[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 849 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 849
Supporting the goals and ideals of Engineers Week.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2020
Mr. Lipinski (for himself, Mr. McNerney, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Tonko, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Mr.
Larsen of Washington, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Grijalva, Mr.
Weber of Texas, Ms. Stevens, and Mr. Baird) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of Engineers Week.
Whereas engineers employ their scientific knowledge and analytical skills for
the betterment of the United States and for the protection of the public
health, safety, and welfare;
Whereas the mission of the National Engineers Week Foundation (doing business as
DiscoverE) is to sustain and grow a dynamic engineering profession
through outreach, education, celebration, and volunteerism as needed to
keep the United States a global leader in engineering and engineering
education;
Whereas the sponsors of Engineers Week are working together to transform the
engineering workforce through greater inclusion of women and
underrepresented minorities;
Whereas by engaging young students, parents, and educators in hands-on science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities, engineers
help them discover how they can make a meaningful difference in the
world;
Whereas the partnership between engineers and teachers inspires future
generations of engineering and technology talent;
Whereas tens of thousands of engineers and engineering students will serve their
communities not only through their work but, at this time of year, by
reaching into hundreds of local communities;
Whereas the perspective and technical expertise of engineers is vital to solving
today's most pressing global challenges--including infrastructure,
national security, and environmental sustainability--and the
professional engineer's commitment to high ethical standards is
necessary for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare;
Whereas ``science creates more opportunity for the next generation'', according
to the National Science Board's 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators;
Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, development, and the
transformation of scientific discoveries into useful products and jobs,
as the people of the United States look more than ever to engineers and
their imagination, knowledge, and analytical skills to meet the
challenges of the future;
Whereas the National Science Board's 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators
show that the number of students obtaining engineering bachelor's
degrees in the United States has increased steadily for the last 15
years for which data are available, yet the rates for women do not
reflect our national demographics, with only 20 percent of bachelor's
degrees in engineering being earned by women;
Whereas the National Science Board's ``Science and Engineering Indicators 2020''
shows that historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups,
particularly Blacks and Hispanics, ``remain underrepresented in the
[science & engineering (S&E)] workforce relative to their overall
presence in the workforce and the population'';
Whereas the National Science Foundation's National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics report on ``Women, Minorities, and Persons with
Disabilities in Science and Engineering 2017'' shows that women are
closing the gap with men in S&E educational attainment but are still
underrepresented in S&E occupations;
Whereas only around 4 percent of the Nation's workforce is comprised of
scientists and engineers, yet this group disproportionately creates jobs
for the other 96 percent;
Whereas DiscoverE has grown into a formal coalition of more than 100
professional societies, major corporations, and government agencies that
serves as a hub of engineering outreach dedicated to ensuring a diverse
and well-educated engineering workforce, promoting literacy in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics, and raising public awareness
and appreciation of the contributions of engineers to society;
Whereas Congress has recognized National Engineers Week every year since 1951;
and
Whereas February 16, 2020, to February 22, 2020, has been designated as
Engineers Week by DiscoverE and the theme is ``Engineers: Pioneers of
Progress'', spotlighting the important contributions of the engineering
community to our quality of life has always been and will be now and in
the future, including awe-inspiring wonders like cloud-busting
skyscrapers and human travel to Mars and daily marvels like clean
drinking water, computers, and cars: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Engineers Week to
increase understanding of and interest in engineering and
technology careers and to promote technological literacy and
engineering education;
(2) recognizes that engineering education is a critical
component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics) education and essential to improving the United
States educational system and economic prosperity; and
(3) ensures that technological solutions designed by the
engineering community can be advanced through research,
development, standardization, and innovation.
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