Interesting exchange, actually Kumbaya session, between Texas Representatives Shiela Jackson Lee and John Culberson about preserving our nation’s interdependent human space flight capability.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD HOUSE PROCEEDINGS PAGE H1211 March 9, 2010 SAVING NASA, A NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST AND ASSET
(Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased tonight to acknowledge that there is a lot of energy behind the engine of NASA and the Constellation Program. There is a lot of interest across America, not so much for the individual States that are impacted but for the research engine of the international space station and the importance of human space exploration.
Today, I will introduce, along with 16 cosponsors, H. Res. 1150, which declares NASA a national security interest and asset. It emphasizes the importance of the work of NASA. As well, it indicates that the elimination of the Constellation Program will, in fact, create a national security risk to the United States and will diminish the Nation’s efforts to advance scientific research in space. In addition, we are asking and indicating that there should be partnerships between universities and that NASA centers should be established to provide research opportunities to conduct research on behalf of the United States at the international space station.
In addition, this legislation will ask for the full funding of the Constellation Program. We must save NASA. We must save jobs. This is an American imperative.
(Mr. CULBERSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleague and fellow Houstonian, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, in expressing our strong support for the fine men and women at NASA.
Our manned space program has preserved America’s leadership in space, which has led to America’s leadership in technology and in scientific advancement. The great men and women of NASA and of our manned space program have created in so many ways so many technological spin-offs that we must preserve America’s leadership in space. We must preserve America’s ability to protect the high ground. Unavoidably, the outer space today is the high ground militarily just as surely as Cemetery Hill and Little Round Top were at Gettysburg.
There is strong bipartisan support in this Congress to preserve America’s manned space program and to oppose the recommendation—and that’s what it is—of the Obama administration to close down America’s space program. That is unacceptable. America will never surrender her leadership in the world, and we certainly will not surrender our leadership in outer space.
We are very proud of the men and women at NASA and in our manned space program, and we will be working together in a bipartisan way to preserve, protect and defend America’s manned space program.
GO CONGRESS GO I am proud you are standing up for NASA, my dad who worked there for over 25 years would be proud also.