[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Mr. Inouye and 
        Mrs. Boxer):
  S. 487. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to 
employment opportunities in the Department of Health and Human Services 
for women who are scientists, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Labor and Human Resources.


           THE HHS WOMEN SCIENTIST EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ACT

 Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I introduce the HHS Women 
Scientist Employment Opportunity Act. What this bill does is quite 
simple. It will require all agencies within the Department of Health 
and Human Services to establish policies to ensure employment 
opportunities for women scientists within the Department. It will 
ensure a fair break for the many dedicated women scientists serving at 
the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and other agencies or 
offices in the Department. Policies are to be reviewed regularly and 
revised if necessary.
  This bill is about the promoting equality. It is about supporting and 
advancing the careers of women scientists. It is about our Government 
leading the way in setting an example for both academia and industry on 
career policies for women scientists.
  In 1992, it came to my attention that women scientists at the 
National Institutes of Health were not being treated fairly. Women 
scientists at NIH indicated that they were not being given research and 
conference assignments that would help advance their careers. They were 
not being adequately recognized for their accomplishments. Publication 
opportunities were limited. Questions were raised about tenure and 
comparability of pay with male colleagues.
  Legislation was introduced in the 103d and 104th Congresses to 
address these concerns. I am encouraged that NIH voluntarily adopted 
some of the provisions outlined in these bills. But, this is only a 
start. We must continue to address the equity issues and policies 
impacting career advancement of our best and brightest women 
scientists. These issues deserve our utmost attention. That is why this 
bill is so important. It will ensure that the policies are in place to 
promote career opportunities for women scientists. And, it will ensure 
that policies are reviewed regularly, that progress is monitored and 
that policies are revised if necessary.
  What I like about this bill is that it addresses a problem in our own 
backyard. It says we in the Federal Government have a problem, and we 
are going to fix it. It ensures that our women scientists working at 
HHS are treated fairly. It serves as a model for the private sector by 
setting the stage for equity among our career scientists. It shows that 
we are very serious about equity and fair play in the scientific 
community. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the HHS 
Women Scientist Employment Opportunity Act. 
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