House Honors African-American Innovators, National Engineers Week and Approves Oceans Legislation
(Washington, DC) –Three Science and Technology Committee bills have been granted final approval by the U.S. House of Representatives – a resolution honoring African-American Innovators; a resolution supporting National Engineers Week; and a bill authorizing research programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
H. Res. 966, Honoring African-American inventors, past and present, for their leadership, courage, and significant contributions to national competitiveness, pays tribute to the contributions of four talented minority scientists and engineers. The resolution was authored by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), a Member of the Committee and co-founder of the Congressional Diversity and Innovation Caucus.
“The four innovators in this resolution have been recognized by the National Society for Black Engineers for their significant contributions to society,” said Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. “It was hard to find a photo of some of them; they had received so little recognition. The Diversity and Innovation Caucus strives to lift up African Americans and other under-represented minorities who excel in science: these inventors inspire and encourage, just by their example.”
H. Res. 917, offered by Committee Vice-Chairman Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), expresses support for the upcoming National Engineers Week -- February 17-23, 2008.
National Engineers Week, which was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, not only recognizes the contributions engineers have made to American society, it also promotes science, technology, engineering and math education, and encourages students to pursue careers in these fields.
“Engineers have helped us build boats to cross the seas, railroads to take us west, and the Internet to communicate with the world,” stated Rep. Lipinski, who holds engineering degrees from Northwestern University and Stanford University. “Today we need the innovative capabilities of engineers to confront the new challenges before us, such as developing American energy independence, finding solutions to confront global climate change, and making our nation more secure. I would like to thank the engineers that have contributed so much to America, and to honor them for their commitment to continue working to better our society.”
The House also passed H.R. 1834, the National Ocean Exploration Program Act, sponsored by Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ). The legislation, which authorizes oceanic and coastal research programs at NOAA, was jointly referred to and approved by the Committee on Science & Technology, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Armed Services.
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