Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 164 Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 25, 2021 Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. WESTERMAN, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. TONKO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. KILMER, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. HERN, Mr. RUSH, Ms. ROSS, Ms. TITUS, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, and Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER) 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 de- termined 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 National Engineers Week. Whereas engineers employ their scientific knowledge and ana- lytical skills for the betterment of the United States and for the protection of the public health, safety, and wel- fare; Whereas the mission of the National Engineers Week Foun- dation (doing business as DiscoverE) is to sustain and grow a dynamic engineering profession through outreach, education, celebration, and volunteerism as needed to VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 Feb 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR164.IH HR164 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 164 IH keep the United States a global leader in engineering and engineering education; Whereas the sponsors of National Engineers Week are work- ing 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 mathe- matics (STEM) activities, engineers help them discover how they can make a meaningful difference in the world; Whereas the partnership between engineers and teachers in- spires future generations of engineering and technology talent; Whereas tens of thousands of engineers and engineering stu- dents 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 chal- lenges—including infrastructure, national security, and environmental sustainability—and the professional engi- neer’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 gen- eration’’, according to the National Science Board’s 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators; Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, develop- ment, 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 imagi- VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 Feb 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR164.IH HR164 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 164 IH nation, knowledge, and analytical skills to meet the chal- lenges of the future; Whereas the National Science Board’s 2018 Science and En- gineering 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 Engi- neering Indicators 2020’’ shows that historically under- represented 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 dis- proportionately 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-edu- cated engineering workforce, promoting literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 Feb 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR164.IH HR164 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 164 IH raising public awareness and appreciation of the con- tributions of engineers to society; Whereas Congress has recognized National Engineers Week every year since 1951; and Whereas February 21, 2021, to February 27, 2021, has been designated as National Engineers Week by DiscoverE and the theme is ‘‘Imagining Tomorrow’’, spotlighting the important contributions of the engineering commu- nity to our quality of life both now and in the future, in- cluding creating a world safe from pandemics, climate change, and other global challenges; creating awe-inspir- ing 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 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 2 Engineers Week to increase understanding of and 3 interest in engineering and technology careers and to 4 promote technological literacy and engineering edu- 5 cation; 6 (2) recognizes that engineering education is a 7 critical component of STEM (science, technology, 8 engineering, and mathematics) education and essen- 9 tial to improving the United States educational sys- 10 tem and economic prosperity; and 11 (3) ensures that technological solutions de- 12 signed by the engineering community can be ad- 13 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 Feb 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR164.IH HR164 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 164 IH vanced through research, development, standardiza- 1 tion, and innovation. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 Feb 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR164.IH HR164 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS