[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6012-S6013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed en bloc to the following resolutions: S. Res. 544, S. Res. 545,
S. Res. 546, and S. Res. 547.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolutions en bloc.
Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that 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
relating 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. 544
(Congratulating the Navy Dental Corps on its 100th anniversary)
Whereas on August 22, 1912, Congress passed an Act
recognizing Navy dentistry as a distinct branch among naval
medical professions;
Whereas in the last century, the Navy Dental Corps has
supported the Navy by sustaining Sailor and Marine readiness
and providing routine and emergency dental care, ashore and
afloat, in peace and in war;
Whereas the Navy Dental Corps works continuously to improve
the health of Sailors, Marines, and their families by
supporting individual and community prevention initiatives,
good oral hygiene practices, and treatment;
Whereas the Navy Dental Corps endeavors to improve oral
health worldwide by participating in the spectrum of military
combat, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations and
exercises;
Whereas the Navy Dental Corps, in collaboration with
national and international dental organizations, promotes
dental professionalism and quality of care;
Whereas the Navy Dental Corps supports the mission of the
Federal dental research program and endorses improved dental
technologies and therapies through research and adherence to
sound scientific principles; and
Whereas the Navy Dental Corps recognizes the importance of
continuing professional dental education, requiring and
supporting specialty dental education and postgraduate
residencies and fellowships for its members: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) congratulates the Navy Dental Corps on its 100th
anniversary;
(2) commends the Navy Dental Corps for working to sustain
the dental readiness and the oral health of a superb fighting
force; and
(3) recognizes the thousands of dentists who have served in
the Navy Dental Corps over the last 100 years, providing
dental care to millions of members of the Armed Forces and
their families.
S. Res. 545
(Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Air Force Weather)
Whereas the United States Army Air Corps assumed
responsibility for military weather services on July 1, 1937,
beginning a legacy of superior service to Army and Air Force
commanders for the next 75 years;
Whereas the United States Army Air Forces activated the
Weather Wing on April 14, 1943, in time to provide General
Dwight D. Eisenhower with reports and forecasts vital to the
success of Operation Overlord, the reentry of the Allies into
Europe against resistance from German occupation forces, and
subsequent operations in Europe and the Pacific;
Whereas 68 personnel from the Weather Wing lost their lives
in World War II;
Whereas the Weather Wing was redesignated as the Army Air
Forces Weather Service in 1945, and the Air Weather Service
in 1946;
Whereas, in July of 1947, the Air Weather Service became a
part of the newly formed United States Air Force with a
mission to support both the Army and Air Force;
Whereas, in 1948, the Air Weather Service issued its first
tornado warning;
Whereas the Air Weather Service provided critical reports
and forecasts to commanders, planners, and aircrews in
support of the Berlin Airlift, enabling the successful
efforts to stare down Premier of the Soviet Union Joseph
Stalin in the first major confrontation of the Cold War;
Whereas the Air Weather Service has participated in every
military operation from operations in Vietnam to Iraq and
Afghanistan;
Whereas the Air Weather Service was reorganized into a
field operating agency on April 1, 1991, reporting directly
to the Air Staff;
Whereas, on October 15, 1997, the Air Weather Service was
redesignated as the Air Force Weather Agency and subsequently
headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska;
Whereas, in June 2008, construction was completed on a new
188,000-square-foot headquarters building for the Air Force
Weather Agency at Offutt Air Force Base;
Whereas the civilian community surrounding Offutt Air Force
Base fully recognizes the tremendous dedication and
contributions of the personnel stationed at Offutt Air Force
Base to the global fighting force, and likewise, base
personnel express constant praise and appreciation to the
civilian community for its outstanding support;
Whereas, in close cooperation with the National Weather
Service, Air Force Weather has supported a wide variety of
missions from its base in Nebraska, including space launches
and solar observation; and
Whereas Air Force Weather has continued to produce timely,
accurate, and continuous weather information to locate
targets in any battle around the world or in space: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of Air Force Weather
and its prominent role in national security;
(2) remembers the immeasurable contributions of Air Force
Weather in protecting the lives of members of the Armed
Forces and citizens of the United States through timely and
accurate reporting and forecasting; and
(3) honors the 1,200 personnel who currently serve within
Air Force Weather and those who have carried on its tradition
of excellence through their continued service at Offutt Air
Force Base in Nebraska.
S. Res. 546
(Designating the week of September 10, 2012, as ``National Adult
Education and Family Literacy Week'')
Whereas the National Assessment of Adult Literacy reports
that 90,000,000 adults lack the literacy, numeracy, or
English-language skills necessary to succeed at home, in the
workplace, and in society;
Whereas the literacy of the people of the United States is
essential for the economic and societal well-being of the
United States;
Whereas the United States reaps the economic benefits of
individuals who improve their literacy, numeracy, and
English-language skills;
Whereas literacy and educational skills are necessary for
individuals to fully benefit from the range of opportunities
available in the United States;
Whereas the United States' economy and position in the
world marketplace depend on having a literate, skilled
population;
Whereas the unemployment rate in the United States is
highest among those without a high school diploma or an
equivalent credential, demonstrating that education is
important to economic recovery;
Whereas the educational skills of a child's parents and the
practice of reading to a child have a direct impact on the
educational success of the child;
Whereas parental involvement in a child's education is a
key predictor of a child's success, and the level of parental
involvement in a child's education increases as the
educational level of the parent increases;
[[Page S6013]]
Whereas parents who participate in family literacy programs
become more involved in their children's education and gain
the tools necessary to obtain a job or find better
employment;
Whereas, as a result of family literacy programs, the lives
of children become more stable, and their success in the
classroom and in future endeavors becomes more likely;
Whereas adults need to be part of a long-term solution to
the educational challenges of the United States;
Whereas many older people in the United States lack the
reading, math, or English skills necessary to read a
prescription and follow medical instructions, which endangers
their lives and the lives of their loved ones;
Whereas many individuals who are unemployed, underemployed,
or receive public assistance lack the literacy skills
necessary to obtain and keep a job to provide for their
families, to continue their education, or to participate in
job training programs;
Whereas many high school dropouts do not have the literacy
skills necessary to complete their education, transition to
postsecondary education or career and technical training, or
obtain a job;
Whereas a large portion of individuals in prison have low
educational skills, and prisoners without educational skills
are more likely to return to prison once released;
Whereas many immigrants in the United States do not have
the literacy skills necessary to succeed in the United
States; and
Whereas National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week
highlights the need to ensure each and every citizen has the
literacy skills necessary to succeed at home, at work, and in
society: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week of September 10, 2012 as ``National
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week'' to raise public
awareness about the importance of adult education, workforce
skills, and family literacy;
(2) encourages people across the United States to support
programs to assist those in need of adult education,
workforce skills, and family literacy programs;
(3) recognizes the importance of adult education, workforce
skills, and family literacy programs; and
(4) calls upon public, private, and nonprofit entities to
support increased access to adult education and family
literacy programs to ensure a literate society.
S. Res. 547
(Honoring the life of pioneering astronaut Dr. Sally Ride and
expressing the condolences of the Senate on her death)
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.
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