August 2, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5993 

Whereas many individuals who are unemployed, underemployed, or receive public assistance lack the literacy skills necessary to 

obtain and keep a job to provide for their 

families, to continue their education, or to 

participate in job training programs; 

Whereas many high school dropouts do not 

have the literacy skills necessary to complete their education, transition to postsecondary education or career and technical 

training, or obtain a job; 

Whereas a large portion of individuals in 

prison have low educational skills, and prisoners without educational skills are more 

likely to return to prison once released; 

Whereas many immigrants in the United 

States do not have the literacy skills necessary to succeed in the United States; and 

Whereas National Adult Education and 

Family Literacy Week highlights the need to 

ensure each and every citizen has the literacy skills necessary to succeed at home, at 

work, and in society: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates the week of September 10, 

2012 as ‘‘National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week’’ to raise public awareness 

about the importance of adult education, 

workforce skills, and family literacy; 

(2) encourages people across the United 

States to support programs to assist those in 

need of adult education, workforce skills, 

and family literacy programs; 

(3) recognizes the importance of adult education, workforce skills, and family literacy 

programs; and 

(4) calls upon public, private, and nonprofit 

entities to support increased access to adult 

education and family literacy programs to 

ensure a literate society. 

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SENATE RESOLUTION 547—HONORING THE LIFE OF PIONEERING 

ASTRONAUT DR. SALLY RIDE 

AND EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE ON HER 

DEATH 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. NELSON of Florida, 

Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. BOOZMAN, and Mr. 

COONS) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed 

to: 

S. RES. 547 

Whereas Dr. Sally Ride was born on May 

26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California; 

Whereas Dr. Ride graduated high school 

from Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles in 1968, and received from Stanford University a Bachelor of Science in Physics and 

a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1973, a Master of Science in 1975, and a doctorate degree 

in physics in 1978; 

Whereas the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (referred to in this 

preamble as ‘‘NASA’’) selected Dr. Ride as an 

astronaut candidate in January of 1978; 

Whereas Dr. Ride worked on the ground as 

a communications officer for the second and 

third NASA space shuttle missions (STS-2 

and STS-3) and helped develop the robot arm 

used by shuttle crews; 

Whereas, on June 18, 1983, Dr. Ride became 

the first woman from the United States to 

travel in space when she served as a mission 

specialist for space shuttle mission STS-7; 

Whereas Dr. Ride also served as a mission 

specialist on space shuttle mission STS 41-G, 

which launched into space from the Kennedy 

Space Center in Florida, on October 5, 1984; 

Whereas, in June of 1985, Dr. Ride was assigned to the crew of STS 61-M for which 

mission training terminated in January of 

1986, following the space shuttle Challenger 

accident; 

Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of 

the Presidential Commission investigating 

the space shuttle Challenger accident and, 

upon completing that investigation, was assigned to NASA Headquarters as a Special 

Assistant to the Administrator for longrange and strategic planning; 

Whereas, in 1989, Dr. Ride joined the faculty at the University of California, San 

Diego, as a Professor of Physics and Director 

of the California Space Institute, a research 

unit at the University of California; 

Whereas, following her passion of motivating girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math, and technology, Dr. 

Ride founded her own company, known as 

Sally Ride Science, in 2001, to create entertaining science programs and publications 

for upper elementary and middle school students, as well as their parents and teachers; 

Whereas, as a long-time advocate for improved science education, Dr. Ride initiated 

and directed education projects designed to 

fuel the fascination of middle school students with science and wrote 5 science books 

for children, entitled: To Space and Back, 

The Mystery of Mars, Voyager: An Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System, Exploring Our Solar System, and the Third 

Planet: Exploring the Earth from Space; 

Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of 

the President’s Counsel of Advisors on 

Science and Technology, the Space Studies 

Board, and the Pacific Council on International Policy; 

Whereas Dr. Ride was a fellow of the American Physical Society and also served on the 

boards of the Office of Technology Assessment, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Foundation, the Aerospace Corporation, and the California Institute of 

Technology; 

Whereas Dr. Ride was the only person to 

have served on commissions investigating 

both the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia accidents; and 

Whereas Dr. Ride has received numerous 

honors and awards, including induction into 

the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the 

Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Jefferson Award 

for Public Service, the Wernher von Braun 

Memorial Award of the National Space Society, the Lindbergh Eagle Award, the Theodore Roosevelt Award of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and 2 NASA 

Space Flight Medals: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) expresses its deepest condolences to the 

family and friends of Dr. Sally Ride on her 

death; 

(2) mourns the loss of Dr. Ride, a trailblazing pioneer who inspired millions of individuals, especially women and girls, to reach 

for the stars; and 

(3) appreciates all of the contributions of 

Dr. Ride to science, physics, education, and 

human spaceflight. 

Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, 

today I rise to introduce a resolution 

on the importance of quality data from 

the Census Bureau, including the 

American Community Survey. I am 

proud to introduce this resolution as a 

companion to the similar House legislation by my distinguished colleague, 

Congresswoman CAROLYN MALONEY. 

The Congresswoman has shown real 

leadership on this issue and I am eager 

to work with her to highlight the importance and significance of quality 

data for good government oversight 

and management, as well as helping 

American businesses. 

Each year, more than $400 billion 

Federal dollars are distributed to local 

communities based on the data from 

the American Community Survey. This 

survey is the largest data set of its 

kind, and helps strategically target 

federal funding for a broad range of 

programs for health care, transportation and education. The American 

Community Survey has improves data 

for the Child Health Insurance Program, CHIP, that means so much to 

vulnerable children. Another specific 

and compelling example is how law enforcement uses the data to predict 

criminal activities like methamphetamine production. Local communities 

use the survey to choose locations for 

new schools, hospitals, and fire stations. 

The survey is also important to 

American business. The U.S. Chamber 

of Commerce, the National Retail Federation, and the National Association 

of Home Builders support investments 

in this survey. It is the only source of 

small area estimates on social and demographic characteristics. Manufacturers and service sector firms use the 

survey to identify the income, education, and occupational skills of local 

labor markets they serve. Retail businesses use the survey to understand the 

characteristics of the neighborhoods in 

which they locate their stores. Homebuilders and realtors understand the 

housing characteristics and the markets in their communities, thanks to 

the American Community Survey. 

Such a survey of American households has existed in some form since 

1850, either as a longer version of or 

richer supplement to the basic decennial census. The newer American Community Survey provides more timely 

data. The Census Bureau estimates the 

ACS is sent to 2.5 percent of homes 

each year, requiring an average of 38 

minutes per household to review instructions and answer questions. At 

this rate, the typical American would 

respond to the survey about twice in 

their lifetime. Census workers are 

sworn to protect confidentiality, facing 

prison sentences up to five years for 

disclosing any personal information 

and there has no employees are known 

to have violated the provisions so the 

privacy questions are unfounded. 

In closing, I would like to share a 

statement by Mr. Lawrence Yun, the 

Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors: ‘‘Without the data, 

the nation would essentially be flying 

blind in relation to important housing 

market conditions and business decisions. Accurate economic and demographic data inspire business confidence that is so critical to the free 

enterprise system. We would not be 

able to provide an accurate estimate of 

many housing metrics if they cannot 

be benchmarked against the America 

Community Survey data.’’ 


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S5994 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 2, 2012 

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 56—PROVIDING FOR A CONDITIONAL ADJOURNMENT OR RECESS OF THE SENATE AND AN 

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE 

OF REPRESENTATIVES 

Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. 

MCCONNELL) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. CON. RES. 56 

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That when the Senate recesses or adjourns on any day from 

Thursday, August 2, 2012, through Monday, 

August 6, 2012, on a motion offered pursuant 

to this concurrent resolution by its Majority 

Leader or his designee, it stand recessed or 

adjourned until 12:00 noon on Monday, September 10, 2012, or such other time on that 

day as may be specified by its Majority 

Leader or his designee in the motion to recess or adjourn, or until the time of any reassembly pursuant to section 2 of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first; 

and that when the House adjourns on any 

legislative day from Thursday, August 2, 

2012, through Monday, August 6, 2012, on a 

motion offered pursuant to this concurrent 

resolution by its Majority Leader or his designee, it stand adjourned until 2:00 p.m. on 

Monday, September 10, 2012, or until the 

time of any reassembly pursuant to section 2 

of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first. 

SEC. 2. The Majority Leader of the Senate 

and the Speaker of the House, or their respective designees, acting jointly after consultation with the Minority Leader of the 

Senate and the Minority Leader of the 

House, shall notify the Members of the Senate and House, respectively, to reassemble at 

such place and time as they may designate 

if, in their opinion, the public interest shall 

warrant it. 

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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 57—EXPRESSING THE 

SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT THE 

CENSUS SURVEYS AND THE INFORMATION DERIVED FROM 

THOSE SURVEYS ARE CRUCIAL 

TO THE NATIONAL WELFARE 

Mr. ROCKEFELLER submitted the 

following concurrent resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs: 

S. CON. RES. 57 

Whereas the American Community Survey 

(referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘ACS’’) 

was launched in 2005 during the Administration of President George W. Bush and has 

since been funded by Congress as an innovation that the Bureau of the Census has been 

able to use in place of the decennial census 

long form; 

Whereas the ACS provides the United 

States, States, counties, cities, towns, neighborhoods, and other areas with annual data 

that was formerly available only once every 

10 years; 

Whereas the Federal Government relies on 

the ACS— 

(1) to produce annual population estimates 

for the United States, States, metropolitan 

areas, counties, cities, and other areas; 

(2) to produce annual measures of total 

personal income and per capita income for 

the United States, States, metropolitan 

areas, and counties; 

(3) to define metropolitan areas; 

(4) to determine compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.); 

and 

(5) to fairly distribute more than 

$450,000,000,000 in Federal domestic assistance to States and other areas, including 

through the setting of the formulas for Federal reimbursement to States for Medicaid 

expenditures; 

Whereas the ACS is the only source of 

rural and small-area economic and demographic data of sufficient reliability to allow 

entrepreneurs, business owners, and local 

government planners, among others, to 

make informed decisions on where to invest, 

build, create jobs, and maintain or improve 

infrastructure; 

Whereas Congress requires the information 

collected through the ACS in order to provide adequate oversight of a substantial 

number of executive departments, agencies, 

and programs; 

Whereas the citizens of the United States 

require the information collected through 

the ACS for each State and congressional 

district in order to hold their Members of 

Congress accountable; 

Whereas, since the founding of the United 

States, Congress has recognized the value 

and mandated the use of the decennial census as a means to gather information that 

informs public policy and measures the 

progress of the United States; 

Whereas the congressional tradition of the 

decennial census was initiated by the efforts 

of United States Representative James 

Madison, the ‘‘Father of the Constitution’’, 

who argued on the floor of the House of Representatives that Congress, in considering 

the Act entitled ‘‘An Act providing for the 

enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United 

States’’ (commonly known as the ‘‘Census 

Act of 1790’’; 1 Stat. 101, chapter 2), ‘‘had now 

an opportunity of obtaining the most useful 

information for those who should hereafter 

be called upon to legislate for their country 

if this bill was extended so as to embrace 

some other objects besides the bare enumeration of the inhabitants; it would enable 

them to adapt the public measures to the 

particular circumstances of the community. 

In order to know the various interests of the 

United States, it was necessary that the description of the several classes into which 

the community was divided, should be accurately known; on this knowledge the legislature might proceed to make a proper provision for the agricultural, commercial and 

manufacturing interests . . . in due proportion’’; 

Whereas Representative James Madison 

also said, ‘‘This kind of information all legislatures had wished for; but this kind of information had never been obtained in any country’’; that he wished, therefore, ‘‘to avail 

himself of the present opportunity of accomplishing so valuable a purpose’’; and ‘‘[i]f the 

plan was pursued in taking every future census, it would give [Congress] an opportunity 

of marking the progress of the society, and 

distinguishing the growth of every interest.’’; 

Whereas Vice President Thomas Jefferson, 

the ‘‘Father of the Declaration of Independence’’, wrote Congress as president of the 

American Philosophical Society that the 

consideration by Congress of the Act entitled 

‘‘An Act providing for the second Census or 

enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United 

States’’ (commonly known as the ‘‘Census 

Act of 1800’’; 2 Stat. 11, chapter 12) offered 

‘‘an occasion of great value, and not otherwise to be obtained, of ascertaining sundry 

facts highly important to society . . . [and] 

presenting a more detailed view of the inhabitants of the United States, under several 

different aspects,’’ including age (so as to be 

able to measure life expectancy), citizenship 

(so as to be able to determine the relative 

contributions of births and immigration to 

population growth), and the occupation of 

free males (so as to be able ‘‘to ascertain 

more completely the causes which influence 

life and health, and furnish a curious and 

useful document of the distribution of society in these States, and of the conditions 

and vocations of our fellow-citizens . . .’’); 

Whereas diverse presidents throughout the 

19th and 20th centuries, such as John Quincy 

Adams, Martin Van Buren, William McKinley, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt, 

asked for and received from Congress permission to expand the scope of census questions 

unrelated to enumeration; 

Whereas the Economic Census is required 

by law to be conducted every 5 years, provides the most authoritative and comprehensive data about United States businesses, 

and provides the foundation for key economic indicators, such as the gross domestic 

product; 

Whereas, in response to the recommendations of the Intensive Review Committee 

(also known as the ‘‘Watkins Commission’’), 

Congress enacted the recommendations into 

law in 1954, thereby providing for quinquennial censuses of manufacturing, mineral industries, and other businesses; 

Whereas the finding of the Watkins Commission that ‘‘[w]ithout these census 

records, it would not be possible to construct 

or interpret this system of economic indicators. Business executives, farmers, labor 

leaders, professional men, scholars, scientists, government officials, and administrators in all phases of our society are dependent on census records or on economic indicators based on census records.’’ is as true 

today as it was in 1954; 

Whereas the Economic Census— 

(1) provides the foundation for key annual, 

quarterly, and monthly Federal economic indicators, including the gross domestic product, industrial production, labor productivity, manufacturing and services industry 

activity, producer price indices, research and 

development expenditures, commodity flows, 

and employer-sponsored health insurance 

coverage; 

(2) provides the basis for Federal macroeconomic and budget projections; and 

(3) informs Federal trade, competitiveness, 

and entrepreneurship policies; 

Whereas single firms rely on the Economic 

Census to compare their operations to industry averages, identify markets, and inform 

decisions on business location, capital investment, product research and development, and marketing strategies; 

Whereas the information collected through 

the Economic Census affords the private and 

public sectors the ability to make good decisions and use resources in a way such that 

the entire country is more efficient and better able to compete in the world economy, 

thereby allowing the United States to maintain a high standard of living; 

Whereas what is today called the Economic 

Census began as the ‘‘census of manufactures’’ in 1810; 

Whereas the census of manufactures (as 

well as the census of agriculture) became a 

regular feature of census taking in 1840 and 

has remained such ever since; 

Whereas household and business responses 

to census surveys allow national, State, and 

local officials to make informed decisions, 

just as James Madison envisioned, providing 

timely and accurate statistics even for small 

localities; 

Whereas, historically, Congress has followed the precedent set by all previous Congresses in supporting and directing the collection of a range of information in the ACS 

and the Economic Census to guide its own 

deliberations and consideration of policies; 


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