[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING LIVES LOST ON SPACE SHUTTLE ``COLUMBIA''

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I sadly rise today to remind 
my colleagues that this is the second anniversary of the tragic crash 
that took the lives of seven courageous astronauts aboard Space Shuttle 
Columbia.
  I ask all of my colleagues in Congress to join me in paying tribute 
to our fallen heroes. The seven astronauts whose lives were lost in the 
crash of Space Shuttle Columbia were extraordinary people. To the 
world, those astronauts were valiant heroes; to us in Texas, they were 
also friends and neighbors and family.
  They made the ultimate sacrifice on a mission that benefited all of 
humanity. Out of their sacrifice, the President of the United States 
has joined together to commit to human space exploration on behalf of 
the United States of America.
  The names we remember today are Rick D. Husband, Michael P. Anderson, 
Laurel Clark, David M. Brown, William C. McCool, Kapana Chawla, and 
Ilan Ramon. These astronauts were international in their standing, but 
united in their commitment to space exploration and helping humanity.
  Mr. Speaker, I have reintroduced a bill in the 109th Congress to 
authorize the coinage of a gold medal to pay proper tribute to our 
astronauts. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the fact that 
many can be applauded, not just one. They are seven, but they were 
unified. They died over the sunny skies of Texas, 200,000 miles in the 
sky. The Columbia exploded, but the heart, the courage, the bravery of 
these young individuals who were willing to go and explore a place 
where many of us have not been so that we can live a better life 
deserves the honor of this body and a Congressional Gold Medal.
  Again I say to the families left behind, we thank you for their 
service and bravery. We thank you for providing them so they might give 
us a better opportunity to understand our lives, to create health, 
science and of course the idea of new inventions. So today, we honor 
and celebrate the lives of Rick D. Husband, Michael P. Anderson, Laurel 
Clark, David M. Brown, William C. McCool, Kapana Chawla, and Ilan 
Ramon. I ask all Members to pay tribute to these fallen heroes.

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