Honoring the trailblazing accomplishments of the "Mercury 13" women, whose efforts in the early 1960s demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake the human exploration of space.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 421) honoring the trailblazing accomplishments of the ``Mercury 13'' women, whose efforts in the early 1960s demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake the human exploration of space.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 421.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the trailblazing accomplishments of the Mercury 13 women, whose efforts in the early 1960s demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake the human exploration of space. The Mercury 13 women were Myrtle Cagle, Geraldyn ``Jerri'' Cobb, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Mary Wallace ``Wally'' Funk, Jane Briggs Hart, Jean Hixson, Gene Nora Stumbough Jessen, Irene Leverton, Sarah Lee Gorelick Ratley, Bernice ``Bea'' Trimble Steadman, Geraldine ``Jerri'' Sloan Truhill, and Rhea Hurrle Allison Woltman.

All of these Mercury 13 women were accomplished pilots with commercial ratings or better and at least 2,000 hours of flying time, and they passed the same rigorous physical and psychological tests that the original Mercury 7 astronauts underwent. The Mercury 13 women were prepared to continue their service to America's space program, until they were informed that their testing program was cancelled.

While the former Soviet Union flew the first woman in space in 1963, it was another 20 years before the United States flew Dr. Sally Ride as the first American woman in space in 1983.

Mr. Speaker, I seek support for H. Res. 421 to honor the Mercury 13 women pioneers and to encourage young women to follow in the footsteps of the Mercury 13 women in pursuing careers of excellence in aviation and astronautics as well as in engineering and science.

Times do change. I spent a chunk of my time last week at home during recess handing out space camp scholarships. At every stop, it wasn't clear whether the winner was going to be a boy or a girl; and the enthusiasm for space seemed to be relatively equal between the boys and the girls in the classes where we made such awards.

In an aside, I would like to welcome China as a new nation among space-faring nations. There is an old Chinese saying, as there always is, that women hold up half the sky, and this recognition that American women have been participating in space long before 1983 is very, very appropriate at this point in time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin, Dr. Kagen, and thank him for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor.

There are no further speakers on this side, either, if the gentleman would care to close.

I thank the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to recognize the good work of my colleague from Wisconsin, Dr. Kagen, for bringing this legislation to the floor. It is timely and it is timely recognition of a space program that includes everyone from America and now, because of the international space station and international space efforts, includes many people from around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Oregon for his resolution. I want to rise today in support of House Resolution 421, which honors the accomplishments of the so-called Mercury 13 women whose efforts in the early 1960s demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake human space exploration.

At a time when there were many prejudices against women, the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, began testing female pilots to undertake human exploration of space under the same rigorous, physical and psychological standards as NASA's male astronauts.

In 1960, the first of the Mercury 13, Geraldyn ``Jerrie'' Cobb went to Lovelace Clinic, and by the end of 1961, 13 women had successfully completed this rigorous training. Following their testing program, the 13 women were prepared to continue their contributions to America's space program at the Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, Florida and undergo advanced aeromedical examinations using jet aircraft and military equipment, but their program was canceled.

The careers and accomplishments of these great American women served as an inspiration for many other young women that followed in their careers in aviation, astronautics, science and engineering.

This resolution recognizes the accomplishments of Myrtle Cagle, Geraldyn ``Jerrie'' Cobb, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Mary Wallace ``Wally'' Funk, Jane Briggs Hart, Jean Hixson, Gene Nora, Stumbough Jessen, Irene Leverton, Sarah Lee, Gorelick Ratley, Bernice Trimble Steadman, Geraldine ``Jerri'' Sloan Truhill, and Rhea Hurrle Allison Woltman.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 421 and again thank the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my friend from Oregon that I have no further speakers and am prepared to reserve my time until it is appropriate to close.

Mr. Speaker, again I want to thank my colleagues for their support for the great history of the Mercury 13. I should say since that Mercury 13 program, there have been 34 women that have flown aboard the space shuttle, including four who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Challenger and Columbia accidents.

In order to honor such dedication after the Columbia accident, America committed to a vision for space exploration that will return Americans to the Moon. Undoubtedly, several women will make that journey. I look forward to that moment when the first American woman steps on the Moon and shares her experience with the rest of the world.

This resolution by the gentleman from Oregon and others recognizes the first 13 women that helped propel an entire gender and an entire nation into space.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer strong support for House Resolution 421, honoring the extraordinary accomplishments and courageous journey of the Mercury 13 women. Though largely unrecognized in history, these 13 female pilots displayed determination, bravery and strength in their quest for space exploration.

Selected from a large group of women, the Mercury 13 pilots endured and passed the same grueling physical and psychological tests as the Mercury 7 male astronauts. These women however, were tested not only on their ability to withstand the toils of space exploration but also on their capacity to overcome extensive discrimination in both their careers and personal lives. When championing their cause, the women were repeatedly told by government officials that any effort to put a woman in space was a waste of time and money. Given this lack of U.S. support, Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian engineer, became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. It would be many years later, in 1983, that Dr. Sally Ride would become the first American woman in space.

Although the women of Mercury 13 were barred from space travel, disappointment did not lessen their pioneering spirit and quest for equality. We must follow their lead. Given our country's shortcomings in 1963, it is our responsibility today to ensure that future generations of women are granted equal opportunities to follow their dreams.

These courageous women demonstrate that the sky is not the limit and that as a Nation we must ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, race or ethnicity, are encouraged to venture into the fields of math, science, technology and engineering. I believe we must instill the spirit of the Mercury 13 into our children today, by supporting innovative programs such as the National Science Foundation that promote technology in the classroom. By creating an environment in this country that fosters innovation and growth, we will ensure our businesses and workforce can stay competitive in the global economy of the 21st century. From new education technology and better math and science teachers to train the next generation of innovators, to the promotion of new sources of energy and the expansion of markets for our products, this comprehensive agenda will create a strong foundation to build the economy of the future.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to capitalize on this opportunity to extend an honor to the women of Mercury 13 and to ensure we never again allow gender inequality to restrict our citizens' ambition and potential.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 421, to honor the trailblazing accomplishments of the ``Mercury 13'' women, whose efforts in the early 1960s

demonstrated the capabilities of American women to undertake the human exploration of space.

The 13 women who participated in this program demonstrated the willingness and capability that women all around the world, past and present, possess, and in many cases must possess to overcome an indictment of sexism and discrimination that our society often presents. Although their participation in these tests and trials yielded no concrete results, the 13 women trailblazers ought to be recognized for having endured and overcome such grueling physical, medical and psychological astronautical fitness examinations.

These 13 women--Jerri Cobb, Wally Funk, Irene Leverton, Myrtle ``K'' Cagle, Jane B. Hart, Gene Nora Stumbough (Jessen), Jerri Sloan (Truhill), Rhea Hurrle (Woltman), Sarah Gorelick (Ratley), Bernice ``B'' Trimble Steadman, Jan Dietrich, and the late Marlon Dietrich and Jean Hixson--all surpassed society's expectations of rejections, by proving that although women are typically smaller and lighter than men, women are still fit to be good occupants in cramped space vehicles. These women attempted the dream that many others only dreamed of-- flying the newest and the fastest craft.

Mr. Speaker, though few Americans know the names of the 13 women trailblazers, their valiant attempts to earn the opportunity to fly a spacecraft call for worldwide recognition. Because of the secrecy of the test programs, these women never received the recognition for their accomplishments, which laid that critical groundwork for women who have reached and those who are seeking to reach the skies. We can show our gratitude and appreciation for these women trailblazers by honoring them with the passing of this bill.

As a representative of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, home to an integral number of space exploration projects, centers, businesses, and constituents employed in the space industry, I strongly support legislation that seeks to inspire, motivate and recognize those individuals who assist with the improvement and advancement of space exploration.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 421 to honor the trailblazing accomplishments of the 13 female pilots of Mercury 13.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Oregon and Florida. I appreciate their support on this important resolution.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 421, to honor the first American women to participate in the United States space program. Known as the Mercury 13, they were extremely accomplished pilots and aviators and were selected from a pool of women to become astronauts. Conducted in secret at the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, they excelled in the same physical and psychological tests as the male candidates for astronautic school did, the Mercury 7.

Although many of these women outshined and outperformed their male counterparts, they were never allowed to fly into space. The prejudice of the day grounded their mission before they could reach the stars, but it did not ground their dreams.

In 1961, just before their final phase of training at the Naval Aviation Center in Pensacola, Florida, the Mercury 13 women received notice that the program had been canceled. Twenty-two years later, NASA sent our first American woman into space, Sally Ride.

In these past decades, the groundbreaking achievements of the Mercury 13 women have often been overlooked. Author Martha Ackmann wrote this about the Mercury 13 and their quest for flying into space:

``While the Mercury 13 did not get their shot at space--at least not yet--

they refused to let someone else trim their dreams. They fought for what they wanted, what they believed in, and spoke out against discrimination.''

The Mercury 13 women, as already stated, were Jerrie Cobb, Gene Nora Jessen, Wally Funk, Irene Leverton, Myrtle ``K'' Cagle, Jane Hart, Jerri Truhill, Rhea Hurrle Woltman, Sarah Ratley, Bernice ``B'' Steadman, Jean Hixson, Jan Dietrich, and Marion Dietrich.

I had the honor of meeting several of these very tough and spirited women at the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh in a commencement ceremony, and I was privileged and honored to present to the Mercury 13 women an honorary degree, an honorary doctorate. Today, I have the extreme privilege to honor these phenomenal and extraordinary women on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and their pioneering spirit that has advanced the rights of women everywhere. As these Mercury 13 women have demonstrated, the sky is not the limit.