Date: 2016-03-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

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. workstudy. 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 nations 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 Womens 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 (A21) 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.