive and Constitution Avenue NW. Dedicated in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial serves as a testament to the sacrifice of American military personnel during one of this nation's least popular wars. The purpose of this memorial is to separate the issue of the sacrifices of the veterans from the U.S. policy in the war, thereby creating a venue for reconciliation. The Memorial also includes the Three Servicemen Statue and the Vietnam Women's Memorial. Located off of 15th Street NW on the National Mall. Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., seven days a week. In order to enter the Washington Monument, tickets are required. The ticket system is administered through the National Park Reservation Service (NPRS). Reservations for the Washington Monument may be between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. by calling (800) 967-2283 or at Reservations. Those making advance reservations will be charged $1.50 per ticket, plus a $.50 service charge per order. This Monument to our nation's first president rises 555 feet about ground level, making it the tallest structure in the District of Columbia. Located at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, the exhibit halls of the National Archives Building in downtown Washington, DC, are closed for renovation. They are expected to reopen in 2003. When the exhibit halls reopen, visitors will be welcomed to a new, state-of-the-art, National Archives Experience where documents from the National Archives are complemented by media presentations, computer interactives and immersive environments.