Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4742, the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act.

Mr. Speaker, for over the past year, STEM education has been a critical part of many debates we have had here on the House floor.

We have discussed it in the context of reauthorization of critical education programs and with respect to how it can drive American innovation in research and technology.

The discussion we are having here today--a dialogue as to how we can encourage more women who wish to pursue a course of study in STEM fields to follow through beyond the classroom and build successful careers in science, math, and technology fields--is very important for economic growth in this country and to ensure young women help pioneer new innovation in this country for generations to come.

We have heard the statistics, Mr. Speaker. Women make up half of the U.S. workforce and half of the college-educated workforce, yet only 26 percent of women who attain degrees in STEM fields end up working in STEM jobs.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I rise today in strong support of this simple, commonsense legislation. By encouraging entrepreneurial programs to recruit and support women to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and into the commercial world, we can take a significant step in the right direction.

Further, by having this debate and discussion here today and by encouraging all of our best and brightest to pursue the education and career path of their dreams, we are taking a necessary step to include this as part of our ongoing dialogue with respect to the delivery of STEM education in our classrooms and what it will take to develop American innovation for future generations.

I would like to commend Representative Esty and Representative Comstock for their efforts on this legislation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

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