[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H12178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATIONS TO ASTRONAUT SHANNON LUCID

  (Mrs. SCHROEDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely delighted with Newsweek 
because you know what it says? Here we have this wonderful picture of 
Shannon Lucid and it said: Forget the fighter jocks. At 53 years of 
age, Shannon Lucid has the new right stuff. To be in space 188 days is 
almost as long as this Congress has been in session and I must say I am 
very proud of the fact I held the first hearing here when we asked NASA 
why there were no women and they tried to explain to us, because you 
had to be tough and strong and it was back when the jock-ocracy was 
ruling that. Well, I pointed out I was a pilot and I understood it 
really was more like milking a mouse. They kind of swallowed hard and 
we finally moved on with moving women into that era. And now we have 
her defining the norm for the future. I think that is very exciting.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Shannon and NASA for having the vision to 
move there and I think all of us as Americans are terribly proud of her 
accomplishment and very few of us would want to have changed places 
with her during those 188 days.

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