On the recordMay 25, 2016
I want to thank the ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, her staff, and the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Simpson, and staff and others because they have been working hard. I want to emphasize that this is an amendment that was approved and adopted in an identical form on April 29, 2015, during the 114th Congress, as an amendment to H.R. 2028, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. I do this amendment because I do believe it is extremely important. If you travel around this country, whether it is Silicon Valley, whether it is NASA, whether it is dealing with energy resources, renewable and otherwise, you realize the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math. Twenty years ago, Mr. Chairman, on February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, directing Federal agencies to identify and address the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their actions on minority and low- income populations. The Department of Energy seeks to provide equal access to these opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM, including minorities, Native Americans, and women. We need professionals in these areas to be able to assess the various impacts, environmental impacts, on the minority community. But, more importantly, we also need our organizations, such as Historically Black Colleges and other colleges, to make sure to include opportunities for minority and women students.…
