Michigan Advance: Stevens to co-chair bipartisan women in STEM caucus

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Rochester Hills) this announced a congressional caucus for women and underrepresented minorities who seek careers in STEM fields. 

Stevens will co-chair the Congressional Women in STEM Caucus alongside U.S. Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.). It’s intended to “support and increase” the amount of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations. 

“Women and girls everywhere need to know that they can succeed in the STEM fields, and that our country and our economy won’t succeed without them,” Stevens said. 

The caucus plans to advance Capitol Hill policy solutions that “promote women and other underrepresented minorities STEM education and careers.” 

Stevens, chair of the House Subcommittee on Research and Technology, has previously pushed for equal opportunity movements in STEM career fields. She introduced the U.S. House version of the Building Blocks of STEM Act, a bill that allocates National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to STEM educational opportunities for young children and addresses STEM gender gaps. President Trump signed the legislation into law in December. 

“I look forward to working with the other co-chairs to grow this bipartisan caucus into a powerful force for change, and to ensure that women are given equal opportunities to conduct research, innovate, and discover the next great technological breakthrough,” Stevens said. 

The caucus’s establishment was a “cause for celebration,” said Lauren Brookmeyer, president of the Science Coalition, a nonpartisan organization of research universities who push for the federal government to invest in scientific research. 

The lawmakers “should be commended for their leadership and tireless advocacy on behalf of women researchers, America’s scientific enterprise, and the unique partnership between our universities and federal research agencies,” Brookmeyer said. 

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