[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1516-H1518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INSPIRING THE NEXT SPACE PIONEERS, INNOVATORS, RESEARCHERS, AND
EXPLORERS (INSPIRE) WOMEN ACT
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4755) to inspire women to enter the aerospace field,
including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, through
mentorship and outreach.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4755
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Inspiring the Next Space
Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE)
Women Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS are virtual mentoring programs
using commercially available video chat programs to pair
National Aeronautics and Space Administration mentors with
young students anywhere in the country. NASA GIRLS and NASA
BOYS give young students the opportunity to interact and
learn from real engineers, scientists, and technologists.
(2) The Aspire to Inspire (A2I) program engages young girls
to present science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) career opportunities through the real lives and jobs
of early career women at NASA.
(3) The Summer Institute in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Research (SISTER) program at the Goddard
Space Flight Center is designed to increase awareness of, and
provide an opportunity for, female middle school students to
be exposed to and explore nontraditional career fields with
Goddard Space Flight Center women engineers, mathematicians,
scientists, technicians, and researchers.
SEC. 3. SUPPORTING WOMEN'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE FIELDS OF
AEROSPACE AND SPACE EXPLORATION.
The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration shall encourage women and girls to study
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, pursue
careers in aerospace, and further advance the Nation's space
science and exploration efforts through support of the
following initiatives:
(1) NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS.
(2) Aspire to Inspire.
(3) Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Research.
SEC. 4. PLAN.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a plan for how NASA can best
facilitate and support both current and retired astronauts,
scientists, engineers, and innovators, including early career
female astronauts, scientists, engineers, and innovators, to
engage with K-12 female STEM students and inspire the next
generation of women to consider participating in the fields
of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to
pursue careers in aerospace. This plan shall--
(1) report on existing activities with current and retired
NASA astronauts, scientists, engineers, and innovators;
(2) identify how NASA could best leverage existing
authorities to facilitate and support current and retired
astronaut, scientist, engineer, and innovator participation
in NASA outreach efforts;
(3) propose and describe a program specific to retired
astronauts, scientists, engineers, and innovators; and
(4) identify any additional authorities necessary to
institute such a program.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Comstock) and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms.
Esty) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 4755, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to offer another bill, H.R. 4755, the
INSPIRE Act. I am pleased to lead this effort along with the chairman
and ranking member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Lamar Smith and Eddie Bernice Johnson, as well as Congresswoman Esty.
This bill authorizes the NASA Administrator to encourage young women
to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, known as
the STEM fields, and to pursue careers that will further advance
America's space science and exploration efforts through support of NASA
initiatives, such as NASA GIRLS, Aspire 2 Inspire, and the Summer
Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research, SISTER.
The goal of NASA GIRLS is to create a virtual mentoring project that
offers a one-of-a-kind experience to middle school students using
online capabilities. I should mention there also is a NASA BOYS.
NASA's vision for Aspire 2 Inspire was to reach out to young girls
and present some of the science, technology, engineering, and math
career opportunities through the real lives and jobs of early career
women at NASA.
The SISTER program is designed to increase awareness of and provide
an
[[Page H1517]]
opportunity for female middle school students to be exposed to and
explore nontraditional career fields with Goddard Space Flight Center
women engineers, mathematicians, scientists, technicians, and
researchers.
According to NASA, 58 women have traveled in space. Forty-nine of
those have flown with NASA. Most Americans are familiar with Sally
Ride, the first American woman in space. We all remember that special
moment when this true trailblazer literally raised the bar of
achievement to new heights. She accomplished this milestone in 1983.
In a lecture she gave at Berkeley later, Ride said she saw an ad for
being an astronaut in the student newspaper. She said: ``The moment I
saw that ad, I knew that's what I wanted to do.''
Now, imagine how so many young girls can now see so many other women
and be exposed to that kind of leadership.
We cannot discuss female firsts in space without also discussing Mae
Jemison, who was the first African American woman in space, also an
inspired leader.
She was inspired by Sally Ride's achievement; so, she applied to the
astronaut program in 1983. It was 4 long years before she received the
call from NASA, and she was selected as one of 15 candidates out of
roughly 2,000 applicants.
Her trip to space was aboard the Endeavor in 1992. She served as a
mission specialist on STS-47, which was a cooperative mission between
the U.S. and Japan, during which 44 life science and materials
processing experiments were conducted. STS-47 also happened to be the
50th shuttle mission for NASA.
Later in 1995, it was Eileen Collins who became the first female to
command and pilot a spacecraft, STS-63. She also commanded two more
space missions, one in 1997 aboard STS-84, and one in 2005 aboard STS-
114.
This mission, STS-114, was another first, as she became the first
astronaut--male or female--to fly a space shuttle through a 360-degree
pitch maneuver so that individuals inside the International Space
Station could inspect the belly of the shuttle for damage.
When asked to give advice for future astronauts, Collins stated: ``My
advice to young people is go into the field you are most interested in.
If you love your job, you'll do well in your job.''
I know, Mr. Speaker, from my Young Women Leadership Program, where we
are able to get young girls in junior high and high school to come and
hear from young leaders, hearing from these young astronauts--which we
have been privileged to hear from often about all their work and the
many different areas that they work in--has been one of the most
popular programs.
There are many other women who have contributed to America's space-
related endeavors, and we want to continue to make sure that that path
is widened for them.
These women are physicists, chemists, pilots, astronauts, doctors,
biologists. The list goes on. According to the women@nasa Web site
today, there are more opportunities than ever before to join as we
reach for the stars.
I urge you to visit the Web site--it is women.nasa.gov--to learn
more. It is in these areas in the sciences that we can help ensure
America remains a world leader.
These are the jobs for the 21st century that we very much want young
American women to be engaged and involved in. I urge my colleagues to
support the bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 4755, the Inspiring the Next Space
Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers Women Act.
This bill calls on the NASA Administrator to support initiatives that
encourage girls and young women to study STEM fields and pursue careers
in aerospace.
Unfortunately, women are still underrepresented in many STEM fields,
including aerospace, but NASA is working hard to change that.
They have developed a number of innovative programs that aim to
inspire and encourage young girls and women to pursue STEM degrees and
STEM careers.
These include the NASA GIRLS program, the Aspire 2 Inspire program,
and the Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Research, or SISTER, program.
The NASA GIRLS program is a virtual mentoring program where middle
school students are mentored by NASA employees online.
The Aspire 2 Inspire program is another online program where girls
and young women can watch films of women who have exciting careers at
NASA. This program gives young girls a firsthand look at what a STEM
career at NASA could actually entail.
The Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Research, the so-called SISTER program, is an intensive 1-week program
where middle school girls can explore careers in science, technology,
engineering, and math fields with NASA women researchers.
It is almost impossible to overstate the value of exposing young
students to STEM role models who look like them.
I have seen the impact that a single encounter can have on a young
person when I helped arrange a direct link between an astronaut and
3,000 students in my district when he was in the International Space
Station.
It was electric and exciting and inspired everyone in that room to
think about reaching beyond what they had seen and what they knew.
Without these sorts of experiences, students, especially young girls,
may think careers in STEM fields are not available to them.
I am particularly supportive of this bill because it has a focus on
middle school girls. Research has shown that this is a crucial time to
engage girls in considering pursuing careers in science.
I have to say I myself got inspired to pursue more about science
when, as a middle schooler, I was at camp and joined my fellow campers
staring up at the Moon for the first spacewalk and landing on the Moon.
So I know the impact that this can have on a 12- or 13-year-old.
H.R. 4755 instructs the NASA Administrator to support these programs
and other programs that encourage women and girls to study science,
technology, engineering, and math, as well as to pursue careers in
aerospace.
The bill also calls on NASA to submit a plan to Congress on how it
can best facilitate and support current and retired astronauts,
scientists, engineers, and innovators to engage girls studying STEM at
the K-12 grade levels.
Although retired astronauts, scientists, and engineers can help
inspire the next generation of NASA scientists, early career women--
astronauts, scientists, engineers and innovators--are really
instrumental to the success of this plan.
It is really invaluable for young women to have experiences
interacting with role models who are close to their age who are
pursuing careers in the STEM fields.
I really want to thank my Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
colleagues--the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock) for her
leadership on this bill; the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms.
Clark); the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), the
ranking member; and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the
chairman--for joining together in bringing this bill to the floor
today.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill. Seeing as we
have no other speakers on this side, I am prepared to close.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, while overall employment is only projected to grow by 10
percent between 2008 and 2018, careers in STEM-related fields are
expected to grow at a much faster rate of 17 percent over that same
time period.
Unfortunately, current statistics show that women are less likely to
focus on STEM-related studies in college and, of the women who pursue
these areas of study, only 26 percent will ultimately work in STEM-
related fields.
Recognizing the need not only for more women in the workforce, but
for women to be leaders in the workforce, particularly in the STEM
fields, I established the Young Women Leadership Program, which I
previously mentioned, where we have been so thrilled
[[Page H1518]]
to be able to have astronauts come and speak and other people in the
science and STEM-related fields and aerospace.
This has been an effective tool in guiding young women into STEM
fields. I appreciate the opportunity today to join with my colleague,
the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty), to support both of these
bills.
I ask you to support H.R. 4755, the Inspiring the Next Space
Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers Women Act, or INSPIRE
Act.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4755,
the Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and
Explorers Women Act (INSPIRE Act).
As a senior member of the House of Representatives who has served on
the House Committee on Science I am well aware of the excellent work
that NASA has done to bring diversity to the space program.
Houston, where my district is located, is proud that the Johnson
Center calls our city home.
Earlier this year, I offered two amendments that were adopted for
inclusion in H.R. 2262, the SPACE Act, which improve diversity in
future space programs.
One Jackson Lee Amendment facilitates the participation of HBCUs,
Hispanic Serving Institutions; National Indian institutions, in
fellowships, work-study, and employment opportunities in the emerging
commercial space industry.
The second Jackson Lee Amendment requires work with small business
concerns owned and controlled by women and minorities.
One of the most enduring difficulties faced by underrepresented
populations in the STEM field is a lack of awareness and understanding
of the connection between STEM and employment opportunities.
In 2012, a survey found that despite the nation's growing demand for
more workers in science, technology, engineering, and math grows, the
skills gap among the largest ethnic and racial minorities groups remain
stubbornly wide.
Blacks and Latinos account for only 7 percent, of the STEM workforce
despite representing 28 percent of the U.S. population.
I have worked hard to help small business owners to fully realize
their potential.
That is why I support entrepreneurial development programs, including
the Small Business Development Center and Women's Business Center
programs.
Statistics show that women remain underrepresented in the science and
engineering workforce, although to a lesser degree than in the past,
with the greatest disparities occurring in engineering, computer
science, and the physical sciences (NSF, Science & Engineering
Indicators, 2014).
Female scientists and engineers are concentrated in different
occupations than are men, with relatively high shares of women in the
social sciences (58 percent); biological and medical sciences (48
percent); relatively low shares in engineering (13 percent); computer
and mathematical sciences (25 percent) (NSF, Science & Engineering
Indicators, 2014).
According to the U.S. Labor Department, although women make up nearly
50% of the total U.S. workforce their representation in science and
engineering occupations is much less. 39 percent of chemists and
material scientists are women; 27.9 percent of environmental scientists
and geoscientists are women; 15.6 percent of chemical engineers are
women; 12.1 percent of civil engineers are women; 8.3 percent of
electrical and electronics engineers are women; 17.2 percent of
industrial engineers are women; and 7.2 percent of mechanical engineers
are women.
These statistics show that measures need to be taken in order to
promote women participation in the fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics and to pursue careers in aerospace.
H.R. 4755 is intended to establish paths for success at NASA for
girls and boys, such as establishing. The following programs: NASA
GIRLS and NASA BOYS, virtual mentoring programs, that give young
students the opportunity to interact and learn from real engineers,
scientists, and technologists; Aspire to Inspire (A2I) program, which
engages young girls to present science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics STEM career opportunities through the real lives and jobs
of early career women at NASA; and Summer Institute in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Research (SISTER) program at the Goddard
Space Flight Center, which is designed to increase awareness of, and
provide an opportunity for, female middle school students to be exposed
to and explore nontraditional career fields with Goddard Space Flight
Center women engineers, mathematicians, scientists, technicians, and
researchers.
I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass H.R. 4755.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, science, technology, engineering and
math are critical to America's future prosperity.
Women are unfortunately underrepresented in STEM careers. Despite
representing nearly half of the college-educated and total U.S.
workforce, women account for less than 25 percent of America's STEM
workforce.
Supporting women's involvement in the fields of aerospace and space
exploration should be an important part of NASA's mission.
Current NASA programs such as NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS are important
and give young students the opportunity to interact and learn from real
NASA engineers, scientists, and technologists.
They provide virtual mentoring that use commercially available video
chat programs to pair NASA innovators with young students across the
country.
H.R. 4755 builds upon this success. It leverages NASA's talent pool
of current and retired astronauts, and early career female scientists,
engineers, and innovators to inform and inspire young women to pursue
their dreams in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. One
day, these young people will push the boundaries of space.
Space can be a catalyst for inspiring young girls to enter the STEM
fields. By doing our part to support their engagement in space with
this legislation, we are investing in the futures of our daughters,
nieces, and grandchildren.
I again want to thank the bill sponsor, Research and Technology
Subcommittee Chairwoman Comstock for her leadership on this topic. I
encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4755.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________