[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE CREW OF THE 
                       SPACE SHUTTLE ``COLUMBIA''

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                               speech of

                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 5, 2003

  Mr. STEARNS.  Mr. Speaker, the mark of any great civilization can be 
measured by those who are willing to put their lives at risk for the 
advancement of their people. And with this in mind, Mr. Speaker, I rise 
with a grieving heart to commemorate the seven lives lost on the 
shuttle Columbia. Not since the Challenger tragedy in '86 has America 
known this sort of loss. In an age where space flight has become second 
nature, we forget the untold peril that these men and women face with 
each mission. Bound by bravery and the faith in their mission, these 
heroes took on risks for the betterment of mankind. These men and 
women, America and Israel's elite, sought more than personal success, 
they braved the skies for the greater good, representing the world's 
strongest space program. But as we grieve the loss of the Columbia's 
crew, earth's men and women will continue answering the call, placing 
the mantel of space exploration over their shoulders. I wish to extend 
my deepest sympathies to the families of the crewmembers; in our 
prayers and in our hearts, the men and women of the Columbia will never 
be forgotten.

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