Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Steve Cohen

Mr. Speaker, filmmaker James Cameron is known for captivating us with his great films like ``Avatar,'' ``Aliens,'' ``The Abyss,'' and ``Titanic.'' But yesterday, he really fascinated and captivated the world. He went down 36,000 feet under the sea to the lowest, deepest part of the world in a ship that he designed over the last 7 years privately--a 24-foot capsule--that took him down to visit and learn about the deep recesses of the sea.

Eighty percent of the world's biosphere is under the sea. We know less about that than we know about the Moon's surface. James Cameron, with the help of National Geographic and Rolex as a sponsor, and his friend, Mr. Allen, took that voyage and showed what man can do when he has curiosity and bravery. His activities that took a 6-hour trip to the bottom of the sea remind me of Charles Lindbergh, an individual who conquered new territories and opened up new vistas.

Before that, nobody had been that deep since 1960. They were there for 20 minutes, and they didn't see much. He was there for 6 hours. He's going to bring back a lot of information about the sea and about sea life. I thank him for his work. I congratulate him. The fulfillment of his dream sparks the imagination of the world and challenges us to explore our own creativity and ingenuity.

I thank Mr. Cameron for his courage, his imagination, and his daring.