[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 35 (Friday, February 24, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S3081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, this week our Nation celebrates National 
Engineers Week. This week is sponsored by a coalition of 64 engineering 
societies, corporations, and government agencies. This year the event 
is being chaired by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 
[AIChE] and Fluor Corp. As chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation Committee, I would like to take a moment to 
recognize the contributions the 1.8 million engineers in our country 
make to improve the quality of our lives.
  Mr. President, try to imagine what our lives would be like without 
the engineering achievements of the 20th century. Imagine a world with 
no television, no airplanes, no computers, no cordless telephones, no 
miracle drugs, no interstate highway system, no central heating and air 
conditioning, or no communication satellites.
  Each of these items began only as an idea. Each needed engineers to 
transform the idea into reality. Engineers are the men and women who 
plan, design, and direct the manufacturing or construction of nearly 
every human-made element of the world. The very word ``engineer'' comes 
from the Latin word ``ingeniare'', which means ``to devise.'' For 
centuries, engineers have devised things to solve problems.
  From clothes to communications, medicines to microwave ovens, 
television to transportation, potato chips to microchips, the work of 
engineers touches every aspect of our lives. Engineers turn ideas into 
reality through technology. In the process, engineers make our lives 
easier, healthier, more efficient, and more fun.
  Mr. President, I am sure several of my colleagues already are aware 
of the significant role engineers play in our society. That is because 
they are engineers themselves. The Senator from Virginia, Senator 
Warner,  and the senator from Ohio, Senator Glenn, were both trained as 
engineers. They each made significant contributions to the national 
security and leadership of our Nation before serving their country in 
this body. Both bring technical expertise and a much needed perspective 
to our public policy debates.
  During National Engineers Week, we should not only look back at the 
achievement of engineers, but also look forward. If we are to maintain 
the standard of living and leadership role in the world we currently 
enjoy, we must assure a strong emphasis on mathematics and science in 
education. The quality of our future lies in our ability to attract the 
best and the brightest young minds to study and pursue careers in 
engineering.
  Mr. President, I commend the engineers of the Nation, past and 
present, for their contributions to the well-being of our Nation. I 
join them in celebrating National Engineers Week.


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