S.Res. 547Senate112th Congress (2011-2013)Passed Congress

A resolution honoring the life of pioneering astronaut Dr. Sally Ride and expressing the condolences of the Senate on her death.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action

SenateFloor Latest Action

Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6012-6013; text as passed Senate: CR S6013; text of measure as introduced: CR S5993)

August 2, 2012

View full timeline

SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

August 2, 2012

SenateFloor

August 2, 2012

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S.Res. 547 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. John D. Rockefeller IVD-WV · Aug 2, 2012

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce a resolution on the importance of quality data from the Census Bureau, including the American Community Survey. I am proud to introduce this resolution as a companion to the similar House legislation by my distinguished colleague, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. The Congresswoman has shown real leadership on this issue and I am eager to work with her to highlight the importance and significance of quality data for good government oversight and management, as well as helping American businesses.

Each year, more than $400 billion Federal dollars are distributed to local communities based on the data from the American Community Survey. This survey is the largest data set of its kind, and helps strategically target federal funding for a broad range of programs for health care, transportation and education. The American Community Survey has improves data for the Child Health Insurance Program, CHIP, that means so much to vulnerable children. Another specific and compelling example is how law enforcement uses the data to predict criminal activities like methamphetamine production. Local communities use the survey to choose locations for new schools, hospitals, and fire stations.

The survey is also important to American business. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Retail Federation, and the National Association of Home Builders support investments in this survey. It is the only source of small area estimates on social and demographic characteristics. Manufacturers and service sector firms use the survey to identify the income, education, and occupational skills of local labor markets they serve. Retail businesses use the survey to understand the characteristics of the neighborhoods in which they locate their stores. Homebuilders and realtors understand the housing characteristics and the markets in their communities, thanks to the American Community Survey.

Such a survey of American households has existed in some form since 1850, either as a longer version of or richer supplement to the basic decennial census. The newer American Community Survey provides more timely data. The Census Bureau estimates the ACS is sent to 2.5 percent of homes each year, requiring an average of 38 minutes per household to review instructions and answer questions. At this rate, the typical American would respond to the survey about twice in their lifetime. Census workers are sworn to protect confidentiality, facing prison sentences up to five years for disclosing any personal information and there has no employees are known to have violated the provisions so the privacy questions are unfounded.

In closing, I would like to share a statement by Mr. Lawrence Yun, the Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors: ``Without the data, the nation would essentially be flying blind in relation to important housing market conditions and business decisions. Accurate economic and demographic data inspire business confidence that is so critical to the free enterprise system. We would not be able to provide an accurate estimate of many housing metrics if they cannot be benchmarked against the America Community Survey data.''

Sen. Harry ReidD-NV · Aug 2, 2012

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed en bloc to the following resolutions: S. Res. 544, S. Res. 545, S. Res. 546, and S. Res. 547. I ask unanimous consent that the…

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Agreed to SenateIssued August 2, 2012

III

112th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 547

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 2, 2012

Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Boozman) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Honoring the life of pioneering astronaut Dr. Sally Ride and expressing the condolences of the Senate on her death.

Whereas Dr. Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California;

Whereas Dr. Ride graduated high school from Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles in 1968, and received from Stanford University a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1973, a Master of Science in 1975, and a doctorate degree in physics in 1978;

Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this preamble as NASA) selected Dr. Ride as an astronaut candidate in January of 1978;

Whereas Dr. Ride worked on the ground as a communications officer for the second and third NASA space shuttle missions (STS-2 and STS-3) and helped develop the robot arm used by shuttle crews;

Whereas, on June 18, 1983, Dr. Ride became the first woman from the United States to travel in space when she served as a mission specialist for space shuttle mission STS-7;

Whereas Dr. Ride also served as a mission specialist on space shuttle mission STS 41-G, which launched into space from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on October 5, 1984;

Whereas, in June of 1985, Dr. Ride was assigned to the crew of STS 61-M for which mission training terminated in January of 1986, following the space shuttle Challenger accident;

Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of the Presidential Commission investigating the space shuttle Challenger accident and, upon completing that investigation, was assigned to NASA Headquarters as a Special Assistant to the Administrator for long-range and strategic planning;

Whereas, in 1989, Dr. Ride joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, as a Professor of Physics and Director of the California Space Institute, a research unit at the University of California;

Whereas, following her passion of motivating girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math, and technology, Dr. Ride founded her own company, known as Sally Ride Science, in 2001, to create entertaining science programs and publications for upper elementary and middle school students, as well as their parents and teachers;

Whereas, as a long-time advocate for improved science education, Dr. Ride initiated and directed education projects designed to fuel the fascination of middle school students with science and wrote 5 science books for children, entitled: To Space and Back, The Mystery of Mars,Voyager: An Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System, Exploring Our Solar System, and The Third Planet: Exploring the Earth from Space;

Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of the President's Counsel of Advisors on Science and Technology, the Space Studies Board, and the Pacific Council on International Policy;

Whereas Dr. Ride was a fellow of the American Physical Society and also served on the boards of the Office of Technology Assessment, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Foundation, the Aerospace Corporation, and the California Institute of Technology;

Whereas Dr. Ride was the only person to have served on commissions investigating both the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia accidents; and

Whereas Dr. Ride has received numerous honors and awards, including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Wernher von Braun Memorial Award of the National Space Society, the Lindbergh Eagle Award, the Theodore Roosevelt Award of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and 2 NASA Space Flight Medals: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

(1)

expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Sally Ride on her death;

(2)

mourns the loss of Dr. Ride, a trailblazing pioneer who inspired millions of individuals, especially women and girls, to reach for the stars; and

(3)

appreciates all of the contributions of Dr. Ride to science, physics, education, and human spaceflight.