[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3087-H3090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE IDEALS OF NATIONAL LAB DAY
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1213) recognizing the need to improve the
participation and performance of America's students in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, supporting the
ideals of National Lab Day, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1213
Whereas in 2005 the National Academy of Sciences published
a report entitled ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'', which
estimated that in the United States innovations generated by
the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
fields account for nearly half of the growth in gross
domestic product;
Whereas in 2006 only 4.5 percent of college graduates in
the United States received a diploma in engineering, compared
with 25.4 percent in South Korea, 33.3 percent in China, and
39.1 percent in Singapore;
Whereas increasing the number of students pursuing careers
in STEM fields is vital to the global competitiveness of the
United States;
Whereas many STEM occupations do not have representation of
women and underrepresented minorities proportional to these
groups in the population or their enrollment in higher
education;
Whereas strengthening partnerships between the Federal and
State governments, the private sector, nonprofit
organizations, professional societies, and the education
community will improve STEM education in our Nation's
schools;
Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that science
and engineering occupations are projected to grow by 21.4
percent from 2004 to 2014, compared to a projected growth of
13 percent in all occupations during the same time period;
Whereas an understanding of science and mathematics is
necessary not only for those who will enter STEM fields as
majors but for all citizens to understand scientific and
technical issues that affect their lives;
Whereas scientific and technical skills are a requirement
for an increasingly wide range of occupations and hands-on
inquiry-based learning in the STEM fields is an essential
element of a well-rounded education;
Whereas the President has launched an ``Educate to Innovate
campaign'' which aims to increase STEM literacy so that all
students can learn deeply and think critically in STEM, to
move American students from the middle of the pack to the top
in the next decade, and to expand STEM education and career
opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women
and girls;
Whereas National Lab Day is a nationwide initiative to
foster community-based collaborations between educators and
STEM professionals and other volunteers across the country to
support high-quality, hands-on, discovery-based laboratory
experiences for students;
Whereas more than 200 business, science and technology, and
education organizations have declared their support for
National Lab Day; and
Whereas schools and educators across the country will
celebrate the first National Lab Day during the first week of
May at a time of their own choosing: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the ideals of National Lab Day;
(2) calls upon the Office of Science and Technology Policy
and the National Science Foundation to continue fostering
partnerships such as those involved in National Lab Day; and
(3) encourages scientists, volunteers, and educators to
participate in National Lab Day.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio.
General Leave
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1213.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H3088]]
Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1213 recognizes the need to improve the
performance of American students in the science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields. This resolution support the ideals
of National Lab Day, a nationwide effort to connect students, STEM
educators, and volunteers in order to build the STEM community.
All children have an innate curiosity about the world around them.
Research shows students begin to lose this inquisitiveness as early as
middle school. During National Lab Day, students in all grades
participate in hands-on scientific educational projects to demonstrate
real-life applications of the STEM fields. For example, a teacher in my
district posted a project requesting a scientist to illustrate how
chemistry is used in real-world applications and careers. The National
Lab Day Web site will connect this teacher with a professional
scientist to perform experiments and talk to students about careers in
chemistry. These activities keep students interested and engaged in
math and science throughout primary and secondary school. We hope that
by keeping children interested early in life more American students
will enter STEM fields.
America has a rich history as a leader in technology and information.
However, we are at serious risk of losing our world status if we don't
train and encourage and engage our youth. Research shows that the
United States is graduating significantly lower percentages of students
in STEM fields than other nations. In 2006, for example, a little over
4 percent of American students received undergraduate degrees in
engineering compared to 33 percent in China. We can change this trend.
Last week, I was visited by a constituent named Sheari Rice. Sheari
is a full-time engineer working toward a Ph.D. at Cleveland State
University in my district. She is a strong, powerful role model for
female minority students and said she would be thrilled to volunteer
for National Lab Day. People like Sheari will make this initiative
successful and teach our children that careers such as hers are within
their reach.
There are Shearis in every district, and I hope my colleagues will
join me in reaching out to these role models. Tell them they can visit
www.nationallabday.org to sign up for projects in their communities. I
look forward to seeing successful lab days all around the Nation and
eventually a more technologically competitive America.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I thank Ms. Fudge for her good presentation, and I rise in
support of H. Res. 1213, supporting the ideals of National Lab Day.
H. Res. 1213 recognizes the need to improve the participation and
performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering,
and math fields, or STEM fields. In order for America to continue its
competitive edge in technology and innovation, a solid foundation in
STEM education for our students is very vital. Without early exposure
to science in the classroom, students will either lack the interest to
pursue a career in STEM fields, or will lack the preparation and skills
required to be successful.
H. Res. 1213 puts one step forward to ensuring that our children and
grandchildren, the innovators of tomorrow, have the well-rounded
education they need if they are to become the leading minds of
America's future.
National Lab Day's purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of
STEM education by creating a ``nationwide initiative to build local
communities of support that will foster ongoing collaboration among
volunteers, students and educators. Volunteers, university students,
scientists, engineers, other STEM professionals and, more broadly,
members of the community are working together with educators and
students to bring discovery-based science experiences to students in
grades K-12.''
I applaud those efforts that do not rely on the Federal Government
but engage our communities to become more involved in improving lab
experiences for students in kindergarten through high school, and hope
my colleagues will join me today in recognizing the importance of what
National Lab Day presents.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Harman).
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and
commend her leadership. As a former member of the Science Committee
myself, I think this is a very important resolution which highlights an
issue that directly impacts not just national security but employment
in my district and many others.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are the backbone of
California's 36th District economy. We are the home to the Los Angeles
Air Force Base Space and Missile Systems Center and to large facilities
of all of the major aerospace firms, as well as critically important
innovative second and third tier suppliers. As I am fond of saying, my
district is the aerospace center of the universe.
L.A. County's unemployment rate is over 13 percent, but the 36th
Congressional District's unemployment is half that, almost entirely
because of science and technology jobs, especially in the aerospace
industry. But the industry faces a coming ``gray wave.'' Some 60
percent of aerospace workers are over age 50, and almost 26 percent are
already eligible for retirement. Not enough young scientists and
engineers are coming out of college to fill their ranks.
Mr. Speaker, we can't build rockets without rocket scientists, and
other countries know that. The United States graduates about 70,000
engineers annually, a meager 15 percent. China graduates over half a
million engineers every year. We not only need the next generation of
spacecraft to reach Mars and beyond; we need the next generation of
space engineers to get us there. And if we are to maintain space
dominance when others, especially China, challenge us, we need more
engineers.
While we are struggling to educate enough engineers to assume the
torch from those retiring, we are also losing many of them to the sexy
new world of Internet technology. Building rockets is losing luster to
Facebook, eBay, Google and other IT firms. If we want to continue to be
the world's leader in space, we have to get our young people dreaming
bigger, literally dreaming out of this world. We need to inspire our
young people the same way President Kennedy did 50 years ago when he
committed the United States to winning the space race.
STEM education is the key, Mr. Speaker. I urge our colleagues to
support this worthy resolution.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.
Res. 1213, a resolution supporting the ideals of National Lab Day.
I would also like to commend the two principal sponsors of this
legislation, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) and the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), for their continued leadership on the
promotion of STEM education.
And I want to join my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Harman), and I too am a former member of the Science Committee, and I
agree completely with her remarks on this issue.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, better known as
STEM, education is instrumental to our ability to stay on the cutting
edge of the global economy. Yet the United States is indeed falling
behind the rest of the world in the number of students that are
graduating from STEM fields.
Mr. Speaker, according to a 2006 Association of American Universities
study that is noted in the findings of H. Res. 1213, 33.3 percent of
students in China receive their undergraduate degrees in engineering;
in Singapore, that number is 39.1 percent; and 25.4 percent of South
Korea's graduates fall into these fields. Unfortunately, the United
States is lagging so far behind with a staggering 4.5 percent of
graduates in engineering. In order for us to remain competitive in a
global marketplace, it is imperative that we find ways to increase the
number of students coming out of college with a degree in a STEM-
related field. That means that we need to build the interest level
within STEM education for students at all levels.
[[Page H3089]]
Mr. Speaker, as a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in
chemistry, STEM education is an issue that is near and dear to me, and
I am very happy to see that this body consider in a bipartisan way a
resolution that supports National Lab Day. This is a nationwide
initiative that provides a forum for scientists to work directly with
students in a hands-on learning experience. By allowing students the
opportunity to collaborate with scientists in this way, National Lab
Day can provide them with the tools to keep them engaged in STEM
fields, with the hope that those students will pursue higher education
opportunities and careers in these cutting-edge fields.
During the 110th Congress, I believe our Nation took a very crucial
step, due in large part to the leadership of Chairman Bart Gordon and
Ranking Member Ralph Hall of the Science Committee, to address this
issue in the America COMPETES Act, and that was passed in a bipartisan
way in 2007 and signed into law by former President Bush.
{time} 1430
As the former ranking member of the Science Committee's Technology
and Innovation Subcommittee, I was so proud to support that important
legislation, which will make STEM education a priority both now and in
the future.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. As we likely consider the reauthorization of
the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act next week, I hope this body
will approach this legislation in the same manner.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this great resolution, H. Res.
1213.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Woolsey).
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment our chairman, Bart
Gordon, and I would like to compliment Congresswoman Fudge and our
ranking member, Mr. Hall, for this resolution because it is greatly
important.
I support H. Res. 1213, a resolution in support of improving
participation in the STEM fields, STEM--Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics.
As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and of the
House Science and Technology Committee, it is absolutely clear to me
that our country's ability to develop, to prosper, and to compete will
depend upon investing in our children's educations and in the
scientific community.
A central piece of this effort must be to encourage girls and
underrepresented minorities to be involved in STEM at the K-12
undergrad and graduate levels so they can, if they choose, turn their
educations into careers. They don't have to take the careers of STEM,
but they have to be prepared to make those choices by the time they get
to college.
That is why I sponsored the Patsy T. Mink Fellowships, which
President Bush signed into law in 2008 as part of the Higher Education
Reauthorization Act. The Patsy T. Mink Fellowships provide
encouragement for women and minorities to go into the graduate programs
where they are represented, such as into the STEM programs, and then to
move into teaching in these fields.
I am also preparing to reintroduce a bill, Go Girl, as it has been
previously entitled for the many, many years that I've been here, which
will provide grants to schools to promote STEM education for girls, and
we have included underrepresented minorities for K-12 students.
Mr. Speaker, helping young women and minorities go into these STEM
fields is an investment in our future as a country, so I urge my
colleagues to join me in voting for H. Res. 1213.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
support of H. Res. 1213 to support the goals and ideals of National Lab
Day.
I want to commend National Lab Day and its partners for their efforts
to ensure America's workforce is proficient in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In order to keep the United States
at the leading edge of discovery, it will take committed partnerships
with volunteers, university students, scientists, engineers, other STEM
professionals, and communities to inspire and cultivate our youth.
I strongly believe that in order for a child to believe, they must
first see. Today, our children are in desperate need of positive role
models. When STEM professionals enter the classroom and work with
children, they are providing an example of what one day they too can
become. We need to increase professional involvement with our youth
throughout our educational pipeline. Efforts such as National Lab Day
will help bring about positive change for our country.
It is no mystery that STEM professionals will cure the next epidemic
and invent the next technological breakthrough. Ultimately, a nation
that graduates a high amount of STEM professionals will be a nation
that will thrive in the 21st century. These fields are among the
highest paying and the most stable. Their rate of growth is increasing
exponentially as our society grows increasingly technological and our
world becomes more interconnected.
Mr. Speaker, the time to act is now. I ask my fellow colleagues today
to join me in honoring National Lab Day and efforts that will raise
standards, improve teaching, and motivate more students to pursue
careers in science and math.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as a former member of the
Science Committee and a strong supporter of education, I rise in strong
support of this resolution Recognizing the need to improve the
participation and performance of America's students in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.
This legislation recognizes the importance of equipping young minds
with the technological and scientific knowledge necessary to compete in
a globalized economy. Further, within the context of globalization, I
strongly believe that this country's ability to achieve and maintain a
high standard of living is dependent on the extent to which it can
harness science and technology. Thus, in order to enhance the
international competitiveness of the country, it is critical for us to
promote and support students pursuing careers in meteorology,
climatology and atmospheric research.
From Ben Franklin to NASA to Silicon Valley, America has a great
history of scientific innovation. In recent years, however, we have
diverged from this path and have endangered our reputation as a nation
at the forefront of science and technology. In 2006 only 4.5 percent of
college graduates in the United States received a diploma in
engineering, compared with 25.4 percent in South Korea, 33.3 percent in
China, and 39.1 percent in Singapore. Today, American students rank
21st out of 30 in scientific literacy among students from developed
countries, and 25th out of 30 in math literacy.
If this trend continues, there are dire consequences for our children
and our economy. As this bill notes, ``In 2005 the National Academy of
Sciences published a report entitled `Rising Above the Gathering
Storm', which estimated that in the United States innovations generated
by the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields
account for nearly half of the growth in gross domestic product.''
Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we invest in a workforce ready for
global competition by creating a new generation of innovators and make
a sustained commitment to federal research and development. We need to
spur and expand affordable access to broadband, achieve energy
independence, and provide small business with tools to encourage
entrepreneurial innovation.
The establishment and maintenance of a capable science and
technological workforce remains an important facet of U.S. efforts to
maintain economic competitiveness. Pre-college instruction in
mathematics and scientific fields is crucial to the development of U.S.
science and technological personnel, as well as our overall scientific
literacy as a nation. The value of education in science and mathematics
is not limited to those students pursuing a degree in one of these
fields, and even students pursuing nonscientific and nonmathematical
fields are likely to require basic knowledge in these subjects.
In particular, there is a need to extend access to mathematics and
scientific education to a number of specific groups. Even as certain
minorities, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native
Americans, comprise an increasingly large proportion of the U.S.
population, they continue to be underrepresented in science and
engineering disciplines. Together, these three groups comprise over 25
percent of the population, but earn only 16.2 percent of the bachelor
degrees, 10.7 percent of the masters degrees, and 5.4 percent of the
doctorate degrees in these fields.
Mr. Speaker, as we develop the reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), we must fully integrate and fund STEM
education programs. Such programs are vital to the future of our
nation.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H3090]]
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would ask that my colleagues
support H. Res. 1213.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1213.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________