[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 116 (Tuesday, September 26, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8075-H8078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
APOLLO EXPLORATION AWARD ACT OF 1999
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2572) to direct the Administrator of NASA to design and
present an award to the Apollo astronauts.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2572
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Apollo Exploration Award Act
of 1999''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E.
``Buzz'' Aldrin Jr., became the first humans to set foot on
another celestial body, during the Apollo 11 mission,
accompanied in lunar orbit by Michael Collins.
(2) Between 1969 and 1972, ten other Americans courageously
completed the first human exploration of the lunar surface,
accompanied by five command module pilots:
(A) Apollo 12--Charles J. ``Pete'' Conrad Jr., Alan L.
Bean, and Richard F. Gordon Jr.
(B) Apollo 14--Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and
Stuart A. Roosa.
(C) Apollo 15--David R. Scott, James B. Irwin, and Alfred
M. Worden.
(D) Apollo 16--John W. Young, Charles M. Duke Jr., and
Thomas K. Mattingly II.
(E) Apollo 17--Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and
Harrison H. Schmitt.
(3) In April 1970, James A. Lovell Jr., John L. Swigert
Jr., and Fred W. Haise Jr., valiantly made a safe return from
the Moon on the Apollo 13 mission, after their command module
was disabled by an explosion.
(4) The enormous successes of the Apollo lunar landing
missions were only possible due to the pioneering work of the
previous Apollo missions, which performed critical testing of
the spacecraft and methods, and conducted the first human
travel to the Moon:
(A) Apollo 7--Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R.
Walter Cunningham.
(B) Apollo 8--Frank Borman, James A. Lovell Jr., and
William A. Anders.
(C) Apollo 9--James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and
Russell L. Schweickart.
(D) Apollo 10--Thomas P. Stafford, John W. Young, and
Eugene A. Cernan.
[[Page H8076]]
(5) In January 1967, astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward
H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee lost their lives in a tragic
fire in the command module while testing the spacecraft which
would have carried them on the first manned Apollo mission.
(6) Since the time of the Apollo program, the program's
astronauts have promoted space exploration and human endeavor
by sharing their experiences with the American people and the
world, stimulating the imagination and the belief that any
goal can be achieved.
(7) Sadly, astronauts John L. Swigert Jr., Donn F. Eisele,
Ronald E. Evans, James B. Irwin, Stuart A. Roosa, Alan B.
Shepard Jr., and Charles J. ``Pete'' Conrad Jr., have died
since completing their missions.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the American people should
provide a fitting and tangible tribute to each of the
astronauts of the Apollo program, to recognize and
commemorate their bravery, substantial scientific and
technical accomplishments, and unique contributions to
American and world history.
SEC. 4. APOLLO EXPLORATION AWARD.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (hereinafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Administrator'') shall design and
present an appropriate award, to be named the ``Apollo
Exploration Award'', commemorating the accomplishments of the
astronauts who flew in the Apollo program.
(b) Design.--The Administrator shall ensure that the Apollo
Exploration Award shall have the following characteristics:
(1) A lunar rock sample shall be the central feature of the
award.
(2) The design of the award shall permit free access to and
removal of the lunar sample by the award recipient.
(c) Presentation.--The Administrator shall present one
award created under this Act to each of the following Apollo
astronauts, or if such person is deceased, to his closest
living family member or heir (as determined by the
Administrator):
(1) Buzz Aldrin (formerly known as Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.) of
Apollo 11.
(2) William A. Anders of Apollo 8.
(3) Neil A. Armstrong of Apollo 11.
(4) Alan L. Bean of Apollo 12.
(5) Frank Borman of Apollo 8.
(6) Eugene A. Cernan of Apollo 10 and Apollo 17.
(7) Roger B. Chafee of Apollo 1.
(8) Michael Collins of Apollo 11.
(9) Charles J. ``Pete'' Conrad Jr. of Apollo 12.
(10) R. Walter Cunningham of Apollo 7.
(11) Charles M. Duke Jr. of Apollo 16.
(12) Donn F. Eisele of Apollo 7.
(13) Ronald E. Evans of Apollo 17.
(14) Richard F. Gordon Jr. of Apollo 12.
(15) Virgil I. Grissom of Apollo 1.
(16) Fred W. Haise Jr. of Apollo 13.
(17) James B. Irwin of Apollo 15.
(18) James A. Lovell Jr. of Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.
(19) Thomas K. Mattingly II of Apollo 16.
(20) James A. McDivitt of Apollo 9.
(21) Edgar D. Mitchell of Apollo 14.
(22) Stuart A. Roosa of Apollo 14.
(23) Walter M. Schirra Jr. of Apollo 7.
(24) Harrison H. Schmitt of Apollo 17.
(25) Russell L. Schweickart of Apollo 9.
(26) David R. Scott of Apollo 9 and Apollo 15.
(27) Alan B. Shepard Jr. of Apollo 14.
(28) Thomas P. Stafford of Apollo 10.
(29) John L. Swigert Jr. of Apollo 13.
(30) Edward H. White of Apollo 1.
(31) Alfred M. Worden of Apollo 15.
(32) John W. Young of Apollo 10 and Apollo 16.
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON PROFIT.
No person may use an award presented under this Act for
monetary gain or profit.
SEC. 6. TRANSFER OF AWARD.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, ownership interest in an award presented under this Act
may not be--
(1) sold, traded, bartered, or exchanged for anything of
value; or
(2) otherwise transferred, other than to a family member of
the original recipient of the award or by inheritance.
(b) Exception for Public Display.--The prohibition in
subsection (a) does not apply to a transfer to a museum or
nonprofit organization for the purpose of public display.
(c) Reversion.--Ownership of an award presented under this
Act reverts to the Administrator if--
(1) no person inherits the award after the death of its
owner; or
(2) the award is not being displayed publicly under
subsection (b).
SEC. 7. RECALL OF LUNAR MATERIAL.
(a) In General.--The Administrator may recall a lunar
sample contained in an award presented under this Act if the
Administrator determines that the particular lunar sample is
required for scientific purposes.
(b) Prompt Return.--The Administrator shall promptly return
a lunar sample recalled under subsection (a) to its owner
when such sample is no longer required for scientific
purposes.
(c) Replacement.--The Administrator may replace a lunar
sample recalled under subsection (a) with a substantially
equivalent lunar sample if the Administrator determines that
such recalled lunar sample will not be promptly returned in
its entirety and without substantial degradation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Sensenbrenner).
General Leave
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks on H.R. 2572.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. SENSENBRENNER asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for sponsoring this bill, which
he introduced on the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the
moon last year.
The enormous success of the Apollo program clearly stands as a
watershed event in American history and one of man's greatest
scientific achievements. The Apollo Exploration Award Act provides a
fitting and tangible tribute to each of the astronauts who dedicated
themselves and risked their lives for the Apollo program.
{time} 1130
It recognizes and commemorates their bravery, substantial scientific
and technical achievements, and unique contributions to American and
world history.
I would like to note that these tremendous accomplishments were only
possible due to the ingenuity, diligence, and determination of the men
and women of NASA and the aerospace community who made the Apollo
program a success. I only wish it were possible to recognize each and
every one of these men and women for their contributions to the program
as well.
Since the time of the Apollo program, the astronauts have promoted
space exploration and scientific excellence by sharing their
experiences with the American people and the world, stimulating the
imagination and the belief that any goal can be achieved. I believe
these contributions need to be recognized.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. HALL of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak in support of H.R.
2572, the Apollo Exploration Award Act. I think the chairman has done a
very good job of ushering this bill to this stage and of explaining the
bill here, so I will be rather brief.
I think the bill recognizes a very important chapter in our Nation's
space program, the Apollo Moon landing project that we were all so very
proud of. And it honors the contributions of those very brave space
explorers, the Apollo astronauts, who helped humanity to achieve the
dream of finally setting foot on the Moon.
It is hard to believe that more than 3 decades have passed since Neil
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first stepped out onto the lunar surface
while Mike Collins orbited overhead.
Their accomplishments and those of the Apollo astronauts who followed
them made all of us proud to be Americans. And so it is fitting that we
honor them with this award.
It is also fitting that we honor the brave astronauts who preceded
them in the missions that helped prepare for that first Moon landing.
In that process we especially need to remember the three heroes, Virgil
``Gus'' Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee, who lost their lives
in the tragic Apollo 1 fire back in 1967. They made the ultimate
sacrifice to help push back the frontier, and I am glad that this bill
recognizes their contributions.
Mr. Speaker, some day in the not-too-distant future I expect that we
will go back to the Moon; and I believe we will ultimately go further,
to Mars and beyond. When we do, we will be building on the
accomplishments of not only
[[Page H8077]]
the brave astronauts that we honor in this piece of legislation but
also on the efforts of all of the thousands and thousands of men and
women who worked on the Apollo project. Their contributions, large and
small, all helped make Apollo a success.
While we cannot honor each of them by name, I hope that they take
pride in what they accomplished and know that we salute them.
Mr. Speaker, back several Congresses ago, as a matter of fact in the
103rd Congress, I introduced and passed through the House a concurrent
resolution, H. Con. Res. 261. It was a resolution to honor the lunar
astronauts and to increase their military rank, not to increase their
pay nor their retirement but simply to increase their rank. We sent it
over to the Senate and the Senate reduced it to saying they would be
called Honorable from here on and did nothing for them along the line
of their rank. I think we missed a chance to show them greater courtesy
and greater honor, and many of them talked to me, that many of them
really and truly wanted. H.R. 2572 is a way also for us to say thank
you to these astronauts who helped lead us to the Moon.
I urge my colleagues to vote to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2572.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Souder), who is the author of this bill.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the gentleman
from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Rohrabacher), the subcommittee chairman, for bringing this bill to
the floor and also Speaker Hastert, who, when he chaired the
subcommittee on oversight, held a number of hearings to try to promote
an increasing awareness of our space program and try to rekindle the
national interest; and also the cosponsors of this bill, particularly
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon), the principal cosponsor, and
the 33 other cosponsors, including many Democrats, all of whom join
with me today to provide a historic recognition of the accomplishments
of the Apollo program on its 30th anniversary. In doing so we hope to
recapture some of the vision and excitement of the space program for
Americans as we enter the 21st century.
We are currently in the midst of observing the 30th anniversary. I
introduced this bill on July 20, 1999, on the anniversary of the first
lunar landing. It is by no means an exaggeration to say that the
landing was one of the most significant events in human history. The
Apollo program not only was and still is one of the most significant
technological accomplishments but also marked the first time that
mankind left the planet Earth to explore another celestial body.
The Apollo program demonstrated that it is possible for Americans to
accomplish anything if they have a dream and a vision to work and to
make it come true. As astronaut Walt Cunningham said, ``Today we fail
not because of our inability to do something, we fail today because of
our unwillingness to tackle it in the first place. We are unwilling to
take a chance, stick our neck out and go and do some of these things.''
The Apollo astronauts have continued to stand as living monuments to
that drive and vision. Many of today's adults were not even born at the
time of the Apollo landing, even though they and their children hold
the potential to be the generation that first sets foot on Mars. The
vision is still a living vision, however, because it is rekindled by
the Apollo astronauts who continue to bear witness to the possibility
of making even seemingly outlandish dreams into reality.
We recently had sad reminders of just how precious these men are.
Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad was laid to rest last year in Arlington
National Cemetery. Four of the 12 men to have set foot on the Moon have
now passed away. A total of seven of the Apollo astronauts are no
longer with us. Just outside this Chamber stands one of the newest
additions to Statuary Hall, a statue of Apollo 13 astronaut Jack
Swigert of Colorado, who was elected to the House but never was able to
serve.
In my view, there would be no better recognition for these heroes nor
better way to rekindle the accomplishments of Apollo in the public
imagination than this award. The only fitting commemoration for those
who have touched the Moon or made that great achievement possible could
be a piece of the Moon itself. And such recognition is long overdue.
In addition, this is a simple issue of fairness. On the same day I
introduced this bill, the Apollo 11 astronauts visited the Oval Office
and presented President Clinton with a Moon rock which he promptly put
beside his desk in the Oval Office. NASA has already given out a number
of lunar samples to foreign leaders with no restrictions at all. In
fact, a sample that was dedicated to ``the People of Honduras''
recently was found in private hands. If Bill Clinton can have a Moon
rock in his office and we can give them to foreign leaders, I think it
is only fair and just that the men who risked their lives for science
and for their country of all people should have the same honor.
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969, Bill
Clinton was home for the summer from Oxford, according to David
Marannis, ``feverishly trying to find a way to avoid entering the Army
as a drafted private.'' And it is dumbfounding to me that after the
President received his Moon rock, his administration apparently
yesterday decided to oppose this bill giving a Moon rock to the
astronauts who performed the missions. Furthermore, it is not just that
some 250 foreign leaders have been given pieces of the Moon rock but
none to our astronauts.
NASA has recovered more than 2,000 different samples of the Moon in
six landings, so the rocks required for presentation would be a tiny
portion of our total holdings. The bill also maintains careful control
over the lunar rocks, preventing them from being sold or transferred to
anyone besides the astronaut, his family, or a museum. And the lunar
material could be recalled by NASA if needed for scientific research.
Mr. Speaker, America was founded on the principle of exploration. We
have it in our power to continue this great tradition as a spacefaring
Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Apollo Exploration Act--Questions and Answers
Rep. Mark Souder
H.R. 2572, The Apollo Exploration Award Act, would create
an award to be presented as a lasting commemoration for the
American astronauts who made the first voyages to the moon.
The award would contain an actual lunar sample (or ``moon
rock'') retrieved on the Apollo missions as a uniquely
fitting and appropriate presentation. This fact sheet answers
questions about the bill and responds to some issues which
have been raised by NASA.
Q: Why bring up the bill now?
A. The bill was introduced on the 30th anniversary of the
Apollo 11 lunar landing in July of 1999. Some of the former
Apollo astronauts have now died, and as time passes others
will become less able to participate in public events and
commemorations. Because we are still fortunate to have most
of the former astronauts engaged in public life, this is a
fitting time to provide an appropriate recognition of the
extraordinary significance of their deeds with the benefit of
historical hindsight. In doing so, the bill is also intended
to remind the American public of their accomplishments and
rekindle the vision of a great American space program.
The bill has significant bipartisan support, particularly
from members who represent NASA facilities. Of the 34
cosponsors, 14 are Democrats. NASA was contacted and provided
with a copy of the bill at the time of its introduction.
Q: Our ``Moon Rocks'' are a national asset--would this harm
their preservation and scientific research?
A: The Apollo missions collected 2,196 lunar samples
weighing 843 pounds. The bill provides for just 32 awards to
be issued to the Apollo Astronauts--a minuscule portion (1.5
percent) of our holdings. In addition, the bill explicitly
provides that NASA may recall any of the lunar samples used
for the award should they be needed for scientific research.
Q: Would this bill set a bad precedent by transferring moon
rocks for commemorative purposes?
A: The fact of the matter is that NASA has already
transferred moon rocks for commemorative purposes, with far
fewer restrictions than are contained in this bill. A number
of the Apollo crews made ``goodwill tours'' of foreign
nations, during which lunar samples were presented to heads
of state by the astronauts as a commemoration. Although these
were ostensibly presented as gifts to each country rather
than to the individuals, we are not aware of any restrictions
placed on these rocks. In fact, at least one of these
samples, presented to the ``People of
[[Page H8078]]
Honduras,'' found its way into private hands. We are unable
to find ``any'' accounting for the whereabouts of the samples
that were presented to foreign countries. NASA officials at
the time of the missions said they could make available 150
to 200 presentation samples--a number which makes the 32
samples here look very modest indeed.
In addition, the Apollo 11 crew recently presented a rock
to President Clinton for commemorative purposes. Although
NASA goes to great lengths to specify that that rock is ``on
loan,'' White House Spokesman Barry Toiv said ``I have a
feeling it will be here awhile.'' President Clinton put the
rock by his desk in the Oval Office.
The samples in question are not being presented to
strangers to NASA or to the public at large--they would go to
the astronauts who went to get them. This is only fitting,
just and appropriate.
Q: What controls are put on the samples? Could the
astronauts sell them?
A: The bill puts very tight controls on the samples.
Astronauts could not sell or transfer their award or receive
any monetary gain from its use. They could only keep it, give
or leave it as an inheritance to members of their family
under the same conditions, or loan it to a museum. If these
conditions are not met, the award and lunar sample return to
the possession of NASA.
Q: Wouldn't that require NASA to keep track of the awards?
A: Technically, the bill does not require NASA to keep
track of the awards--it gives them a right of recall if the
lunar samples are needed for scientific purposes. Moreover,
even if NASA chose to track the awards, it is difficult to
imagine that keeping track of 32 of them would be an undue
burden on the Agency. In fact, NASA already lends (and
successfully tracks) up to 10 lunar samples a week to schools
across the country.
____
[From the Indianapolis Star, July 18, 1999]
Purdue Enjoys Historic Lunar Links
(By Scott Thien)
When it comes to moon missions, Purdue rules one of
America's greatest achievements.
That's because Boilermakers Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 and
Eugene Cernan of Apollo 17 were the first and last men to
walk on the moon.
In fact, 21 current and former astronauts attended the
university, most in the School of Aeronautics and
Astronautics. And roughly 10 percent--24 out of 268--of all
U.S. astronauts have links to Indiana, either by birth or
education.
Famous ties, to be sure, but the state has little other
tangible evidence of America's six lunar landings.
Currently, Indiana has no permanent public display of moon
rocks, lunar dust or any of the core samples from the 842
pounds gathered during the Apollo missions from 1969 to 1972.
Twenty-one states and 12 foreign countries have such
displays, which are administered by the Johnson Space Center
in Houston. And, officials of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration say, none of the material is privately
owned--not even by the 12 moonwalkers.
That's not to say NASA is stingy. At the end of the Apollo
program, every U.S. state and nearly every country in the
world received a commemorative plaque with a mounted sliver
of moon material. Indiana's sample, which came from the
historic Apollo 11 mission, eventually found its way into the
bowels of the Indiana State Museum. The sample--several
plastic-encased, porous-looking black pebbles about one-
sixteenth of an inch each--occasionally is displayed, museum
officials say.
Both Indiana and Purdue universities have moon material for
research, but none is publicly displayed.
So, is Indianapolis out of luck for a lunar look on
Tuesday's 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing? Check
out The Children's Museum.
Through Aug. 31, a 5.5-ounce dark chunk of the moon will be
displayed outside the SpaceQuest Planetarium, along with
period articles, photos and models of Apollo spacecraft. The
4- to 6-inch-long rock, on loan from the John Glenn Space
Center in Cleveland, was gathered from the moon's Base North
Massif Mountain in the Valley of Taurus-Littrow during the
1971 Apollo 15 mission. For hours and admission, call the
museum at (317) 334-3322.
Fast Facts
What became of the moon rocks? Here's a quick look:
In NASA, military vaults: 711 pounds
Studied, returned to NASA: 60 pounds
Sent out for study: 15 pounds
Loaned to museums or schools: 24 pounds
Destroyed in experiments: 22 pounds
Gifts to foreign heads of state: 0.6 pounds
Used but not destroyed in experiments: 7 pounds
Lost: 0.078 pounds.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Weldon).
Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding me this time, and I rise to speak in support of this very,
very important legislation.
As many people know, the Apollo missions departed from Cape Canaveral
Kennedy Space Center, which is in my Congressional district. Indeed,
for most of the people in my congressional district, they refer to the
area they live in as the Space Coast. Space has been the heart of the
area, the community, now going on for 4 decades; and, indeed, the area
has been home on and off for the Apollo astronauts for years.
I wholeheartedly support this piece of legislation and I think it is
extremely fair and appropriate to do this. The Apollo astronauts put
their lives on the line. Indeed, the gentleman who was running the
Apollo program at the time, his name was George Mueller, felt that
there was only about a 10 percent chance when the first Moon mission
took off that the crew would return safely. And, of course, not only
did they, we were able to go back several more times after Apollo 11
and successfully bring safely the crew back to Earth.
But this mission was not without its risk and its price. According to
my conversations with the astronauts involved, the hours were
excruciatingly long, separation from family was huge, there was an
incredible amount of stress after the initial Apollo 1 fire taking the
lives of three crew members, and after all of these years to have these
Moon rocks essentially sitting in a vault collecting dust and to have a
scenario where we are giving specimens out to politicians, of all
people. But to not give a specimen to the heroes who actually put their
lives on the line and actually went to the Moon I think is wrong and
that it is very fitting and appropriate for us to now at this time
honor those heroes who went to the Moon and extend to them a specimen.
Now, the gentleman from Indiana has inserted a whole host of
safeguards in this legislation. They cannot sell it for money. NASA can
retrieve the specimens if there is some tremendous scientific need for
them. Actually, the scientists have analyzed these things over and over
again and they are just rocks. There is no great need, and it is
extremely unlikely that they would ever have to be reclaimed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the legislation. I applaud
the gentleman for coming up with this idea. He should be commended. I
would encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote
in support of this bill.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hansen). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2572.
The question was taken.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________