[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 417 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 417

  Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 11, 2010

     Mr. Kaufman (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Bingaman, and Mrs. 
 Gillibrand) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
         the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas engineers use their professional, scientific, and technical knowledge 
        and skills in creative and innovative ways to fulfill the needs of 
        society;
Whereas engineers have helped to address the major technological and 
        infrastructural challenges of our time, including providing water, 
        defending the Nation, and developing clean energy technologies that are 
        needed to power the American people into the future;
Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, development, and the 
        transformation of scientific discoveries into useful products and jobs, 
        as the people of the United States look more than ever to engineers and 
        their imagination, knowledge, and analytical skills to meet the 
        challenges of the future;
Whereas engineers play a crucial role in developing the consensus engineering 
        standards that promote global collaboration and support reliable 
        infrastructures;
Whereas the sponsors of National Engineers Week are working together to 
        transform the engineering workforce through greater inclusion of women 
        and underrepresented minorities;
Whereas the 2009 National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council 
        report entitled ``Engineering in K-12 Education'' highlighted the 
        potential role for engineering in primary and secondary education as a 
        method to improve learning and achievement in science and mathematics, 
        increase awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, help 
        students understand and engage in engineering design, build interest in 
        pursuing engineering as a career, and increase technological literacy;
Whereas an increasing number of the approximately 1,500,000 engineers in the 
        United States are nearing retirement;
Whereas National Engineers Week has developed into a formal coalition of more 
        than 100 professional societies, major corporations, and government 
        agencies that are dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated 
        engineering workforce, promoting literacy in science, technology, 
        engineering, and math, and raising public awareness and appreciation of 
        the contributions of engineers to society;
Whereas National Engineers Week is celebrated during the week of George 
        Washington's birthday to honor the contributions that the first 
        President, who was both a military engineer and a land surveyor, made to 
        engineering; and
Whereas, February 14, 2010, to February 20, 2010, has been designated as 
        National Engineers Week by the National Engineers Week Foundation and 
        its coalition members: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers 
        Week to increase understanding of and interest in engineering 
        careers and to promote technological literacy and engineering 
        education; and
            (2) continues to work with the engineering community to 
        ensure that the creativity and contributions made by engineers 
        can be expressed through research, development, 
        standardization, and innovation.
                                 <all>