On the recordMay 4, 2010
I support H. Res. 1213, a resolution in support of improving participation in the STEM fields, STEM--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and of the House Science and Technology Committee, it is absolutely clear to me that our country's ability to develop, to prosper, and to compete will depend upon investing in our children's educations and in the scientific community. A central piece of this effort must be to encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to be involved in STEM at the K-12 undergrad and graduate levels so they can, if they choose, turn their educations into careers. That is why I sponsored the Patsy T. Mink Fellowships, which President Bush signed into law in 2008 as part of the Higher Education Reauthorization Act. The Patsy T. Mink Fellowships provide encouragement for women and minorities to go into the graduate programs where they are represented, such as into the STEM programs, and then to move into teaching in these fields.
