Provided by Congresswoman Barbara Comstock’s Office
Congresswoman Barbara Comstock
Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) and United States Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) issued the following statement after passage of Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act, S. 42. This legislation is the Senate companion to Congresswoman Comstock’s H.R. 321, to address women pursuing careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields:
“With its passage in the Senate last night, the INSPIRE Women Act will go to the President’s desk with strong bipartisan and bicameral support. This legislation will provide young women the resources they need to lead the next generation in space exploration, medical research, engineering, technology, and other STEM careers. Young women will have the opportunity to connect online with career women at NASA and directly learn from mentors in the STEM fields to boost their own careers,” said Congresswoman Barbara Comstock.
“Recently, the U.S. Senate took a step forward in recognizing the potential of tomorrow’s economy. This legislation provides another avenue to encourage young women to seek a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These efforts will allow them to lead new advancements in technology and innovation, and make the world a better place. I’m proud to have partnered with Congresswoman Comstock on this important legislation and am thankful for her leadership on this issue,” said U.S. Senator Dean Heller.
The INSPIRE Women Act authorizes the NASA Administrator to encourage young women to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to pursue careers that will further advance America’s space science and exploration efforts through support of initiatives such as NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS; Aspire-Inspire; and the Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research. The legislation would require a report to Congress on how NASA plans to achieve the goals laid out in the bill.
