[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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