[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5993-S5994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 547--HONORING THE LIFE OF PIONEERING ASTRONAUT DR.
SALLY RIDE AND EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE ON HER DEATH
Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Mikulski, Mr.
Rockefeller, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Boozman, and
Mr. Coons) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and
agreed to:
S. Res. 547
Whereas Dr. Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Los
Angeles, California;
Whereas Dr. Ride graduated high school from Westlake School
for Girls in Los Angeles in 1968, and received from Stanford
University a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of
Arts in English in 1973, a Master of Science in 1975, and a
doctorate degree in physics in 1978;
Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(referred to in this preamble as ``NASA'') selected Dr. Ride
as an astronaut candidate in January of 1978;
Whereas Dr. Ride worked on the ground as a communications
officer for the second and third NASA space shuttle missions
(STS-2 and STS-3) and helped develop the robot arm used by
shuttle crews;
Whereas, on June 18, 1983, Dr. Ride became the first woman
from the United States to travel in space when she served as
a mission specialist for space shuttle mission STS-7;
Whereas Dr. Ride also served as a mission specialist on
space shuttle mission STS 41-G, which launched into space
from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on October 5, 1984;
Whereas, in June of 1985, Dr. Ride was assigned to the crew
of STS 61-M for which mission training terminated in January
of 1986, following the space shuttle Challenger accident;
Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of the Presidential
Commission investigating the space shuttle Challenger
accident and, upon completing that investigation, was
assigned to NASA Headquarters as a Special Assistant to the
Administrator for long-range and strategic planning;
Whereas, in 1989, Dr. Ride joined the faculty at the
University of California, San Diego, as a Professor of
Physics and Director of the California Space Institute, a
research unit at the University of California;
Whereas, following her passion of motivating girls and
young women to pursue careers in science, math, and
technology, Dr. Ride founded her own company, known as Sally
Ride Science, in 2001, to create entertaining science
programs and publications for upper elementary and middle
school students, as well as their parents and teachers;
Whereas, as a long-time advocate for improved science
education, Dr. Ride initiated and directed education projects
designed to fuel the fascination of middle school students
with science and wrote 5 science books for children,
entitled: To Space and Back, The Mystery of Mars, Voyager: An
Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System, Exploring Our
Solar System, and the Third Planet: Exploring the Earth from
Space;
Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of the President's
Counsel of Advisors on Science and Technology, the Space
Studies Board, and the Pacific Council on International
Policy;
Whereas Dr. Ride was a fellow of the American Physical
Society and also served on the boards of the Office of
Technology Assessment, the Carnegie Institution of
Washington, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
Foundation, the Aerospace Corporation, and the California
Institute of Technology;
Whereas Dr. Ride was the only person to have served on
commissions investigating both the space shuttle Challenger
and Columbia accidents; and
Whereas Dr. Ride has received numerous honors and awards,
including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame
and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Jefferson Award for
Public Service, the Wernher von Braun Memorial Award of the
National Space Society, the Lindbergh Eagle Award, the
Theodore Roosevelt Award of the National Collegiate Athletic
Association, and 2 NASA Space Flight Medals: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses its deepest condolences to the family and
friends of Dr. Sally Ride on her death;
(2) mourns the loss of Dr. Ride, a trailblazing pioneer who
inspired millions of individuals, especially women and girls,
to reach for the stars; and
(3) appreciates all of the contributions of Dr. Ride to
science, physics, education, and human spaceflight.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce a
resolution on the importance of quality data from the Census Bureau,
including the American Community Survey. I am proud to introduce this
resolution as a companion to the similar House legislation by my
distinguished colleague, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. The
Congresswoman has shown real leadership on this issue and I am eager to
work with her to highlight the importance and significance of quality
data for good government oversight and management, as well as helping
American businesses.
Each year, more than $400 billion Federal dollars are distributed to
local communities based on the data from the American Community Survey.
This survey is the largest data set of its kind, and helps
strategically target federal funding for a broad range of programs for
health care, transportation and education. The American Community
Survey has improves data for the Child Health Insurance Program, CHIP,
that means so much to vulnerable children. Another specific and
compelling example is how law enforcement uses the data to predict
criminal activities like methamphetamine production. Local communities
use the survey to choose locations for new schools, hospitals, and fire
stations.
The survey is also important to American business. The U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, the National Retail Federation, and the National
Association of Home Builders support investments in this survey. It is
the only source of small area estimates on social and demographic
characteristics. Manufacturers and service sector firms use the survey
to identify the income, education, and occupational skills of local
labor markets they serve. Retail businesses use the survey to
understand the characteristics of the neighborhoods in which they
locate their stores. Homebuilders and realtors understand the housing
characteristics and the markets in their communities, thanks to the
American Community Survey.
Such a survey of American households has existed in some form since
1850, either as a longer version of or richer supplement to the basic
decennial census. The newer American Community Survey provides more
timely data. The Census Bureau estimates the ACS is sent to 2.5 percent
of homes each year, requiring an average of 38 minutes per household to
review instructions and answer questions. At this rate, the typical
American would respond to the survey about twice in their lifetime.
Census workers are sworn to protect confidentiality, facing prison
sentences up to five years for disclosing any personal information and
there has no employees are known to have violated the provisions so the
privacy questions are unfounded.
In closing, I would like to share a statement by Mr. Lawrence Yun,
the Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors: ``Without
the data, the nation would essentially be flying blind in relation to
important housing market conditions and business decisions. Accurate
economic and demographic data inspire business confidence that is so
critical to the free enterprise system. We would not be able to provide
an accurate estimate of many housing metrics if they cannot be
benchmarked against the America Community Survey data.''
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