[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 20, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF APOLLO MOON LANDING

  (Mr. GRAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago proving that we could go to the 
Moon and return safely was our goal.
  Today, our ability to explore space is not in question, only our 
desire. Undoubtedly, the environment in which the U.S. space program 
thrived in the sixties and seventies is long gone. The cold war is 
over. The public is wary of tax dollars ending up in black holes.
  The question on many people's minds is, ``Do we still need a space 
program?'' My answer is an emphatic, ``Yes.''
  While the results of modern day space exploration may not be as 
fantastic as the high profile Apollo flights, they are no less 
important in terms of ground-breaking scientific discoveries and 
spinoff technologies that positively impact our daily lives.
  For example, the development of life-saving technologies such as 
programmable pacemakers and bioreactors for culturing ovarian and 
breast cancer cells have dramatically improved medical care. And 
environmental technologies such as water purification systems help us 
improve our world.
  On the 25th anniversary of the greatest technological feat achieved 
by mankind, we must take pride in the many tangible benefits derived 
from the U.S. space program and the prospects and the promises of the 
future.

                          ____________________