[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 97 (Monday, July 20, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FUNDING

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 20, 1998

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to oppose the proposed 
amendment by Rep. Roemer, eliminating the funding for an International 
Space Station (ISS). The funding for this project has undergone a 
thorough investigation and found to be justifiable. Having developed 
much of the hardware that is needed for the ISS, it is senseless to 
eliminate the funding that would have allowed NASA to utilize this 
hardware. As we debate this amendment, the hardware for the first three 
flights are awaiting a launch in Florida.
  Each NASA launch brings a tremendous amount of research benefits back 
to our country. Medical research done in space, and technology 
developed for astronauts by NASA, have substantially benefited medical 
care here on Earth. NASA's research has led to the development of a 
voice activated wheelchair for paralyzed patients who cannot control a 
chair manually. Symptoms that arise from diseases such as multiple 
sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida, have been improved due to 
a custom-made cooling suit used in astronaut space suits. Modern 
methods of examining breast tissue, without a surgical biopsy, can be 
attributed to NASA, as well as Ultrasound scanners that play a key role 
in diagnosing the treatment of severe burns.
  We often take for granted information that is available to us on a 
regular basis because of NASA and space exploration. Accurate weather 
reports of severe storms, down to the exact time a high or low pressure 
system will hit a certain locale, are derived from the Barorator, a 
tool developed for the Space Shuttle. Alternative farming methods such 
as hydroponics are worked on in space because of the potential uses on 
and off of the orbiters.
  The desire for renewable energy methods has become more prevalent 
around the world. Solar energy, through a photo-voltaic power system, 
was developed for various spacecraft applications. This system has been 
used to supply power to isolated villages, communication systems, 
various military systems, and a variety of other services in areas 
where no conventional power source exists. This photo-voltaic system is 
constantly being improved.
  Aside from these practical medical and social benefits to the ISS, 
there is a clear political benefit. It serves as a force to unify all 
of the space-faring nations of the world. The International Space 
Station is the largest scientific cooperative program in history, 
bringing together 16 nations, thus providing international commercial 
opportunities for the United States. It would become a serious problem 
for the United States to withdraw from their commitment to the Space 
Station. It would cost a significant amount of money, almost a billion 
dollars, just to terminate the program contracts.
  An independent cost evaluation team went through a detailed, exact 
investigation of the ISS program. This Cost Assessment and Validation 
Task Force praised the ISS management team because of its resourceful 
methods of managing the challenges associated with an international 
partnership of this magnitude.
  There is so much empirical evidence that the benefits from space 
exploration outweigh the costs. Cutting future funding would not just 
be a sheer waste of hardware already developed, but a huge waste of 
potential as well. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to celebrate our 
space work and applaud NASA's efforts by voting against the Roemer 
amendment.

                          ____________________