[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 20, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H5842]]
 COMMEMORATING THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Madam Speaker, 30 years ago today history was 
made. For the first time homo sapiens took their first steps on a new 
world. Thirty years ago today, American know-how and technological 
might was demonstrated in a way that benefited every human on this 
planet. Thirty years ago we aimed higher than ever and accomplished 
that goal.
  The names Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neal Armstrong will 
forever be etched in the edifice of human history, next to the names of 
Columbus and Lindbergh.
  We all know the phrases, ``The Eagle has landed,'' and ``That's one 
small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.'' Most of us can 
remember where we were at the time when the Eagle did make that 
landing. The magic of television helped us all feel like we were part 
of what was going on on the Moon.
  I remember well where I was. I sat in my living room with my mother 
and father and my three sisters, each of us glued to the television set 
in disbelief that we had actually lived to see people, humans, setting 
foot on another planet.
  Our efforts into space have an uncanny ability to unite all people 
and excite the imagination like nothing else. One of the privileges 
that I have had in serving in this position is the opportunity to 
travel and meet many teachers, and they all tell me, the thing that 
they find that most excites their young students to study math and 
science is our space program, particularly our manned spaceflight 
program.
  As we all know, today in America the majority of the new high-paying 
jobs are being created in high technology industries like the computing 
industry, and those jobs are dependent on America producing young 
people ready to go into the workplace with skills in math and science.
  Indeed, the computing industry is so big that it is generating jobs 
for artists, for marketers, and for other people who do not 
traditionally study in the sciences. Many of these jobs are dependent 
on motivating our kids. There is nothing that motivates our kids more 
than our space program.
  Today I am proud to say that the shuttle Columbia is now preparing to 
leave the Earth later this week on a mission to deploy a new space-
based telescope, a telescope that will aid in our understanding of our 
place in the universe.
  Madam Speaker, we should be proud of our space program, and on this 
day, the 30th anniversary of the first manned lunar mission, we should 
continue and remember to support our space program to the fullest 
extent possible.

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