[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 25 (Friday, February 15, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK

  (Mrs. NEGRETE McLEOD asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. NEGRETE McLEOD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of a 
resolution authored by Mr. Lipinski of Illinois honoring National 
Engineers Week.
  In his State of the Union address, the President emphasized the 
importance of educating students in the sciences, technology, 
engineering, and math fields so that they are prepared for the high-
tech and high-paying jobs of the future.
  STEM education is vital for the economic growth of my district and 
for the Nation. Just last month, a new report found that in the past 11 
years high-tech jobs in my district and in the surrounding areas have 
grown by 18.6 percent. Many of these jobs are requiring engineers and 
students who pursue STEM education.
  Yet while most parents of school-aged students believe that STEM 
education should be a priority in the United States, only half agree 
that it is actually a top priority. That is why I ask my colleagues to 
support the celebration of National Engineers Week in order to raise 
awareness of STEM education and its importance to our country's 
economic future.

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