[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 20, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4375-S4377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY

  Ms. STABENOW. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which were 
submitted earlier today: S. Res. 500, S. Res. 501, and S. Res. 502.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. STABENOW. I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, 
the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements 
related to the resolutions be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolutions were agreed to.
  The preambles were agreed to.
  The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:

                              S. Res. 500

Celebrating the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments 
  of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in 
 Education Act, and recognizing the need to continue pursuing the goal 
      of equal educational opportunities for all women and girls.

       Whereas 40 years ago, on June 23, 1972, title IX of the 
     Education Amendments of 1972 (in this preamble referred to as 
     ``title IX'')(20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) was signed into law by 
     the President of the United States;
       Whereas Representatives Patsy T. Mink and Edith Green led 
     the successful fight in Congress to pass this legislation;
       Whereas, on October 29, 2002, title IX was named the 
     ``Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act'' in 
     recognition of Representative Mink's heroic, visionary, and 
     tireless leadership in developing and passing title IX;
       Whereas title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of 
     sex in the administration of any education program receiving 
     Federal financial assistance, including sports, and bars 
     sexual and sex-based harassment, discrimination against 
     pregnant and parenting students, and the use of stereotypes 
     and other barriers to limit a person's access to a particular 
     educational field;
       Whereas remarkable gains have been made to ensure equal 
     opportunity for women and girls under the inspiration and 
     mandate of title IX;
       Whereas title IX has increased educational opportunities 
     for women and girls, including their access to professional 
     schools and nontraditional fields of study, and has improved 
     their employment opportunities;
       Whereas title IX has increased opportunities for women and 
     girls in sports, leading to greater access to competitive 
     sports and building strong values such as teamwork, 
     leadership, discipline, work ethic, self-sacrifice, pride in 
     accomplishment, and strength of character;
       Whereas, while title IX has been instrumental in fostering 
     40 years of progress toward equality between men and women in 
     educational institutions and the workplace, there remains 
     progress to be made;
       Whereas, in the 2010-2011 school year, girls were provided 
     1,300,000 fewer opportunities to play high school sports than 
     boys;
       Whereas, in 2010, at the typical Division I Football Bowl 
     Subdivision school, 51 percent of the students were women, 
     but female athletes received only 28 percent of the total 
     money spent on athletics, 31 percent of the money spent to 
     recruit new athletes, and 42 percent of the total athletic 
     scholarship funds;
       Whereas research shows that more than 8 out of 10 
     successful businesswomen played organized sports as children;
       Whereas, for girls who engage in sports, 80 percent are 
     less likely to have a drug problem and 92 percent are less 
     likely to have an unwanted pregnancy;
       Whereas title IX seeks to protect students from sexual 
     harassment and defend pregnant and parenting students from 
     discrimination;
       Whereas stereotypes and discriminatory barriers in the 
     fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
     persist and contribute to the low numbers of women and girls 
     in those fields;
       Whereas, in 2009, women comprised only 19 percent of 
     students receiving baccalaureate degrees in physics, 18 
     percent of students receiving baccalaureate degrees in 
     computer science, 16 percent of students receiving 
     baccalaureate degrees in engineering and engineering 
     technologies, and 22 percent of students receiving master's 
     or doctorate degrees

[[Page S4376]]

     in engineering and engineering technologies; and
       Whereas, while title IX has resulted in significant gains 
     for women and girls in education, the law's full promise of 
     equal educational opportunities for all women and girls has 
     not yet been fulfilled: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the accomplishments resulting from the 
     passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also 
     known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in 
     Education Act, in increasing opportunities for women and 
     girls in many facets of education, including the magnificent 
     accomplishments of women and girls in sports;
       (2) reaffirms the commitment of title IX to ending all 
     discrimination against women and girls in elementary, 
     secondary, and higher education, and to equal opportunities 
     for women and girls in athletics; and
       (3) recognizes the continued importance of title IX in 
     providing needed protections for women and girls.

                              S. Res. 501

                 Supporting National Men's Health Week

       Whereas, despite advances in medical technology and 
     research, men continue to live an average of more than 5 
     years less than women, and African-American men have the 
     lowest life expectancy;
       Whereas 9 of the 10 leading causes of death, as defined by 
     the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, affect men at 
     a higher percentage than women;
       Whereas, between ages 45 and 54, men are more than 1\1/2\ 
     times more likely than women to die of heart attacks;
       Whereas men die of heart disease at 1\1/2\ times the rate 
     of women;
       Whereas men die of cancer at almost 1\1/2\ times the rate 
     of women;
       Whereas testicular cancer is 1 of the most common cancers 
     in men aged 15 to 34, and, when detected early, has a 96 
     percent survival rate;
       Whereas the number of cases of colon cancer among men will 
     reach almost 50,000 in 2012, and more than half of those men 
     will die from the disease;
       Whereas the likelihood that a man will develop prostate 
     cancer is 1 in 6;
       Whereas the number of men who develop prostate cancer in 
     2012 is expected to reach more than 241,740, and an estimated 
     28,170 of those men will die from the disease;
       Whereas African-American men in the United States have the 
     highest incidence of prostate cancer;
       Whereas significant numbers of health problems that affect 
     men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, colon 
     cancer, and infertility, could be detected and treated if 
     awareness among men of those problems was more pervasive;
       Whereas more than \1/2\ of the elderly widows now living in 
     poverty were not poor before the death of their husbands, and 
     by age 100, women outnumber men by a ratio of 4 to 1;
       Whereas educating both the public and health care providers 
     about the importance of early detection of male health 
     problems will result in reducing rates of mortality for those 
     diseases;
       Whereas appropriate use of tests such as prostate specific 
     antigen exams, blood pressure screens, and cholesterol 
     screens, in conjunction with clinical examination and self-
     testing for problems such as testicular cancer, can result in 
     the detection of many of those problems in their early stages 
     and increase the survival rates to nearly 100 percent;
       Whereas women are 2 times more likely than men to visit 
     their doctors for annual examinations and preventive 
     services;
       Whereas men are less likely than women to visit their 
     health centers or physicians for regular screening 
     examinations of male-related problems for a variety of 
     reasons;
       Whereas Congress established National Men's Health Week in 
     1994 and urged men and their families to engage in 
     appropriate health behaviors, and the resulting increased 
     awareness has improved health-related education and helped 
     prevent illness;
       Whereas the Governors of all 50 States issue proclamations 
     annually declaring Men's Health Week in their respective 
     States;
       Whereas, since 1994, National Men's Health Week has been 
     celebrated each June by dozens of States, cities, localities, 
     public health departments, health care entities, churches, 
     and community organizations throughout the United States that 
     promote health awareness events focused on men and family;
       Whereas the National Men's Health Week Internet website has 
     been established at www.menshealthweek.org and features 
     Governors' proclamations and National Men's Health Week 
     events;
       Whereas men who are educated about the value that 
     preventive health can play in prolonging their lifespans and 
     their roles as productive family members will be more likely 
     to participate in health screenings;
       Whereas men and their families are encouraged to increase 
     their awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, 
     regular exercise, and medical checkups;
       Whereas June 11 through 17, 2012, is National Men's Health 
     Week; and
       Whereas the purpose of National Men's Health Week is to 
     heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and 
     encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men 
     and boys: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the annual National Men's Health Week; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to observe National Men's Health Week with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.

                              S. Res. 502

 Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the First Morrill 
                                  Act

       Whereas July 2, 2012, marks the sesquicentennial of the 
     signing of the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the 
     ``First Morrill Act''; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), which granted 
     public lands to States and territories to support colleges in 
     promoting education as a means of economic advancement and 
     intellectual pursuit;
       Whereas the genesis of the national focus on public higher 
     education in the United States is attributed to the 
     establishment of the land-grant institutions under the First 
     Morrill Act;
       Whereas United States Representative Justin Morrill of 
     Strafford, Vermont, inspired by his own lack of a formal 
     education, authored the legislation that would become the 
     First Morrill Act to provide an ``opportunity in every State 
     for a liberal and larger education to larger numbers, not 
     merely to those destined to sedentary professions, but to 
     those needing higher instruction for the world's business, 
     for the industrial pursuits and professions of life'';
       Whereas the 37th Congress sought to energize the vital 
     intellectual resources of the United States by enacting 
     legislation to make higher education accessible to the public 
     and thereby apply those intellectual resources to stimulate 
     the national economy, which at the time was based in 
     agriculture and the mechanical arts;
       Whereas, in the midst of the Civil War and domestic strife, 
     President Abraham Lincoln supported, encouraged, and signed 
     into law the First Morrill Act, which encompassed ideals that 
     united the North and the South;
       Whereas the First Morrill Act opened the doors of colleges 
     and universities to all people with the ability and will to 
     learn, irrespective of heredity, occupation, or economic 
     status;
       Whereas the United States leads the world in the quality of 
     its public universities and has provided extraordinary 
     opportunities for higher education to the people of the 
     United States, thus enriching each State and the country as a 
     whole;
       Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public 
     research universities of the United States remain committed 
     to providing accessible higher education and supporting 
     learning, discovery, and engagement in the interest of the 
     country;
       Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public 
     research universities of the United States conduct research 
     and education in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
     6 territories of the United States, and disseminate the 
     results of those efforts throughout the country and the 
     world, seeking solutions to economic, social, and physical 
     challenges and enriching the cultural life of the people of 
     the world;
       Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public 
     research universities of the United States educate more than 
     5,000,000 students and award nearly 1,000,000 degrees 
     annually, serving as the single largest source of trained and 
     educated workers in the United States;
       Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public 
     research universities of the United States award 200,000 
     degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``STEM'') annually, 
     including more than half of the advanced degrees in STEM 
     awarded annually in the United States;
       Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public 
     research universities of the United States perform more than 
     $37,000,000,000 worth of research annually and impart the 
     discoveries from that research locally, regionally, 
     nationally, and globally for the betterment of their 
     communities, the country, and the world;
       Whereas the Smithsonian Institute is marking the 
     sesquicentennial of the signing of the First Morrill Act at 
     the annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall during the 
     summer of 2012, with displays and presentations by many land-
     grant institutions; and
       Whereas many States are celebrating the sesquicentennial of 
     the signing of the First Morrill Act with resolutions and 
     proclamations, and many land-grant institutions are also 
     commemorating the signing of the historic legislation: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the 150th anniversary of the signing of the 
     First Morrill Act by President Abraham Lincoln;
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the 
     First Morrill Act;
       (3) affirms the continuing importance and vitality of the 
     land-grant institutions, which are the fruitful product of 
     the extraordinary commitment to higher education in the 
     United States that the First Morrill Act represents; and
       (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit to the Association of Public and Land-grant 
     Universities an enrolled copy of this resolution for 
     appropriate display.


[[Page S4377]]


  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I commend the Senate for agreeing to this 
resolution celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the 
First Morrill Act. The Morrill Act, named for its author, Justin 
Morrill of Strafford, VT, granted public lands to States and 
territories to support colleges in promoting education as a means of 
economic advancement and intellectual pursuit. This landmark 
legislation brought national attention to public higher education in 
the United States and made higher education accessible to the public by 
granting Federal land to each State to be used toward funding public 
agriculture colleges. It is difficult to overstate the profound impact 
and ways in which the core democratic vision behind the Morrill Act has 
improved the lives of Americans. Land grant institutions have opened 
the doors to affordable and accessible higher education for millions of 
students. These public institutions are the lifeblood of many 
communities, serving as hubs of research and innovation, as drivers of 
economic growth, and as laboratories for critical thinking and public 
debate.
  The University of Vermont is the State of Vermont's land-grant 
university. It is fitting that representatives from the University of 
Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center will be in town next weekend 
for the Smithsonian's 2012 Folklife Festival. This year, the annual 
event celebrates the spirit of the Morrill Act and the cultural impact 
of land-grant institutions. Timothy Perkins, Timothy Wilmont, Emily 
Drew, George Cook, and Brian Stowe will host a booth at the Festival on 
the maple industry and how maple research at the University of Vermont 
has provided new and improved techniques for efficient sap collection 
and evaporation systems which yield higher quality maple syrup, as well 
as research to improve understanding of the physiology and continued 
health of sugar maple trees. Just one example is a revolutionary maple 
tap developed by students and professors at UVM and now being 
manufactured in Vermont which nearly doubles the yield from each tree.
  Justin Morrill's vision for a modern higher education infrastructure 
was centered in creating an opportunity for farmers, mechanics, 
artisans and laborers who too often lacked access to higher education. 
While time does not allow a comprehensive look at the contributions of 
UVM to the State of Vermont, I will note that given the focus of land 
grant institutions on agriculture, it is very appropriate that the UVM 
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, known as CALS, is quartered 
in the original Morrill Hall at the center of campus. In addition to 
work on maple, CALS provides a number of world-class research and 
outreach efforts that are educating a generation of leaders in 
sustainable agriculture and food systems. And the acorn often falls 
close to the tree--with UVM graduates applying their skills to start 
businesses and nonprofits in Vermont. CALS graduates are owners and 
herd managers at dairy farms across Vermont and others are operating a 
growing number of diversified farms and CSA's across the region. Two 
examples are Shelburne Farms, a wonderful center for sustainability 
education and Vermont Natural Coatings--a private company manufacturing 
environmentally friendly paints--both being run by UVM alumni. 
Nutrition research at the school is informing cutting edge farm-to-
school programs.
  Students and researchers at the UVM School of Natural resources have 
been at the lead for many years in understanding and addressing water 
quality problems in Lake Champlain. Preparing students with a great 
basic education in environmental science and policy, these young people 
are then deployed to the UVM research vessel the Melosira, to the 
Rubenstein Lake Research Lab, and to watershed groups to put their 
skills to the test. It is not unusual to see UVM undergraduates coming 
off the lake, cold and wet on a cold fall day and burdened with nets, 
buckets, and boots--and smiling from ear to ear.
  Vermont is a small State and could never have built such a fine and 
world-renowned research University but for the Morrill Land Grant Act. 
UVM is now an engine that helps to drive our state, and to benefit the 
Nation.

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