[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 917 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     February 13, 2008.
Whereas National Engineers Week has grown into a formal coalition of more than 
        75 professional societies, major corporations, and government agencies, 
        dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering 
        workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and 
        technology careers among all young students, by promoting pre-college 
        literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), 
        and raising public understanding and appreciation of engineers' 
        contributions to society;
Whereas February 17-23, 2008, has been designated by the President as National 
        Engineers Week and the theme is ``Engineers Make a World of 
        Difference'';
Whereas National Engineers Week, which was founded in 1951 by the National 
        Society of Professional Engineers, is among the oldest of America's 
        professional outreach efforts;
Whereas National Engineers Week is celebrated during the week of George 
        Washington's birthday to honor the contributions that our first 
        President, a military engineer and land surveyor, made to engineering;
Whereas for one outreach program alone, the National Engineers Week Future City 
        Competition, more than 1,100 schools and 32,000 middle school students 
        participate annually and 7,500 volunteers donate more than 225,000 
        hours;
Whereas during National Engineers Week, more than 45,000 engineers connect with 
        some 5,500,000 students and teachers in kindergarten through high school 
        as they help students and teachers determine practical applications of 
        their academics and help students discover that STEM subjects can be 
        fun;
Whereas National Engineers Week activities at engineering schools and in other 
        forums are encouraging all our young math and science students to see 
        themselves as possible future engineers and to realize the practical 
        picture of knowledge;
Whereas National Engineers Week sponsors are working together to transform the 
        engineering workforce through the better inclusion of women and 
        underrepresented minorities;
Whereas engineers from all disciplines send a new message to today's youth: 
        engineers change the world, save lives, protect the Earth, and make a 
        world of difference;
Whereas engineers are working together to mesh diversity and collaboration 
        worldwide, whether reaching for the stars, building global networks, or 
        helping today's young students prepare for their futures;
Whereas engineers use their professional, scientific, and technical knowledge 
        and skills in creative and innovative ways to fulfill society's needs;
Whereas engineers have helped meet the major technological challenges of our 
        time--from rebuilding towns devastated by natural disasters to designing 
        an information superhighway that will speed our country into the future;
Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, development, and demonstration 
        in transforming scientific discoveries into useful products, and we will 
        look more than ever to engineers and their knowledge and skills to meet 
        the challenges of the future;
Whereas engineers play a crucial role in developing the consensus engineering 
        standards that permit modern economies and societies to exist; and
Whereas the 2006 National Academy of Sciences report entitled ``Rising Above the 
        Gathering Storm'' highlighted the worrisome trend that fewer students 
        are now focusing on engineering in college at a time when increasing 
        numbers of today's 2,000,000 United States engineers are nearing 
        retirement: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week and its 
        aim to increase understanding of and interest in engineering and 
        technology careers and to promote literacy in science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics; and
            (2) will work with the engineering community to make sure that the 
        creativity and contribution of that community can be expressed through 
        research, development, standardization, and innovation.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.