Supporting the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer science and computing careers among the public and in schools, and to ensure an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the designation of National Computer Science Education Week.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1560) supporting the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer science and computing careers among the public and in schools, and to ensure an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the designation of National Computer Science Education Week.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1560 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1560, which designates the week of December 5, 2010, as National Computer Science Education Week to support increased public awareness of, and interest in, the field of computer science and careers in computers.

I am honored to have joined Mr. Ehlers of Michigan for the second year in a row as bipartisan cosponsors in recognizing the critical importance of computer science education to the future of our country and to a strong economy and jobs.

The global competitiveness of our workers and our economy depends on our ability to embrace emergent information in computer technologies. As an Internet entrepreneur myself, who had founded several successful companies before I came to Congress, I learned firsthand how computer technology is transforming people's lives throughout the world and represents a critical strategy for ensuring our country's national competitiveness. The Department of Commerce estimates that there will be 800,000 job openings in computer science over the next 6 years, making it one of the fastest-growing fields in the country, and it's of critical importance, particularly during this recovery.

Computer science also drives innovation across other sectors--in science, technology, engineering, and math. According to the College Board, 4 of the top 10 fastest-growing jobs will be in computer-related fields as our Nation's most innovative and successful companies continue to expand their capabilities. Computer skills, Madam Speaker, are necessary in jobs across the board. From agricultural jobs to office jobs, the way we interact with computers plays a critical role in both our personal and our professional lives.

The types of jobs where we need to do better with regard to computer education include computer system analysts, software engineers, network systems managers, data communication analysts and many others. And yet despite the growing need and the many job openings, there were less than 60,000 Americans that pursued degrees in computer science in 2008.

In my district in Colorado, for example, more than 2,500 computing job openings occur annually, but only 10 students say they intend to major in computer science and 34 took the Advanced Placement computer science exam, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the flagship State university in our Colorado system.

Unless we get more kids interested in computer science degrees and careers, we'll continue to lose our edge in global competitiveness. But that interest starts early, Madam Speaker. We need to start through public education, elementary school, middle school, and high school in giving kids the skills they need to enter these fields in college and professionally.

National Computer Science Education Week provides an important opportunity to highlight the opportunities available in this bill and give kids the skills they need to obtain success, to encourage more students to pursue careers in the fast-growing fields of computing and information technology, and also to highlight the importance of a skilled and diverse workforce that takes full advantage of the great diversity our Nation has to offer to compete for 21st century jobs.

The date of National Computer Science Education Week coincides with the birthday of Grace Hopper, one of the first prominent women in the field of computer science. As a United States Naval officer, Ms. Hopper became a computer programmer and later engineered new programming languages and created standards for computer systems which laid the foundation for major advancements in computer science. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Hopper was named in her honor.

National Computer Science Education Week can also help expose students to innovative technologies and computer science as early as kindergarten and continuing all the way through college. Students deserve and need access to the technology, qualified teachers, and age- appropriate curriculum at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. These resources encourage students to distinguish between computer literacy and computational thinking, which facilitates new ways to use these powerful tools to approach issues in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and health care.

In a world dominated by Facebook, iPods, the Web, and the Internet, every child stands to benefit from a rigorous computer science education. And yet today, too few students have the opportunity to take engaging and rigorous computer science courses, and there is far too little diversity among those who do. Low-income, women, and minority students are severely underenrolled in computer science courses and programs, both at the secondary and post-secondary levels, and also in the related professions.

That's why I have introduced H.R. 5929, the Computer Science Education Act, which will help ensure that American students not only use technology but also learn the technical computing skills needed to grow our economy and invent the technology that will drive our economic engine in the future. America simply cannot afford to continue wasting talent and opportunities in this field.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative Ehlers for submitting this resolution and express my strong support for recognizing the week of December 5 as National Computer Science Education Week.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would like to inquire if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has any further speakers.

I would like to continue.

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

Little is of greater importance to the economic future of our country than making sure that kids are prepared to enter the workforce of the future and create the jobs of the future, many of which will either be in computer science or require skills in computer science. Regardless of the field, whether it's construction, whether it's education, whether it's banking, having basic skills in computational technology as a computer science is absolutely critical for occupational success. To bring some of the jobs back to America, we need to make sure that we have the best and brightest and most capable children that are equipped with the tools they need to prepare the next generation of intellectual property and software products for consumption across the world.

I have been honored to introduce this resolution recognizing National Computer Science Education Week with Representative Ehlers, for the second year, to acknowledge the important contributions of computer science to our country's economic development and also to emphasize the need for increased diversity and ensuring that we tap into the great diversity that composes the American people in preparing for the jobs of the future.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Certainly, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania mentioned, we salute Mr. Ehlers' leadership on this issue and certainly hope that in future sessions we will continue to have strong bipartisan agreement on this issue. And perhaps if we are both in the next session, the gentleman from Pennsylvania will join me to continue the tradition of honoring Computer Science Education Week in future sessions.

Again, the recognition in ensuring that raising the profile of the importance of computer science is a first step. And I have also introduced a bill, H.R. 5929, that really enacts what we need to do with regard to helping improve opportunities for computer science across the country. It's not simply a matter of kids using technology, but also a matter of learning the technical computing skills that are needed for an increasingly complicated workforce and business climate.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1560, supporting the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer science and computing careers among the public, and especially in our schools, to ensure an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the designation of National Computer Science Education Week.

Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems. Today, more than ever, computer science is integral to the functioning

and growth of our society and economy. Computer science supports the information technology sector that has become such a large contributor to the United States' economic output.

The need for diverse participants in the field of computer science exists more so today than ever before. As the world's dependence on technology grows, so does the need for individuals with the knowledge and background to support and advance that technology in all fields of science.

Computer science education provides an opportunity for students to enter the field of computer science and exposes them to the opportunities this important field has to offer. A high-quality education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can help to prepare students for a future in computer science and to master the skills needed in the 21st century workforce. A computer science education can provide students with opportunities for future education and employment in some of the fastest growing industries.

National Computer Science Education Week, to be recognized the week of December 5, will inform students, teachers, parents, and the public about the role of computer science in our society and the opportunities it affords to participants in the field. Today I express my strong support for National Computer Science Education Week and encourage all schools, teachers, researchers, and universities to recognize this occasion.

I support the resolution and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I was expecting the sponsor of the resolution. I understand that he is on his way and should be here momentarily.

I take it the gentleman has no other speakers?

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

I want to commend the gentleman from Colorado along with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for their sponsorship of this. We see issues often in our professional roles but also in our personal roles, and this area of computer science and education is one that I have seen as a dad, a parent of a 14-year-old and an 11-year-old, a sixth grader and an eighth grader. This generation that's coming up now can't imagine the world without computers. As one of the older generations, I regularly turn to them for input in how to troubleshoot. And I think that's what we're trying to help promote here is that understanding of how integral computer science is to our daily lives, to our economy, and to our quality of life. And this resolution will help promote that idea and remind all of our citizens that, if they're looking for a great opportunity for a career, computer science and related fields is a wonderful one that's going to be with us for decades to come and integral to our country's growth and success economically in the years ahead, as well.

I believe that we're not going to be able to wait for the sponsor, so I would just conclude by acknowledging Mr. Ehlers, the gentleman from Michigan's work in this area and his professional work before coming to the House in this arena and what a great champion he has been for supporting the importance of education in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. And he'll be leaving us at the end of this session, but I know he will continue to be a strong advocate for education in this field.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1560, which supports the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer science and computing careers among the public and in schools, and ensures an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the designation of National Computer Science Education Week.

The week of December 5 has been chosen as National Computer Science Education Week to honor the birthday of Grace Murray Hopper, one of the first female computer scientists. This will mark the second annual celebration of this important week.

Computing technology and the innovations it yields are transforming our world and are critical to the global competitiveness of our economy. However, we are not preparing an adequate and diverse workforce to meet the ever-growing demand for the information technology sector, which includes some of the country's most innovative and successful companies.

While it is very important that students in K-12 are exposed to computer science, many do not get a chance to learn about it in schools today. The lack of understanding of computer science and how it fuels innovation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines contributes to a lack of interest in computing careers, especially among women and underrepresented minorities, whose participation rates in computer science are among the lowest of any scientific field. By introducing students to computer science at an early age and providing them with learning experiences in computer science at all educational levels, we can reverse this trend and expand and diversify our technology workforce.

I am very pleased that Congressman Polis joined me in introducing this resolution. Also, I thank Cameron Wilson with the Association for Computing Machinery and Joel Adams with the Department of Computer Science at Calvin College for their efforts in raising the awareness about the importance of computer science education. In addition, I thank Julia Jester, formerly of my staff, for her help on drafting and introducing this resolution, as well as for her dedicated service as the staff director of the STEM Education Caucus.

Please join me in supporting the designation of the second annual National Computer Science Education Week to raise awareness about these important issues.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Speaker be authorized to entertain motions to suspend the rules on the legislative day of Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, relating to the following measures:

S. 1674; H.R. 5307; House Resolution 1545; House Resolution 1560; House Resolution 1582; a bill to renew the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve demonstration projects designed to test innovative strategies in state child welfare programs; and a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.