The Nixon administration was the first to urge the United States to adopt the metric system. It failed, and so have subsequent governments. A switch to the metric system would greatly improve the number of engineers and scientists this nation produces. It will also give us the economic benefit of trading in the units that every other country uses. Not even the British use the "British System."
A first step to this (because it will only be achieved in baby steps) is to mandate that federal and state ID display centimeters for height and kilograms for weight instead of feet and pounds.
A change here may change the language by which we (Americans) refer to height and weight to match the language used already in science and medicine throughout our country and the world.