[House Report 105-562]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 105-562, Part I
_______________________________________________________________________
COMMISSION ON THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ACT
_______________________________________________________________________
June 3, 1998.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Sensenbrenner, from the Committee on Science, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3007]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Science, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 3007) to establish the Commission on the Advancement of
Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
C O N T E N T S
Page
I. Amendment.......................................................2
II. Purpose of the Bill.............................................6
III. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................6
IV. Summary of Hearings.............................................7
V. Committee Actions...............................................8
VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill........................10
VII. Section-By-Section Analysis (By Title and Section) and Committee
Views..........................................................10
VIII. Committee Cost Estimate........................................17
IX. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate......................18
X. Compliance With Public Law 104-4...............................19
XI. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations...............19
XII. Oversight Findings and Recommendations by the Committee on
Government Reform and Oversight................................19
XIII. Constitutional Authority Statement.............................19
XIV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement...........................19
XV. Congressional Accountability Act...............................19
XVI. Committee Recommendations......................................19
XVII. Proceedings of the Subcommittee Markup.........................21
XVIII.Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup.......................67
I. Amendment
The amendment is as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Commission on the Advancement of
Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the National Science Foundation's 1996
report, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in
Science and Engineering--
(A) women have historically been underrepresented
in scientific and engineering occupations, and although
progress has been made over the last several decades,
there is still room for improvement;
(B) female students take fewer high-level
mathematics and science courses in high school;
(C) female students earn fewer bachelors, masters,
and doctoral degrees in science and engineering;
(D) among recent bachelors of science and bachelors
of engineering graduates, women are less likely to be
in the labor force, to be employed full-time, and to be
employed in their field than are men;
(E) among doctoral scientists and engineers, women
are far more likely to be employed at 2-year
institutions, are far less likely to be employed in
research universities, and are much more likely to
teach part-time;
(F) among university full-time faculty, women are
less likely to chair departments or hold high-ranked
positions; and
(G) a substantial salary gap exists between men and
women with doctorates in science and engineering.
(2) According to the National Research Council's 1995
report, Women Scientists and Engineers Employed in Industry:
Why So Few?--
(A) limited access is the first hurdle faced by
women seeking industrial jobs in science and
engineering, and while progress has been made in recent
years, common recruitment and hiring practices that
make extensive use of traditional networks often
overlook the available pool of women;
(B) once on the job, many women find paternalism,
sexual harassment, allegations of reverse
discrimination, different standards for judging the
work of men and women, lower salary relative to their
male peers, inequitable job assignments, and other
aspects of a male-oriented culture that are hostile to
women; and
(C) women to a greater extent than men find limited
opportunities for advancement, particularly for moving
into management positions, and the number of women who
have achieved the top levels in corporations is much
lower than would be expected, based on the pipeline
model.
(3) The establishment of a commission to examine issues
raised by the findings of these 2 reports would help--
(A) to focus attention on the importance of
eliminating artificial barriers to the recruitment,
retention, and advancement of women in the fields of
science, engineering, and technology, and in all
employment sectors of the United States;
(B) to promote work force diversity;
(C) to sensitize employers to the need to recruit
and retain women scientists, engineers, and computer
specialists; and
(D) to encourage the replication of successful
recruitment and retention programs by universities,
corporations, and Federal agencies having difficulties
in employing women in the fields of science,
engineering, and technology.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the ``Commission
on the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology
Development'' (in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 4. DUTY OF THE COMMISSION.
The Commission shall review available research, and, if determined
necessary by the Commission, conduct additional research to--
(1) identify the number of women (including minority women
and women with disabilities) in the United States in specific
types of occupations in science, engineering, and technology
development;
(2) examine the preparedness of women (including minority
women and women with disabilities) to--
(A) pursue careers in science, engineering, and
technology development; and
(B) advance to positions of greater responsibility
within academia, industry, and government;
(3) describe the practices and policies of employers and
labor unions relating to the recruitment, retention, and
advancement of women (including minority women and women with
disabilities) in the fields of science, engineering, and
technology development;
(4) identify the opportunities for, and artificial barriers
to, the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women
(including minority women and women with disabilities) in the
fields of science, engineering, and technology development in
academia, industry, and government;
(5) compile a synthesis of available research on lawful
practices, policies, and programs that have successfully led to
the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women (including
minority women and women with disabilities) in science,
engineering, and technology development;
(6) issue recommendations with respect to lawful policies
that government (including Congress and appropriate Federal
agencies), academia, and private industry can follow regarding
the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women (including
minority women and women with disabilities) in science,
engineering, and technology development;
(7) identify the disincentives for women (including
minority women and women with disabilities) to continue
graduate education in the fields of engineering, physics, and
computer science;
(8) identify university undergraduate programs that are
successful in retaining women (including minority women and
women with disabilities) in the fields of science, engineering,
and technology development;
(9) identify the disincentives that lead to a
disproportionate number of women (including minority women and
women with disabilities) leaving the fields of science,
engineering, and technology development before completing their
undergraduate education;
(10) assess the extent to which the recommendations of the
Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science
and Technology established under section 8 of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987
(Public Law 99-383; 42 U.S.C. 1885a note) have been
implemented;
(11) compile a list of all Federally funded reports on the
subjects of encouraging women (including minority women and
women with disabilities) to enter the fields of science and
engineering and retaining women (including minority women and
women with disabilities) in the science and engineering
workforce that have been issued since the date that the Task
Force described in paragraph (10) submitted its report to
Congress; and
(12) assess the extent to which the recommendations
contained in the reports described in paragraph (11) have been
implemented.
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 11
members as follows:
(1) 3 members appointed by the President from among for-
profit entities that hire individuals in the fields of
engineering, science, or technology development.
(2) 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives from among such entities.
(3) 2 members appointed by the majority leader of the
Senate from among such entities.
(4) 2 members appointed by the Chairman of the National
Governors Association from among individuals in education or
academia in the fields of life science, physical science, or
engineering.
(5) 2 members appointed by the Vice Chairman of the
National Governors Association from among such individuals.
(b) Initial Appointments.--Initial appointments shall be made under
subsection (a) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(c) Terms.--
(1) In general.--Each member shall be appointed for the
life of the Commission.
(2) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled
in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(d) Pay of Members.--Members shall not be paid by reason of their
service on the Commission.
(e) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections
5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(g) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall be
elected by the members.
(h) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet not fewer than 5 times in
connection with and pending the completion of the report described in
section 8. The Commission shall hold additional meetings for such
purpose if the Chairperson or a majority of the members of the
Commission requests the additional meetings in writing.
(i) Employment Status.--Members of the Commission shall not be
deemed to be employees of the Federal Government by reason of their
work on the Commission except for the purposes of--
(1) the tort claims provisions of chapter 171 of title 28,
United States Code; and
(2) subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States
Code, relating to compensation for work injuries.
SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION; EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.
(a) Director.--The Commission shall appoint a Director who shall be
paid at a rate not to exceed the maximum annual rate of basic pay
payable under section 5376 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of
additional personnel as the Commission considers appropriate.
(c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The Director and
staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in
the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that
an individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the maximum
annual rate of basic pay payable under section 5376 of title 5, United
States Code.
(d) Experts and Consultants.--The Commission may procure temporary
and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United
States Code, at rates for individuals not to exceed the maximum annual
rate of basic pay payable under section 5376 of title 5, United States
Code.
(e) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the
Director of the National Science Foundation or the head of any other
Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any
of the personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to
assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
SEC. 7. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of
carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places,
take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers
appropriate. The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to
witnesses appearing before it.
(b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which
the Commission is authorized to take by this section.
(c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly
from any department or agency of the United States information
necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the
Chairperson of the Commission, the head of that department or agency
shall furnish that information to the Commission.
(d) Gifts, Bequests, and Devises.--The Commission may accept, use,
and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of services or property,
both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the
work of the Commission. Gifts, bequests, or devises of money and
proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, or
devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be available for
disbursement upon order of the Commission.
(e) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and
agencies of the United States.
(f) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities
under this Act.
(g) Contract Authority.--To the extent provided in advance in
appropriations Acts, the Commission may contract with and compensate
government and private agencies or persons for the purpose of
conducting research or surveys necessary to enable the Commission to
carry out its duties under this Act.
SEC. 8. REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the initial
appointments under section 5(a) are completed, the Commission shall
submit to the President, the Congress, and the highest executive
official of each State, a written report containing the findings,
conclusions, and recommendations of the Commission resulting from the
study conducted under section 4.
SEC. 9. CONSTRUCTION; USE OF INFORMATION OBTAINED.
(a) In General.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require
any non-Federal entity (such as a business, college or university,
foundation, or research organization) to provide information to the
Commission concerning such entity's personnel policies, including
salaries and benefits, promotion criteria, and affirmative action
plans.
(b) Use of Information Obtained.--No information obtained from any
entity by the Commission may be used in connection with any employment
related litigation.
SEC. 10. TERMINATION; ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
(a) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate 30 days after
submitting the report required by section 8.
(b) Access to Information.--On or before the date of the
termination of the Commission under subsection (a), the Commission
shall provide to the National Science Foundation the information
gathered by the Commission in the process of carrying out its duties
under this Act. The National Science Foundation shall act as a central
repository for such information and shall make such information
available to the public, including making such information available
through the Internet.
SEC. 11. REVIEW OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION AND OTHER AGENCIES.
(a) Provision of Information.--At the request of the Commission,
the National Science Foundation and any other Federal department or
agency shall provide to the Commission any information determined
necessary by the Commission to carry out its duties under this Act,
including--
(1) data on academic degrees awarded to women (including
minority women and women with disabilities) in science,
engineering, and technology development, and workforce
representation and the retention of women (including minority
women and women with disabilities) in the fields of science,
engineering, and technology development; and
(2) information gathered by the National Science Foundation
in the process of compiling its biennial report on Women,
Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and
Engineering.
(b) Review of Information.--The Commission shall review any
information provided under subsection (a) and shall include in the
report required under section 8--
(1) recommendations on how to correct any deficiencies in
the collection of the types of information described in that
subsection, and in the analysis of such data, which might
impede the characterization of the factors which affect the
attraction and retention of women (including minority women and
women with disabilities) in the fields of science, engineering,
and technology development; and
(2) an assessment of the biennial report of the National
Science Foundation on Women, Minorities, and Persons with
Disabilities in Science and Engineering, and recommendations on
how that report could be improved.
SEC. 12. DEFINITION OF STATE.
In this Act, the term ``State'' includes the several States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin
Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
II. Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of the bill is to establish the Commission on
the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and
Technology Development to: (1) identify the number of women in
the United States in the fields of science, engineering, and
technology development; (2) determine the barriers that exist
to women pursuing an education or career within each of these
disciplines; and (3) issue recommendations that government,
academia, and private industry can follow to encourage the
recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in science,
engineering, and technology development.
III. Background and Need for the Legislation
Over the last decade, the use of technology has transformed
almost every sector of our Nation's economy ranging from
transportation and health care to manufacturing and education.
In manufacturing alone, high-tech industries are currently the
largest manufacturing employer in the United States. In
addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted the
demand for highly skilled workers in computer and data
processing services will more than double over the next 10
years. The shift from an industrial age to an information age
has resulted in the need for an increased pool of high-tech
workers trained in all areas of science, engineering, and
technology development.
There has been significant progress over the last decade
integrating women into the fields of science, engineering, and
technology development. For example, according to the
Engineering Workforce Commission of the American Association of
Engineering Societies, the percentage of women Ph.D.'s in
engineering has increased from .4 percent in 1970 to 12.2
percent in 1997. In addition, the number of medical degrees
earned by women rose from 8 percent to 38 percent between 1970
and 1993.
Women, however, continue to be underrepresented in most
scientific and engineering fields, thus significantly
decreasing the pool of potential high-tech workers. According
to the 1996 National Science Foundation report, Women,
Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and
Engineering, women represent nearly 46 percent of the U.S.
labor force, but comprise only 22 percent of all scientists and
engineers. With respect to engineering, which includes
electrical and computer engineering, the percentage of women in
the workforce is still under 10 percent.
In order to ensure that the U.S. high-tech economy
continues to flourish well into the 21st Century, the need
exists to examine what underlying factors contribute to the
relative lack of women in science, engineering, and technology
development. H.R. 3007 will establish a Commission on the
Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology
Development to address this issue.
H.R. 3476, similar legislation introduced by Mrs. Morella,
was considered under suspension of the rules and passed the
House by a voice vote on September 29, 1992. The measure was
not acted upon by the Senate.
IV. Summary of Hearings
On March 10, 1998, the Subcommittees on Technology and
Basic Research held a joint hearing on ``A Review of H.R. 3007,
The Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and
Technology Development Act.'' Witnesses included: Ms. Belkis
Leong-Hong, President-elect, Women in Technology (WIT); Ms.
Catherine Didion, Executive Director, Association for Women in
Science; Ms. Monica Moman-Saunders, Louisville Gas and Electric
Company, representing the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers; and Professor Ann M. Quade, Department of Computer
Science, Mankato State University.
Ms. Belkis Leong-Hong, testifying as President-elect, Women
in Technology, Fairfax, Virginia, emphasized the need to
provide young women the support necessary to pursue an
education and career in science, engineering, and technology
development. As an example of the lack of encouragement for
young women to excel in these areas, she stated that nearly
one-third of all girls in our high schools report that they
were advised against taking advanced mathematics courses. To
overcome the lack of support for young women in all areas of
science, the need exists for a systematic mentoring process.
Women in Technology (WIT) has addressed this problem by
establishing a formal mentoring program in the Washington, DC.
metropolitan area. Ms. Leong-Hong expresses her support for
H.R. 3007 and endorsed the bill on behalf of WIT.
Ms. Catherine Didion, testifying as Executive Director,
Association for Women in Science, stated that there needs to be
a major change in the way society portrays women in science,
engineering, and technology development. In particular, she
stated that many young women have a difficult time reconciling
the demands of being a woman with being a scientist. She stated
that in a recent study by the National Science Teachers
Association, 99 percent of the boys and nearly 90 percent of
the girls who were asked to draw a picture of a scientists drew
a white male scientist. To reinforce this point, she recalled
the account of one female scientist who was advised not to wear
fingernail polish or makeup if she hoped to be taken seriously.
After informally polling the 76 AWIS chapters and asking what
was the compelling issue facing women in science, Ms. Didion
said she received numerous answers but that almost all of them
contained two important recommendations. First, that there is a
need to promote an effective mentoring system with adequate
reward structures for women in science. Second, flexibility in
the workforce is a key contributor to whether women succeed in
careers in science. She said many women fear it is unrealistic
to both pursue a career in science and also maintain a solid
family structure. Ms. Didion endorsed H.R. 3007 on behalf of
AWIS.
Professor Ann Quade, testifying as Associate Professor,
Department of Computer Science, Mankato State University,
expressed her concern about the decline in the number of women
pursuing degrees in computer sciences. She cited data
indicating a 50% decrease in the number of women pursuing a
computer science degree between the years 1986 and 1994.
Professor Quade referenced other previously male dominated
fields where women have made progress including medicine, law,
and business, and said that the skills necessary to succeed in
these areas are essentially the same skills necessary to
succeed in computer sciences. She stated that in her experience
as an educator, many young women did not have an adequate
understanding of what was involved in the computer science
field. She indicated that those involved in the profession had
not done a very good job of explaining what they do for a
living and potential job opportunities for computer science
graduates. She supported the idea of a strong mentoring system
to achieve this goal. Professor Quade also endorsed H.R. 3007.
Ms. Monica Moman-Saunders, testifying on behalf of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, cited a number of
statistics which indicate that women are making progress in the
areas of science, engineering, and technology development.
However, she also stated that not enough is being done to
recruit, retain, and advance women in these areas. Ms. Moman-
Saunders emphasized the need for the Commission established by
H.R. 3007 to draw upon the resources of other groups and
coordinate its efforts with those that are ongoing in order to
keep duplicative research from occurring. ASME, for example,
recently completed a similar study aimed at determining whether
real or perceived barriers exist that inhibit the participation
of women and minorities in their society. This information
should be shared and incorporated within the Commission's
study. Ms. Moman-Saunders agreed with the other witnesses that
mentoring programs are critically important in not only
recruitment of women in science, engineering, and technology,
but also their retention of women. In conclusion, Ms. Moman-
Saunders stated that women constitute nearly half of the
Nation's labor force; thus, it is crucial to the Nation's
economy that the under-representation of women in science,
engineering and technology be rectified. Ms. Moman-Saunders
also endorsed H.R. 3007 on behalf of ASME.
V. Committee Actions
On March 26, 1998, the Committee on Science, Subcommittee
on Technology convened to markup H.R. 3007, the Commission on
the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and
Technology Development Act. A substitute amendment was offered
and adopted by voice vote. Five amendments to the substitute
were considered en bloc and adopted by voice vote.
1. Mrs. Morella offered a substitute amendment to
streamline the Commission process and for other purposes. The
amendment requires the Commission to be appointed in 90, not
180 days; gives the Commission 1 year, not 18 months to report;
terminates the Commission in 30 days, not 1 year, after it
reports; and replaces a requirement that NSF conduct a study
with language requiring NSF to transmit the data it currently
collects to the Commission. In addition the substitute ensures
that the States are active participants in the Commission by
allowing the National Governors Association Chairman and Vice
Chairman to appoint 4 of the 11 Commissioners, and by requiring
the Commission's report to be transmitted to all 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. The substitute
was adopted by a voice vote.
2. Mrs. Morella requested unanimous consent to consider
five amendments to the substitute offered by Ms. Stabenow, Mrs.
Tauscher, Mr. Doyle, and Ms. Rivers en bloc. The amendments
would: (1) require the Commission to identify the disincentives
for women to continue graduate educations in the fields of
engineering, physics, and computer science; (2) require the
National Science Foundation to act as a central repository for
all information gathered by the Commission in carrying out its
duties and to make the information available to the public,
including making it available via the Internet; (3) require the
Commission to identify university undergraduate programs that
are successful in retaining women in the fields of science,
engineering, and technology development and to identify
disincentives that lead to a disproportionate number of women
leaving these fields before completing their undergraduate
degrees; (4) require the Commission to compile a list of all
federally funded reports on women in science and to assess the
extent to which any recommendations included in these reports,
including the National Science Foundation's Task Force on
Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and
Technology, have been implemented; and (5) require all federal
agencies, including the National Science Foundation, to provide
at the request of the Commission any data collected by these
agencies relevant to the work of the Commission and require the
Commission to analyze the data and offer recommendations
regarding deficiencies in the collection process. The
amendments to the substitute were considered en bloc and
adopted by voice vote.
With a quorum present, Mr. Barcia moved that H.R. 3007, as
amended, be reported. The motion was adopted by a voice vote.
On May 13, 1998, the Committee on Science convened to
markup H.R. 3007. A substitute and an en bloc amendment to the
substitute were adopted by voice vote. An amendment to the en
bloc amendment was rejected by voice vote.
1. Mrs. Morella offered an Amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute which consisted of the text of H.R. 3007 as reported
by the Technology Subcommittee. The amendment was agreed to by
a voice vote.
2. Chairman Sensenbrenner offered an en bloc amendment to
the substitute reflecting four amendments offered by Ms.
Johnson, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Lee, and Ms. Jackson Lee. The en
bloc amendment: inserts a new section of findings based on the
findings of the National Science Foundation's 1996 report,
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and
Engineering, and the National Research Council's 1995 report,
Women Scientists and Engineers Employed in Industry, Why so
Few?; strikes the word ``nondiscriminatory'' as it appears in
the legislation and replaces it with the word ``lawful'';
prohibits members of the Commission from being compensated for
days in which they partake in Commission business; and strikes
the term ``women'' as it appears in the legislation and
replaces it with the term ``women (including minority women and
women with disabilities).'' The en bloc amendment was adopted
by a voice vote.
3. Mr. Bartlett offered an amendment to the en bloc
amendment to strike language contained in the Findings (Section
2 (3) (B & C)) related to workforce diversity and sensitizing
employers to the need to recruit and retain women scientists,
engineers, and computer specialists. The amendment was defeated
by a voice vote.
With a quorum present, Mr. Brown moved that H.R. 3007, as
amended, be reported. The motion was adopted by a voice vote.
VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill
H.R. 3007 establishes the Commission on the Advancement of
Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development to
examine the barriers that exist to women scientists and
engineers. Specifically, H.R. 3007 requires the Commission to:
1. Identify the number of women in the United States in the
fields of science, engineering, and technology development.
2. Examine the preparedness of women to pursue careers in
science, engineering, and technology development and to advance
to positions of greater responsibility in academia, industry,
and government.
3. Describe university undergraduate programs that are
successful in retaining women in the areas of science,
engineering, and technology development.
4. Identify any disincentives that have led to a
disproportionate number of women either leaving the fields of
science, engineering, and technology development before
receiving a degree or declining to pursue a graduate education
in any of these disciplines.
5. Examine the current practices and policies of employers
relating to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of
women in science, engineering, and technology development, and
to compile a synthesis of available research in areas where
such practices, policies, and programs have proven successful.
5. Issue recommendations, in the form of a report, that
government, academia, and private industry can follow to
encourage and assist women pursuing an education and career in
the fields of science, engineering, and technology development.
VII. Section-by-Section Analysis (By Title and Section) and Committee
Views
Section 1. Short Title
The Act's title is the ``Commission on the Advancement of
Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development
Act.''
Section 2. Findings
The Committee finds that according to the 1996 National
Science Foundation's report, Women, Minorities, and Person with
Disabilities in Science and Engineering:
1. Women have historically been underrepresented in
scientific and engineering occupations, and although progress
has been made over the last several decades, there is still
room for improvement.
2. Female students take fewer high-level mathematics and
science courses in high school.
3. Female students earn fewer bachelors, masters, and
doctoral degrees in science and engineering.
4. Among recent bachelors of science and bachelors of
engineering graduates, women are less likely to be in the labor
force, to be employed full-time, and to be employed in their
field than are men.
5. Among doctoral scientists and engineers, women are far
more likely to be employed at 2 year institutions, are far less
likely to be employed in research universities, and are much
more likely to teach part-time.
6. Among university full-time faculty, women are less
likely to chair departments or hold high ranking positions.
7. A substantial salary gap exists between men and women
with doctorates in science and engineering.
The Committee also finds that according to the National
Science Foundation's 1995 report, Women Scientists and
Engineers Employed in Industry: Why so Few?:
1. Limited access is the first hurdle faced by women
seeking industrial jobs in science and engineering, and while
progress has been made in recent years, common recruitment and
hiring practices that make extensive use of traditional
networks often overlook the available pool of women.
2. Once on the job, many women find paternalism, sexual
harassment, allegations of reverse discrimination, different
standards for judging the work of women and men, lower salary
relative to their male peers, inequitable job assignments, and
other aspects of a male-oriented culture that are hostile to
women.
3. Women to a greater extent than men find limited
opportunities for advancement, particularly for moving into
management positions, and the number of women who have achieved
the top levels in corporations is much lower than would be
expected, based on the pipeline model.
The establishment of a commission to examine issues raised
by the findings in these two reports would help:
1. Focus attention on the importance of eliminating
artificial barriers to the recruitment, retention, and
advancement of women in the fields of science, engineering, and
technology, and in all employment sectors of the United States;
2. Promote work force diversity;
3. Sensitize employers to the need to recruit and retain
women scientists, engineers, and computer specialists; and
4. Encourage the replication of successful recruitment and
retention programs by universities, corporations, and federal
agencies having difficulties in employing women in the fields
of science, engineering, and technology.
Section 3. Establishment
Establishes the ``Commission on the Advancement of Women in
Science, Engineering, and Technology Development.''
Section 4. Duty of the Commission
The Commission shall review available research, and, if
determined necessary by the Commission, conduct additional
research to:
1. identify the number of women in the United States in the
fields of science, engineering, and technology development;
2. examine the preparedness of all women to:
(A) pursue careers in science, engineering, and
technology development; and
(B) advance to positions of greater responsibility within
academia, industry, and government;
3. describe the practices and policies of employers and
labor unions relating to the recruitment, retention, and
advancement of all women in the fields of science, engineering,
and technology development;
4. identify the opportunities for, and artificial barriers
to, the recruitment, retention, and advancement of all women in
the fields of science, engineering, and technology development
in academia, industry, and government;
5. compile a synthesis of available research on lawful
practices, policies, and programs that have successfully led to
the recruitment, retention, and advancement of all women in
science, engineering, and technology development;
6. issue recommendations with respect to lawful policies
that government (including Congress and appropriate federal
agencies), academia, and private industry can follow to assist
in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of all women in
science, engineering, and technology development;
7. identify the disincentives for all women to continue
graduate education in the fields of engineering, physics, and
computer science;
8. identify university undergraduate programs that are
successful in retaining all women in the fields of science,
engineering, and technology development;
9. identify the disincentives that lead to a
disproportionate number of all women leaving the fields of
science, engineering, and technology development before
completing their undergraduate education;
10. assess the extent to which the recommendations of the
Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science
and Technology established under Section 8 of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987 have
been implemented;
11. compile a list of all federally funded reports on the
subjects of encouraging all women to enter the fields of
science and engineering and retaining all women in the science
and engineering workforce that have been issued since the date
that the Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped
in Science and Technology submitted its report to Congress; and
12. assess the extent to which the recommendations
contained in the reports described in paragraph (11) have been
implemented.
Committee Views
The Committee expects the Commission to conduct a thorough
analysis of the current status of all women (including
minorities and women with disabilities) in the fields of
science, engineering, and technology development and to provide
insight as to the barriers that face women pursuing an
education or career in these disciplines.
There have been varying attempts in the past by other
federal entities and private organizations to address the issue
of women in science and engineering. However, little has been
done to coordinate these efforts or to develop a uniform
analysis of the problem. The Committee believes it is important
to coordinate these efforts, rather than allow public policy to
be driven by a plethora of different reports, statistics, and
recommendations. It is not the intent of the Committee to have
the Commission duplicate any previous research or work done in
this area. Rather, the Committee believes the Commission should
utilize the existing disparate body of information on this
issue, to the extent possible, in carrying out its duties.
In its report, the Commission is expected to provide a list
of recommendations with respect to lawful policies that
government, academia, and private industry can follow to
encourage and assist in the recruitment, retention, and
advancement of women in science, engineering, and technology
development.
The use of the term ``lawful'' in the bill is intended to
reinforce the Committee's opposition to the use of quotas in
advancing women in the fields of science, engineering, and
technology development. The Committee supports programs which
promote efforts to recruit and retain women into the fields of
science, engineering, and technology development on the basis
of merit.
The Committee does not intend that the Commission review
all existing federal programs to assess their compliance with
the law. Rather, the Committee believes the Commission should
not include in its report recommendations for any programs that
have been judged by a federal court to be in violation of the
U.S. Constitution or a federal civil rights statute.
Section 5. Membership
(a) The Commission will be made up of 11 members to be
appointed by the President (3), the Speaker of the House (2),
the Majority Leader of the Senate (2), and the Chairman and
Vice Chairman of the National Governors Association (2 each).
The membership of the Commission shall consist of individuals
from for profit entities who hire individuals in the fields of
engineering, science, and technology development, and
individuals in education or academia in the fields of life
science, physical science, or engineering.
(b) The Commission must be appointed within 90 days of
enactment of the act.
(c) Members are appointed for the life of the Commission
and any vacancies will be filled in the same manner in which
the original appointment was made.
(d) Members will not be paid, but will be reimbursed for
travel and receive per diem.
(e) A Commission quorum consists of the majority of the
Commission.
(f) The Chairperson of the Commission shall be elected by
its members.
(g) The Commission must meet at least five times before
issuing its report.
(h) A member of the Commission is not deemed to be a
federal employee except with regard to tort claims and workers
compensation for injuries.
Committee Views
The Committee supports actively involving the States in the
Commission process by allowing the National Governors
Association's Chair and Vice Chair to appoint 4 members to the
Commission. In addition, it is the intent of the Committee to
define the types of people expected to serve on the Commission.
The Committee believes the Commission members should be
selected from among those candidates who are involved on a day-
to-day basis both in hiring and retaining women scientists and
engineers, and people who are actively involved in educating
women in these areas.
Section 6. Director and Staff of Commission; Experts and Consultants
(a) The Commission will have a director appointed by its
members.
(b) The Commission may hire staff as the members deem
appropriate.
(c) Commission staff can be hired without going through
standard federal employment practices.
(d) The Commission may hire consultants and experts.
(e) The Director of the National Science Foundation and
other federal agencies may detail staff to the commission on a
reimbursable basis.
Committee Views
This section is intended to give the Commission members the
authority to establish the support team necessary to carry out
the duties of the Commission. This includes giving the
Commission discretion over such issues as the selection of a
director, the hiring of additional staff, if deemed necessary,
and the procurement of the services of other experts and or
consultants. The Committee does not intend that the Commission
create a large staff which would duplicate work already being
conducted at various government agencies.
Section 7. Powers of Commission
(a) The Commission may hold hearings, sit, take testimony,
and receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate.
(b) The Commission may authorize its individual members to
take actions which the Commission is authorized to take.
(c) The Commission may request from any federal agency
information necessary to enable it to carryout its work. Upon
request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of that
department or agency shall furnish that information to the
Commission.
(d) The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts
for the purpose of aiding or facilitating its work. Gifts shall
be deposited in the Treasury and shall be available to the
Commission.
(e) The Commission may use the United States mail in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments
and agencies of the United States.
(f) The Administrator of General Services shall provide to
the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative
support it requires.
(g) To the extent provided in advance in appropriations
bills, the Commission may contract with and compensate
government and private agencies or persons for the purpose of
conducting research or surveys.
Committee Views
It is the intent of the Committee that the Commission
operate in an independent and autonomous manner. The Committee
authorizes the Commission to hold hearings, receive testimony,
and collect other relevant information. The Committee has given
the Commission significant authority to collect information.
The Committee believes the Commission should use care in its
use of this authority, especially in its request for
information collected by federal agencies from private sources.
The Commission should use great discretion in requesting
information considered sensitive by agencies which have
collected information from the private sector. It is not the
Committee's intention to harm private companies which have
cooperated with federal agencies by supplying proprietary
information about the companies hiring practices.
Section 8. Report
Not later than 1 year after the Commission is established,
the Commission shall submit to the President, the Congress, and
the highest executive official of each State, a written report
containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of
the Commission.
Committee Views
The Committee has described in length in Section 4 the
types of information which it expects to be included in the
Commission's final report.
Section 9. Construction; Use of Information Obtained
(a) Non-federal entities such as a business, college or
university, foundation, or research organization are not
required to provide information to the Commission concerning
their personnel policies, including salaries and benefits,
promotion criteria, and affirmative action plans.
(b) No information obtained from any entity by the
Commission may be used in connection with any employment
related litigation.
Committee Views
The Committee believes that in order for the Commission to
issue a report which reflects the true nature of those barriers
that exist for women in science, engineering, and technology
development, it is important for the Commission to receive a
comprehensive overview of the current policies and practices of
employers relating to the recruitment and retainment of women
scientists and engineers. However, it is not the intent of the
Committee to force non-federal entities to supply the
Commission with information directly related to their personnel
policies. To promote voluntary cooperation from the private
sector, the Committee believes it is important to emphasize
that no information gathered by the Commission may be used in
connection with any employment related litigation.
Section 10. Termination
(a) The Commission is terminated 30 days after submitting
its report.
(b) After the termination of the Commission, the National
Science Foundation will act as a central depository for all
information gathered by the Commission in carrying out its
duties and will make such information available to the public,
including making the information available via the Internet.
Committee Views
The Commission is expected to provide a list of
recommendations that government, academia, and private
organizations can follow to encourage and assists women in the
fields of science, engineering, and technology development. The
Committee believes that utilizing the Internet to make the
findings and recommendations of the Commission available to the
general public is an effective way to reach a large portion of
those individuals and entities who can most benefit from the
work of the Commission, namely those in academia and industry
who might not otherwise have access to the final report. It is
the intent of the Committee to ensure wide distribution of the
Commission's findings and recommendations. However, it is not
the intent of the Committee that private information, such as
personnel policies of specific private organizations or
businesses, gathered by the Commission in compiling its report,
be distributed via the Internet to the general public unless
such distribution is specifically authorized by the business.
Section 11. Review of Information Provided by the National Science
Foundation and other Agencies
(a) At the request of the Commission, the National Science
Foundation and other federal agencies shall provide information
to the Commission to carry out is duties, including:
(1) data on academic degrees awarded to women in science,
engineering, and technology development, and workforce
representation and retention of women in the fields of science,
engineering, and technology development; and
(2) information gathered by the National Science
Foundation in the process of compiling its biennial report on
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and
Engineering.
(b) The Commission shall review any information provided in
subsection (a) and shall include in its final report:
(1) recommendations on how to correct any deficiencies in
the collection and analysis of the types of information
gathered by the National Science Foundation or other federal
agencies which might impede the characterization of the factors
which affect the attraction and retention of women in the
fields of science, engineering, and technology development; and
(2) an assessment of the biennial report of the National
Science Foundation on Women, Minorities, and Persons with
Disabilities in Science and Engineering, and recommendations on
how the report can be improved.
Committee Views
Several federal entities, including the National Science
Foundation, collect a wide variety of raw data and statistics
on the issue of women in science, engineering, and technology
development. Examples of this data include the number of women
employed in science and engineering, the types of jobs they
hold, and their educational background. The Committee reaffirms
its intent that the Commission not duplicate the previous work
of federal agencies on this topic. The Committee believes that,
through its review process, the Commission has a unique
opportunity to identify any deficiencies in existing data.
Section 12. Definition of State
Defines the term ``State'' to include the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,
Guam, the Virgin Islands, and any other territory or possession
of the United Sates.
VIII. Committee Cost Estimate
Clause 7(a) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each Committee report accompanying
each bill or joint resolution of a public character to contain:
(1) an estimate, made by such Committee, of the costs which
would be incurred in carrying out such bill or joint resolution
in the fiscal year in which it is reported, and in each of the
5 fiscal years following such fiscal year (or for the
authorized duration of any program authorized by such bill or
joint resolution, if less than 5 years); (2) a comparison of
the estimate of costs described in subparagraph (1) of this
paragraph made by such Committee with an estimate of such costs
made by any government agency and submitted to such Committee;
and (3) when practicable, a comparison of the total estimated
funding level for the relevant program (or programs) with the
appropriate levels under current law. However, clause 7(d) of
that Rule provides that this requirement does not apply when a
cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under Section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely submitted
prior to the filing of the report and included in the report
pursuant to clause 2(l)(3)(C) of Rule XI. A cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under Section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of this
report and included in Section IX of this report pursuant to
clause 2(l)(3)(C) of Rule XI.
Clause 2(l)(3)(B) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each Committee report that accompanies
a measure providing new budget authority (other than continuing
appropriations), new spending authority, or new credit
authority, or changes in revenues or tax expenditures to
contain a cost estimate, as required by Section 308(a)(1) of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and, when practicable with
respect to estimates of new budget authority, a comparison of
the total estimated funding level for the relevant program (or
programs) to the appropriate levels under current law. H.R.
3007 does not contain any new budget authority, credit
authority, or changes in revenues or tax expenditures. Assuming
that the sums authorized under the bill are appropriated, H.R.
3007 does authorize additional discretionary spending, as
described in the Congressional Budget Office report on the
bill, which is contained in Section IX of this report.
IX. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
Congressional Budget Office
U.S. Congress
Washington, DC. 20515
June E. O'Neill, Director
May 21, 1998
Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
Chairman, Committee on Science,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost
estimate for H.R. 3007, the Commission on the Advancement of Women in
Science, Engineering, and Technology Development Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to
provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Joanna Wilson and Kathleen
Gramp, both of whom can be reached at 226-2860.
Sincerely,
June E. O'Neill
Enclosure
cc: Honorable George E. Brown, Jr., Ranking Minority Member
______
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
May 21, 1998
H.R 3007
Commission on the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and
Technology Development Act
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Science on May 13, 1998
H.R. 3007 would establish an 11-member commission to study the
barriers that face women in the fields of science, engineering, and
technology. The bill would direct the commission to evaluate the
current status of women in these fields and examine both successful and
unsuccessful programs that encourage women to pursue such careers. The
commission would have the authority to conduct hearings and to contract
with various private or government agencies or individuals to collect
information. The bill would direct the commission to hire a director
and appoint additional personnel and would require it to submit a
report within one year after its members are appointed.
Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that
implementing H.R. 3007 would cost approximately $1 million over the
1999-2000 period. Based on information provided by the National Science
Foundation and other commissions, CBO assumes that the commission would
hire a small staff and seek assistance from outside consultants to
compile and analyze the information. Because the report would have to
be completed within one year, we also expect that the commission would
rely heavily upon available information.
H.R. 3007 would authorize the commission to accept and use gifts
and donations. Donations of money are recorded in the budget as
governmental receipts (revenues) and the use of any such amounts under
this bill would be direct spending. Because H.R. 3007 could affect
receipts and direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures would apply. CBO
expects that any such effects would be negligible.
The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates
as defined in Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 and would not affect
the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Joanna Wilson and
Kathleen Gramp, both of whom can be reached at 226-2860. This estimate
was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis.
X. Compliance With Public Law 104-4
H.R. 3007 contains no unfunded mandates.
XI. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
Clause 2(l)(3)(A) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each Committee report to include
oversight findings and recommendations required pursuant to
clause 2(b)(1) of rule X. The Committee has no oversight
findings.
XII. Oversight Findings and Recommendations by the Committee on
Government Reform and Oversight
Clause 2(l)(3)(D) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each Committee report to contain a
summary of the oversight findings and recommendations made by
the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee pursuant to
clause 4(c)(2) of Rule X, whenever such findings and
recommendations have been submitted to the Committee in a
timely fashion. The Committee on Science has received no such
findings or recommendations from the Committee on Government
Reform and Oversight.
XIII. Constitutional Authority Statement
Clause 2(l)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each report of a Committee on a bill
or joint resolution of a public character to include a
statement citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in
the Constitution to enact the law proposed by the bill or joint
resolution. Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the
United States grants Congress the authority to enact H.R. 3007.
XIV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement
The functions of the advisory committee authorized in H.R.
3007 are not currently being nor could they be performed by one
or more agencies or by enlarging the mandate of another
existing advisory committee.
XV. Congressional Accountability Act
The Committee finds that H.R. 3007 does not relate to the
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services
or accommodations within the meaning of Section 102(b)(3) of
the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104-1).
XVI. Committee Recommendations
On May 13, 1998, a quorum being present, the Committee
favorably reported H.R. 3007, the Commission on the Advancement
of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development
Act, by a voice vote, and recommends its enactment.
XVII. Proceedings of the Subcommittee Markup
SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP OF H.R. 3007, THE COMMISSION ON THE ADVANCEMENT OF
WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ACT
----------
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1998
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Science,
Subcommittee on Technology,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met at 10:12 a.m., in room 2318 of the
Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Constance A. Morella,
Chairwoman of the Subcommittee, presiding.
Mrs. Morella. We will now consider H.R. 3007, the
Commission on the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering,
and Technology Act.
I would like to ask that for the first reading of the bill,
ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered as read and
open to amendment at any point.
[The text of H.R. 3007 and a section-by-section analysis
follow:]
Mrs. Morella. There are six amendments on the roster, and I
have an amendment at the desk.
Before I offer the first amendment, I'd like to recognize
the Ranking Member for his opening statement.
Mr. Barcia. Thank you very much, Madam Chairwoman.
I want to commend you for introducing House Resolution 3007
and for bringing this bill to markup. Yet while the Science
Committee has a long history of improving the participation
rates of women in the fields of science and engineering, as was
evident during the recent Subcommittee hearing on the bill, we
still have a problem with encouraging and retaining women in
the fields of science and engineering during their
undergraduate and graduate education.
The retention rates are even worse, once women graduate and
they enter the workforce. In today's competitive environment,
we must ensure that all Americans are encouraged to enter
careers in science and engineering.
We cannot afford to neglect half of our human resource
base. Our job is to seek ways to ensure there is a level
playing field for women in access to and retention in these
fields.
A number of my colleagues will be offering amendments to
strengthen House Resolution 3007, and these proposed changes
are intended to make certain that the Commission will build
upon the existing pool of data and experience on this subject.
I fully support these amendments. With these amendments,
House Resolution 3007 is a step in the right direction to
identifying ways to encourage the greater participation of
women in the fields of science and engineering.
I want to thank, once again, Chairwoman Morella for working
with us to address our concerns in the bill, and for her strong
support for these amendments.
Madam Chairwoman, I thank you and yield back my time.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you, Mr. Barcia.
I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered as read
and open to amendment at any point.
There are six amendments on the roster, and I have an
amendment at the desk. I ask unanimous consent that the
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute be considered as
original text for the purpose of amendment, and be considered
as read.
[No response.]
Mrs. Morella. Hearing no objection, so ordered.
Actually, so that everyone is informed of the procedure
that we're going to follow, this is what I suggest: That I
offer the substitute, and then I'm going to ask unanimous
consent to have the remaining five amendments, numbered 2
through 6 on the roster, considered en bloc.
I will then recognize each member, in the order of the
roster, to explain his or her amendment, which at that point
will be part of the en bloc amendment.
Doing that, we'll then have one vote on the en bloc
amendments. I'm now going to--so I ask that amendments 2
through 6 on the roster be considered on bloc.
[No response.]
Mrs. Morella. Hearing no objection, so ordered.
[The amendment roster and the text of the amendments
follow:]
Mrs. Morella. I will now recognize members, in order of the
amendment roster, to explain their amendments as included in
the en bloc amendment. So I will start off then with Ms.
Stabenow.
Ms. Stabenow is recognized for 5 minutes to explain her
amendment.
Ms. Stabenow. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. My amendment
would add the words, on page 3, beginning on line 1, ``identify
the disincentives for women to continue graduate education in
the fields of engineering, physics, and computer science.''
During our hearings on H.R. 3007, we heard from witnesses
that mentioned the fact that many women do not pursue graduate
careers. This leads to a lack of women faculty members and
researchers who can serve as role models.
This has also been identified as a problem in the NSF
report, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in
Science and Engineering.
Unfortunately, neither the witnesses nor NSF has systematic
data on why this happens. We have identified a problem, but
until we understand the causes, at this point it's difficult to
develop a solution.
The purpose of this amendment is to require the Commission
to identify why women tend not to pursue graduate education in
the fields of engineering, computer science, and physics, all
of which field were identified as having particularly poor
representation of women.
I would appreciate the support of the Subcommittee.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you, Ms. Stabenow. I know that that's
the intent of the bill, and you've offered an amendment to make
sure that the identification of the disincentives is part of
the objective.
I would now like to recognize Mr. Doyle for 5 minutes to
explain his amendments.
Mr. Doyle. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. I have two
amendments. The first amendment is a very simple amendment
offered very much in the spirit of good government.
It requires the Commission to establish a repository for
all of the information it gathers in order to ensure that its
findings and recommendations are widely available. This
requirement can easily be met by setting up a website on the
Internet.
One of the Commission's most useful activities will be to
gather together the existing disparate body of information on
this topic, generate new, relevant information, evaluate this
information, and identify strategies and best practices for
their replication.
This is not the first time the Federal Government has tried
to address this issue. Too often, though, these efforts are
forgotten, with final reports left to collect dust in a storage
facility.
Hopefully the creation of an Internet website containing
the workproduct generated through the activities of the
Commission will result in greater access to this information,
and thus widespread implementation of the Commission's findings
and recommendations.
My second amendment, Madam Chairwoman--during our
Subcommittee hearing on this issue, the witnesses identified as
a major problem, the evidence that many women opt out of
science and engineering majors during their undergraduate
educations.
This tendency has been borne out by NSF findings as well.
Since this is a known problem contributing to the
underrepresentation of women in science, I am offering this
amendment that would require the Commission to identify
programs which are successful in retaining women in
undergraduate science and engineering programs, and also
identify best practices in this area.
This amendment also requires the Commission to identify the
reasons why women leave the undergraduate science and
engineering disciplines in inordinate numbers. By going beyond
a simple recognition that there is a problem, and taking the
extra step of identifying why this is occurring, we wind up
with tangible recommendations in the final report.
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you, Mr. Doyle. The concept of a
clearinghouse makes a great deal of sense, and obviously we
should be accessing the Internet, and the identification of the
good programs and the disincentives should be part of the task
of the Commission.
Now I'd like to recognize Ms. Tauscher for 5 minutes to
explain her amendment.
Ms. Tauscher. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. I appreciate
your leadership in encouraging women to enter the fields of
science, engineering, and technology.
I have long been concerned about the shortage of women in
these occupations, and I hope the Commission you propose in
this legislation will develop ideas and recommendations to
recruit women into the growing areas of science and technology.
I have a simple amendment to this bill that directs the
Commission to review past federal efforts in the area of women
in science and technology.
As you know, there have been many efforts by different
federal agencies to examine the shortage of women in these
fields.
In particular, the Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the
Handicapped in Science and Technology, issued a report on this
matter in 1989. Many of the recommendations made by the Task
Force were consistent with the recommendations we heard at our
Subcommittee hearing.
We should try to ensure that this new Commission builds
upon the existing body of work, rather than start at the
beginning.
Reviewing the body of information generated by these past
studies will help focus the Commission's deliberations, and
avoid needlessly duplicating the work of previous federal
efforts.
In addition, this provision gives the Commission the
important task of examining why potentially valuable
recommendations of prior studies were never implemented,
thereby helping the Commission to avoid pitfalls in crafting
its own recommendations.
I appreciate your support for this amendment and thank you
for your valuable leadership.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you, Ms. Tauscher. I agree with you
that certainly the reports that have been assembled in the past
should be looked at to avoid duplication.
I would now like to recognize Ms. Rivers for her amendment.
Ms. Rivers. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. My amendment
speaks to the issue of reviewing data collected by federal
agencies on academic degrees and a variety of other things that
are awarded to women in science and engineering.
One of the activities that's required by this bill is for
the Commission to do that research and collect the data on the
number of women entering the fields, as well as their retention
within the workforce.
A number of federal agencies currently gather, analyze, and
publish this type of information, the most notable being the
NSF.
But this amendment would require that the Commission review
existing data collection and make suggestions on what
deficiencies may exist in the analysis and collection of that
information.
The purpose would be to determine if improvements can be
made in data collection and analysis to illuminate more
clearly, the factors that affect the attraction and persistence
of women in these careers. Recommendations by the Committee to
improve existing data collection will have a major, long-term
impact on the problem by providing the means to help identify
interventions of potential merit, and to track whether proposed
remedies are actually effective. Thank you.
Mrs. Morella. Ms. Rivers, again, I think it's very
thoughtful. I want to commend the Subcommittee for the fact
that they closely scrutinized the bill in terms of making sure
that there is total clarification of the role of the
Commission.
So, do I have any discussion by the Subcommittee on any of
these issues?
Mr. Brady. Madam Chairwoman?
Mrs. Morella. Yes?
Mr. Brady. I would seek recognition for an affirmative
question to Ms. Stabenow and Ms. Tauscher.
Mrs. Morella. Yes.
Mr. Brady. One, I support both amendments on identifying
the disincentives, but I'm wondering if it would be of more
value in the end report if we were to identify the
disincentives unique to women in pursuing graduate degrees and/
or undergraduate degrees in engineering, physics, computer
science.
Obviously, the cyclical nature of the economy and the
reduction in private sector research dollars affect all
genders, and are generally understood. I would think that
identifying disincentives unique to women would give us at
least a blueprint to try to start addressing those issues.
I'm wondering, if you agree with that concept, you might be
open to a simple amendment that would reflect that.
I yield.
Mrs. Morella. Mr. Brady is going to yield to Ms. Stabenow.
Ms. Stabenow. I guess I would be concerned at this point,
or confused about the necessity for that.
I appreciate what you're saying, but in the testimony we
heard very powerful testimony that, in fact, there are very few
women in these areas. That's the reason for the Commission, and
that while certainly there are economic issues, regardless of
gender, we know that there have been barriers.
I believe I heard testimony, I experienced that as I talked
with people in my District, that there are, in fact,
disincentives for women.
I guess, in looking at this, I feel that the language, by
saying disincentives for women, implies what you're saying
already, that it is--we certainly aren't going to look at the
economic disincentives, overall, of these fields that people
are going into.
The Commission, I think, overall, makes it clear that we're
talking about the need to encourage more women in these fields,
and the disincentives.
Mr. Brady. Thank you. And I would yield to Ms. Tauscher as
well.
Mrs. Morella. Ms. Tauscher, did you want to--he's yielding
to you if you want to make any comments on it.
Ms. Tauscher. I'm happy to just comment briefly on the fact
that in my District, we are the only District in the country
with two national labs in it, both the Livermore National
Laboratory and the Sandia Laboratory, and the Berkeley
Laboratory is on our border.
So, disproportionately, the constituents of my District are
lab employees. I meet with the women at both the Sandia Lab and
the Livermore Lab, specifically--at least every 5 or 6 months--
because of their tremendous concern--and these are women in
science; these are women in technology with jobs--about their
ability to move forward and to crack the silicon ceiling, so to
speak.
They also talk with great concern about their outreach.
They have very successful programs at Mills College in Oakland,
and other places, to attract and retain women in science and
technology and engineering, and their frustration at the
ability to do that.
I think that the bill, Mr. Brady, is focused on women, as
it should be. I think that this is an important issue, not only
in the sense that we want to find programs that bring women in
and attract them, but also what we do for the women that are in
science, and how we make sure that they have their ability to
not only move into jobs that are good, high-paying jobs, but
also jobs that would provide them with a future career track.
Mr. Brady. If I may just reclaim the balance of my time, I
agree with all that was said. My point is that is, since I have
two research parks in my District and the home of Texas A&M
University, which is one of the top ten research universities
in the Nation, we deal with this issue a lot.
It seems to me that we--and the reason I raise the point is
that the value of this study and analysis is to recognize the
unique challenges that women face in these issues, and that
rather than using resources to identify the generic challenges,
the cost of education, the cyclical nature of the economy, the
research drain in certain areas of the country, and in certain
disciplines that affect both genders--I almost said all
genders, and I don't know what I was going to mean by that--but
both genders, that we would, at the end, end up with more--they
would have the ability to focus uniquely on the issues you just
raised, rather than duplicating some generic issues.
But let me do this. This isn't a big deal. My only point is
that I agree that I think there are unique disincentives that
women face. I wanted to focus more on those than the generic
ones, but let me--it is no big deal, so let me withdraw my
comment.
Mrs. Morella. It is interesting that this is the assumption
of the whole bill, quite frankly, to look at what are those
disincentives unique to women. The fact that you mention it,
if, in fact, you would like to, before the time it comes out in
the Full Committee, if you would like us to do something in
report language, then that's a possibility.
I appreciate your bringing it up, but it is something that
is implicit within the bill.
Mr. Brady. And I support the bill.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you.
Are there any further amendments or discussion?
Mr. Bartlett?
Mr. Bartlett. Thank you very much. I would like to thank
you and the staff for working with us to address some of the
concerns we had about the original language in the bill.
They have all been addressed in your amendment in the form
of a substitute. Everybody wants employers who are sensitive.
Everybody agrees that diversity is important.
But we were concerned that the bill not contain language
which could be misunderstood, and thank you very much for
working with us to make sure that none of that language occurs
in the bill.
Also, we were concerned about the makeup of the Commission
in the original bill, and we now are very supportive of the
broader spectrum of the makeup of the Commission in the
substitute.
So, thank you and the staff very much for working with us.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you, Mr. Bartlett. That demonstrates
the fact that your input was valuable. It means the Commission
is going to work faster. It's going to be far more streamlined,
and it won't engage in any of those problems with regard to
discrimination.
Ms. Stabenow, would you like to make any comment?
Ms. Stabenow. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. Regarding the
issue of the new language in the substitute, I do have a
question and a concern regarding terms that are on page 2
regarding nondiscriminatory practices.
I'm wondering, because quotas are already illegal, if legal
counsel could explain why we need the term, nondiscrimination,
and what that means in the substitute?
Mrs. Morella. Actually, if I could just comment, because
when I noted that, I had a discussion with the idea that, as I
mentioned in my opening statement, I believe in affirmative
action. I do not believe in quotas.
So often that is mixed up, and so the concept--and this
could be put into report language, an explanation of
nondiscriminatory meant simply that, so nobody is to construe
that we're talking about those specific quotas.
Ms. Stabenow. If I might just follow up, my concern in
raising that is only that there are specific NSF programs now
at the Career Advancement Awards for Women, other specific
programs for women and girls that are very important.
And as the Commission looks at solutions, because we know
that we want to go beyond just studying the problem, but
recommending solutions for recruiting and retaining and
promoting more women in these areas, I would certainly want us
to give them the flexibility to look at specific programs that
are, in NSF now and other possibilities for recruitment and
supporting of women.
I would hope that nondiscrimination practices or saying
nondiscrimination policies would not exclude those very
important and valuable endeavors.
Mrs. Morella. I can assure you that it will not, and the
report that is being compiled right now of our statements here
will also tend to confirm it. Thank you.
I am going to then subject the Subcommittee to the vote, if
there are no further amendments.
The question is on the substitute, as amended. All those in
favor will say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mrs. Morella. All those opposed will say no.
[No response.]
Mrs. Morella. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have
it.
I didn't approve the en bloc first, and so I should do that
now.
If we might vote on the on bloc amendments, all those in
favor will say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mrs. Morella. Opposed, no.
[No response.]
Mrs. Morella. Not hearing any negative and everybody in the
affirmative, then the en bloc is affirmed, and confirmed and
approved, and we have already given our approval on the
substitute, as amended.
So now the question is on the bill, H.R. 3007, the
Commission on the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering,
and Technology Development Act, as amended.
All those in favor will say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mrs. Morella. All opposed, no.
[No response.]
Mrs. Morella. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have
it.
I'd like to recognize the honorable Ranking Member, Mr.
Barcia, for a motion.
Mr. Barcia. Thank you very much, Madam Chairwoman.
I ask unanimous consent that the staff be instructed to
make technical and conforming corrections to H.R. 3007. Also I
move that the Subcommittee report the bill, H.R. 3007, as
amended, and that the Chairwoman take all necessary steps to
bring the bill before the Full Committee for consideration.
Mrs. Morella. The Subcommittee has heard the motion. Those
in favor will say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mrs. Morella. Those opposed will say no.
[No response.]
Mrs. Morella. The ayes have it, and the motion is agreed to
without objection.
The motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.
Mr. Ehlers. Madam Chairwoman?
Mrs. Morella. Mr. Ehlers is recognized.
Mr. Ehlers. Thank you. I would just like to have entered on
the record that I was attending a meeting previously and could
not be here for consideration of H.R. 2544. Had I been here, I
would have voted in the affirmative.
Mrs. Morella. Thank you, Mr. Ehlers. I recognize the fact
that you have been to all our Subcommittee meetings when we
discussed it.
I want to thank the Subcommittee. I know it's been more
lengthy than we thought it would be. The attendance has been
excellent, the comments have been superb. Thank you all very
much.
You may join in cosponsorship of either of those pieces of
legislation or both.
The Subcommittee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:00 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
XIII. Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup
FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP OF H.R. 3007
----------
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1998
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Finally, the last bill on this
morning's agenda is H.R. 3007, the Commission on the
Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology
Development Act.
Without objection, the bill will be considered as read and
open for amendment at any point.
I have a rather lengthy opening statement, which I will not
give but will ask unanimous consent that it be placed in the
record at this point. And will also ask unanimous consent that
all members opening statements be placed in the record at this
point.
I would point out however, before recognizing the
gentlewoman from Maryland, that the Managers Amendment that I
will be offering later on deals with technical issues and has
been clear on both sides.
The gentlewoman from Maryland is now recognized for 5
minutes.
[The prepared statements of Chairman Sensenbrenner, Mr.
Coburn, Mr. Gutknecht, Mr. Salmon, Mr. Davis and Ms. Hooley
follow:]
Mrs. Morella. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you for
convening this markup of H.R. 3007, which we call the WISETECH
bill, Women in Science Engineering and Technology. I think, as
my colleagues know, this was introduced on November 9th of last
year. It's fitting that we mark it up today.
Just on Monday, I had the pleasure of participating in the
first regional town hall meeting on the National Technology
Workforce. This is a national situation. It was convened in
Montgomery County, Maryland. And the goal of the regional
meetings is to bring to the attention of the public and
industry and academia, the issue of preparing our workforce for
the Year 2000. And we are about making sure that our Nation's
workers are getting the education and training that they need
to meet the demands of a job market increasingly dependent on
technological expertise.
Ensuring that our workforce is prepared to meet the
technology challenges of the future it is not only important to
us from regional standpoints, but also as technology continues
to emerge as the driving force behind the strong economy and
the 21st Century, all of us need to make sure that our
workforce is properly trained and educated in all areas of
science, engineering, and technology development.
While women represent--jumping to the conclusion--while
women represent nearly 50 percent of all U.S. workers, they
comprise roughly 22 percent of the entire science and
engineering workforce. In the field of engineering, which
includes electrical and computer engineering, the percentage of
women in the workforce is still under 10 percent. So, we need
to take some action now to ensure that we have a sufficient
pool of trained high-tech workers in the United States. And we
need to take some action to determine why women are under
represented in the areas of science, engineering and technology
development. That was the genesis of this legislation.
This legislation will establish a Commission to determine
why women are underrepresented in the high-tech workforce.
Examine what current practices and policies of employers have
been success in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in
those professions. And finally, to provide us with a list a
recommendations that we can follow to encourage women who are
pursuing an education and career in these disciplines.
I want to thank the members of the Committee who are co-
sponsors of H.R. 3007, Congressman Gutknecht, Congressman
Ehlers, Congressmen Boehlert, Barcia, Davis, Ewing, Calvert,
Luther, Congresswomen Lofgren and Stabenow. Also I want to
thank all the members of the Subcommittee on Technology for
working together in a bipartisan manner to produce the
legislation before us today.
You will give me an opportunity, Mr. Chairman, to point out
the amendment that I will be offering. And it is not a part of
my 5 minutes, right?
Chairman Sensenbrenner. You'll get another 5 minutes for
offering an amendment.
Mrs. Morella. Splendid. So I would now like to yield the
remainder of my initial 5 minutes to Mr. Gutknecht.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman from Minnesota is
recognized for how long?
Mr. Gutknecht. For the balance of her time.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. A minute and 30 seconds.
Mr. Gutknecht. Well, thank you Mr. Chairman. I do have an
opening statement which I will submit to the record.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection.
Mr. Gutknecht. I want to thank Chairwoman Morella for the
hearing, and I particularly want to thank the staff because the
hearing that we had on this particular bill was excellent. And
I want to say a special thank you to Dr. Ann Quade, a professor
at Mankato State University, who came out to testify before us.
By establishing this Commission we really need to get to
the facts as to why there is this disparity between men and
women in science and engineering. If there are barriers, it
seems to me, we have some responsibility to do what we can in
Congress here to break them down.
So, I support this legislation. I applaud the Chairwoman
and the staff for the hearings and the information that we
received about this problem. And hopefully, we can get to a
solution. Yield back.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentlewoman's time has expired.
Who would like to make the opening statement for the Minority?
Mr. Brown of California. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman from California is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Brown of California. I will be extremely brief.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. That's appreciated because we are
losing our reporting quorum. We don't want that to happen.
Mr. Brown of California. I ask unanimous consent to insert
an opening statement in the record at this point.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection.
Mr. Brown of California. And I would like to point out that
43 percent of the Democrats on this Committee are women. We are
doing our best to advance women in science, engineering, and
technology.
[Laughter.]
[Applause.]
Chairman Sensenbrenner. With that, the gentleman's time is
expired.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Brown follows:]
Are there any amendments to the bill? And the Chair
recognizes the gentlewoman Morella from Maryland for purposes
of offering an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to the
bill as reported to the Subcommittee. The Clerk will report the
Morella amendment.
The Clerk. ``Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute
showing H.R. 3007 as amended by''----
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection, the amendment is
considered as read and open for amendment at any point. And the
gentlewoman from Maryland is recognized for 5 quick minutes.
[The amendment roster and the text of the amendments
follow:]
Mrs. Morella. I will make it very quick because this is a
bill that we want to fleetingly sign into law. During the
Subcommittee markup a number of changes were made to H.R. 3007
which I think are going to help strengthen the bill. And I just
want to present those quickly.
First of all, the substitute amendment streamlines the
Commission by requiring the Commission to be appointed in 90,
not 180 days; giving the Commission 1 year, not 18 months to
report; terminating the Commission in 30 days, not 1 year after
its report; reducing the size of the Commission from 18 to 11
members; and replacing a requirement that NSF, National Science
Foundation, conduct a study with language requiring NSF to
transmit the data it currently collects to the Commission.
In addition, the substitute will ensure that States are
active participants in the Commission by allowing the National
Governors Association's Chairman and Vice Chairman to appoint 4
of the 11 Commissioners, and by requiring the Commission's
final report to be transmitted to all 50 States, the District
of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.
Finally, the substitute includes a number of Democratic
amendments which were adopted to help better define the duties
of the Commission. I am pleased to report to the members of the
Committee that 3007 as passed by the Subcommittee has received
the endorsement of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, Women in
Technology, Association of Women in Science, American
Association of Engineering Societies, American Society of
Mechanical Engineers.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and members of the
Committee. I hope you all support this unanimously. I yield
back.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentlewoman's time has expired.
Is there anybody on the Democratic side that wishes to say
anything about the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute
before I offer the en bloc amendments, which incorporate many
of the suggestions that have come from the Minority party
members?
If not, the Chair has an en bloc amendment to the Amendment
in the Nature of a Substitute at the desk which the Clerk will
report.
The Clerk. ``En bloc amendments offered by Mr.
Sensenbrenner to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute.
Page 1 after line 4''----
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection, the amendments
en bloc to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute are
considered as read and open for amendment at any point.
And the Chair at this time recognizes himself for 5 brief
minutes.
The manager's amendment does four things. First, it inserts
a new section of findings in the substitute which are based
upon the findings of the National Science Foundation's 1996
report entitled, Women, Minorities, and Persons with
Disabilities in Science and Engineering, and also the National
Research Council's 1995 report, Women Scientists and Engineers
Employed in Industry. Why so few?
Second, it strikes the word ``non-discriminatory'' in
section 3, subsections 5 and 6, of the substitute and replaces
it with the word ``lawful.''
Third, it strikes section 4(b) of the substitute and
replaces it with the language which prohibits members of the
Commission from being compensated for days in which they
partake in Commission business.
And fourth, strike the term ``women'' as it appears in all
sections of the substitute and replaces it with the term
``women (including minority women, and women with
disabilities).''
I'm going to yield back the balance of my time, but I would
like to ask each of the members, in the order in which their
amendment appears in the manager's amendment in the en bloc
amendments, to explain their part beginning with the
gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Johnson.
Ms. Johnson of Texas. Thank you.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I offered
the findings amendment due to the importance of adding these
findings to the bill. These findings are necessary because it
is the findings which will motivate the Commission to study the
disparity of women in the science, engineering and technology
fields.
Clearly, the workforce for the future will comprise people
with these kinds of backgrounds. And with more than 60 percent
of the workforce moving toward women, it is extraordinarily
important. I've spent 25 years working in this area--trying to
offer opportunities, thinking of various ways to attempt to get
women interested, and to also open opportunities. They have
been historically underrepresented in scientific and
engineering occupations. And yet they comprise, really 12
percent of the employed scientific and engineering labor force.
We have got to improve that. And the only way we can address
the issue is to determine what the findings are.
Women earn a smaller proportion of total science and
engineering degrees. Among the recent Bachelor of Science
degrees in engineering, women are less likely to be in the
labor force, and to be employed full-time, and to be employed
in their field than are men. Among women who received their
doctorates 13 years ago, 72 percent of men, but only 55 percent
of women are full professors. In addition, 43 percent of women
are tenured compared to 67 percent of them being men.
A substantial salary gap exists between men and women with
science and engineering doctorates, and it is believed that
almost 90 percent of the observed $13,200 gap is related to
many background variables.
But, I encourage members to really support the findings
amendment because it is this inclusion that will precipitate
the Commission to push forward to study why there is a
disparity of women in science, and engineering, and technology
fields. When it is so critical that we attract more for the
future workforce. I thank you.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. I thank the gentlewoman from Texas.
Let me say that there are some other markups, including one
that is very contentious in the Government Reform and Oversight
Committee, that is drawing our reporting quorum away. And we
have one amendment that the gentleman from Maryland wishes to
offer, which will bring some debate. So, I would like to ask
the other members that I recognized to somewhat summarize their
statements. Not with the idea of gagging them, but with the
idea of getting this bill out, which is what most members
desire. Gentlewoman from Michigan, Ms. Stabenow.
Ms. Stabenow. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate very
much working with the Chairman of the Subcommittee, as well as
the Chairman of the Committee, in incorporating an amendment
that would strike the term non-discriminatory and replace it
with lawful. In the Subcommittee it was explained that
originally there was a concern about quotas, and obviously
illegal and so by replacing it with the word lawful we
addressed that concern.
I would just add one other thing, and that is it is
critical that for the future of the economic growth of our
country that over half of our country's population not be
discouraged or discriminated against as it relates to entering
the fields of science, technology and engineering. This is a
very important bill with the amendments. We need all the
educated and qualified men and women to fill jobs, as possible,
in this country in these fields. And I would commend the
Chairman. And I appreciate having the opportunity to serve as a
co-sponsor. Thank you.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentlewoman from California,
Ms. Lee.
Ms. Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank you for
including in your en bloc amendment, my amendment, which
basically was offered in the spirit of fiscal responsibility in
an attempt to save taxpayers' money.
When I reviewed the provisions of the bill, I noted that
the Commission's members are not only compensated for travel
and per diem expenses, but also authorized to receive salary
compensation for the days served. According to the provisions
of the bill, this amounts to upwards between $13- $17,000 per
week for a salary for Commission members. This amounts to close
to $1 million.
So, I feel it's entirely appropriate that the Commission
members are reimbursed for all travel costs associated with
their work, but not for their salaries. So, this is a very
prudent measure. And I thank the Chairman for your
consideration.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. I thank the gentlewoman from
California for her contribution. The gentlewoman from Texas,
Ms. Jackson Lee, also had a contribution to the manager's en
bloc amendments. Without objection, she will be allowed to
insert a statement if she so desires at this point in the
record.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Jackson Lee follows:]
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The Chair has been notified of an
amendment by the gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Bartlett. And
this would be the proper time if he should choose to offer the
amendment to do so.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, I have an opening statement.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection, the gentleman's
opening statement will be placed in the record.
The gentleman from Maryland.
Mr. Bartlett. Thank you very much. I have an amendment at
this desk, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The Clerk will report the
amendment.
The Clerk. ``Amendment offered by Mr. Bartlett to the en
bloc amendments offered by Mr. Sensenbrenner to the Amendment
in the Nature of a Substitute''----
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection, the amendment
will be considered as read and open for amendment at any point.
And the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland, Mr.
Bartlett, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Bartlett. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, this is a
very simple, very short amendment. I would first like to say
that I could not be more strongly supportive of what this bill
is trying to achieve.
We certainly do need to advance women in science,
engineering, and technology. They represent an enormous
unexploited resource and our country badly needs to do exactly
what this bill purports to do.
My problem is with specific language on page 3, and that is
lines 20 to 23. The bill by the way is a bill to promote the
advancement of women in science, engineering and technology,
and with that said the language on page 3 is really duplicative
and unnecessary and it simply invites controversy. It says ``to
promote workforce diversity.'' What the private sector needs to
do is what they do, and that is to hire the best people. It
says ``to sensitize employers.'' We should not be in the
business of socially re-engineering our society. What employers
need to do is to recruit and retain the best.
This is a very good bill, it promotes a very good cause. I
think that the inclusion of this language in the bill simply
invites controversy which will detract from the importance of
this bill, and from the results that I hope that it will
achieve.
So, therefore, my bill is a very simple one. It simply
moves to strike this language.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman's time has expired.
The Chair yields himself 5 minutes in opposition of the
amendment. I agree with everything that the gentleman from
Maryland has said. Certainly I'm strongly opposed to quotas,
and quotas are unlawful. However, if you look at the text on
page 3 of the en bloc amendments, the charge that is given by
this bill to the Commission it creates is to examine issues
raised in the findings of the two reports. One by the NSF, and
the second by the NRC. The deal with the two issues that the
gentleman from Maryland proposes to strike from the bill, which
is to promote workforce diversity and to sensitize employers to
the need to recruit and retain women scientists, engineers, and
computer specialists.
Now, if we don't have the Commission review what these two
outside agencies concluded then I guess there will be no
critical review, and the outside agencies conclusions will
stand. And I don't think that's why we want to have the
Commission appointed. I think that if the outside agencies did
not bring these issues up, it would have been proper to strike
the language the gentleman from Maryland proposes to strike.
But, since they did I think the Commission ought to review,
ought to comment on it. If the comments are off the wall, they
will be considered appropriately by the Congress and the
public. So, I really think that it's best to leave the language
in. And I oppose the amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The gentlewoman from Texas Ms. Johnson, for 5 minutes.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to
express my opposition to this amendment. Unless there is some
effort to promote workforce diversity and to sensitize
employers to the need to recruit and retain women in this area,
I'm not sure what the bill will actually go beyond that. It is
not a quota system.
When you say ``to sensitize employers'' it simply means
maybe some flex hours. Often--if you will listen to the
statistics of this report--younger women do not stay in these
fields. Often it's because they have families with small
children. Sometimes the company only needs to provide for flex
hours, or provide for some day care in the near vicinity.
It is not attempting to bring about quotas, it is an
attempt to encourage right out of college to remain in the
field, and to remain active. I don't know that this implies
anything other than to call attention to the need for
sensitization in these areas. I really think that this gets at
the heart of any activity that this bill could call for. I
admire and support the Chairwoman of this Subcommittee. And I
don't believe that she stands for quotas, I don't. But I do
think that it is important for us to address the issue, the
finding from the Commission that shows that young women leave
these fields. This is the workforce area for the future. And I
think we need to encourage women to remain in the field. Thank
you.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentlewoman's time has expired.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. Chairman. I'll try to be brief.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman from California is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Rohrabacher. I strongly support Mr. Bartlett's
amendment. Frankly, what he is doing here is eliminating just
feel good language. And one thing the Republicans have always
been upset about with Democrats is that they put feel good
language in things just to make people seem like they are doing
things. Mr. Bartlett says let's clear out the feel good
language.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. Rohrabacher. Not until I finish. Not until I finish.
Just one moment. This is--I mean, Mr. Bartlett just says let's
get on with the substance. We don't have any complaint about--
he just says we're trying to get women into the workforce into
these high-tech jobs, but let's clear away this language that
does nothing but appeal to different people on a stylistic
basis. And I agree with him totally, and I hope that by
cleaning this language away we can get to the substance of this
issue rather than just trying the ``feel good'' language.
Yes, I will yield to the Chairman.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. I'm just saying that I'm the author
of the amendment that contains the language and I haven't
switched parties yet.
[Laughter.]
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The question is on the en bloc
amendments offered by the Chair.
All those in favor of the Bartlett amendment will signify
by saying aye.
Those opposed, by saying no.
The noes appear to have it.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Does everybody feel good?
Chairman Sensenbrenner. I feel great.
The noes have it. The amendment is not agreed to.
[Laughter.]
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The question is now on the en bloc
amendments to the substitute amendment offered by the Chair.
Those in favor will signify by saying aye.
Opposed, no.
The ayes have it. The en bloc amendments are agreed to.
The question now is on the Amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland Mr.
Morella.
All those in favor will signify by saying aye.
Opposed, no.
The ayes appear to have it. The ayes have it.
Are there further amendments to the bill?
The gentlewoman from California, Ms. Capps.
Mrs. Capps. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today I was planning
to offer an amendment that would improve the composition of the
Commission by making the selection process more bipartisan, and
ensuring that we get the best possible people to serve.
While I will not be offering this amendment, I do want to
note two concerns. First, my amendment would have allowed each
of the Minority leaders of the House and Senate a nomination to
the Commission on what is truly a bipartisan issue--ensuring
that women have access to careers in science.
I believe the Minority party in Congress, whoever it may be
should have a voice in this process. Unfortunately the bill as
currently drafted does not allow this. In addition, my
amendment would have provided those nominating Commission
members a wider pool of applicants to choose from by allowing
experts in this issue from the private sector, non-profits, or
government agencies to also be considered. It would also insure
that Commissioners have some experience with issues relating to
women in science. And I strongly believe that the criteria for
selection to this Commission should be based on the expertise
and background of the individual, and that would be--we would
be best served by a Commission with a broad array of experience
from the public and private sectors.
And I do appreciate the efforts of Chairwoman Morella to
work with me on this, and look forward to continuing our
discussion as this legislation moves forward.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I ask you now might consent to
withdraw my amendment and yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Without objection.
The gentleman from Oklahoma. For what purpose do you rise?
Mr. Coburn. To strike the requisite number of words.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. Coburn. Mr. Chairman, I'll be very brief. One
observation on this bill that concerns me. As we look at the
appropriations process in Congress, we often see things
appropriated that we as an authorizing committee are not happy
about. And what I do note in this bill lacking, is there is no
maximum amount under which, under our authority, we have the
right to tell the appropriators not to exceed. And I think we
neglect our duty as authorizers, and we defer tremendous power
to appropriators by not setting the maximum amount of money
that can be spent for this Commission. And it would be--my
recommendation that the Chairman, if this bill comes to the
Floor under rules where there will not be amendments, to
hopefully change it, if not put an amendment in it that will
give a maximum amount that can not be exceeded by the
appropriators.
And I yield back.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman's time has expired.
Are there further amendments to the bill?
[No response.]
If there are no further amendments, the Chair recognizes
the gentleman from California for the appropriate motion to
report.
Mr. Brown of California. Mr. Chairman, I move the Committee
report the bill H.R. 3007 as amended, furthermore I move to
instruct the staff to prepare the legislative report, make
technical and conforming amendments, and that the Chairman take
all necessary steps to bring the bill before the House for
consideration.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The Chair notes the presence of the
reporting quorum. The question is on the adoption of the motion
to report favorably. Those in favor will signify by saying aye.
Opposed, no.
The ayes appear to have it. The ayes have it and the motion
is agreed to.
Without objection, the bill will be reported in the form of
a single Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute reflecting
amendments that were agreed to today. Without objection,
members will have the appropriate number of days in which to
file additional, dissenting, Minority or other views. And
without objection, pursuant to House Rule 20, the Chair is
authorized to make whatever motions necessary to go to
conference.
Mrs. Morella. Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Boehlert. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The gentleman from New York.
Mr. Boehlert. Would it be appropriate to ask the staff to
play James Brown's rendition of ``I feel good'' now?
[Laughter.]
Chairman Sensenbrenner. The Chair is constrained to object.
We haven't paid our ASCAP fee for that yet.
[Laughter.]
The gentlewoman from Maryland.
Mrs. Morella. Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank you for
also so quickly, at the last minute, including the amendments
that had been offered by the Minority in the en bloc
amendments. And I want to thank all the members of the
Subcommittee, all the members of the Full Committee. This is
terrific. Let's get it under suspension.
Chairman Sensenbrenner. Okay. I thank everybody for their
cooperation.
There being no further business to come before the
Committee, the Committee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:40 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]