[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 101 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1268-E1269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2008

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill H.R. 6063, to 
     authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration, and for othe purposes:
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Chairman, I am proud to support H.R. 
6063, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 
Authorization Act of 2008. As NASA celebrates its 50th anniversary this 
year, I would like to express my strong support for a program that has 
contributed so much to our Nation's educational, scientific, and 
economic interests.
  H.R. 6063 authorizes $20.21 billion in funding for NASA in FY 2009, 
including $1 billion in augmented funding to reduce the five year

[[Page E1269]]

gap between the retirement of the current space shuttle in 2010 and the 
launch of the new Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and Ares I Crew Launch 
Vehicle in 2015. During this time, the U.S. will lose all human 
spaceflight capability and will be forced to rely on foreign nations to 
carry our astronauts to the International Space Station. These 
outsourced space flights are estimated to cost around $700 million to 
$1 billion. The gap is also expected to have adverse effects on our 
national economy. NASA estimates that as many as 2,300 people could 
lose their jobs at Johnson Space Center in Houston as the shuttle fleet 
is retired. The funds that are included in this bill will help to 
accelerate the development of our next generation human spaceflight 
systems and minimize the undesirable consequences of this transitional 
period.
  H.R. 6063 also includes funding for a wide range of different NASA 
initiatives such as space weather research and robotics development. 
The bill allows NASA to maintain a diverse portfolio of projects in 
science, aeronautics, and space exploration. By creating more quality 
jobs in this technical sector, we will be able to encourage future 
generations of students to pursue studies in science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields. Creating this 
skilled workforce is an important step towards protecting our economic 
strength, our global competitiveness, and our national security.
  Since its inception in 1958, NASA has been responsible for countless 
innovations and scientific breakthroughs. For decades, it has 
symbolized our Nation's position as the global leader in space 
exploration and research. I am proud to support H.R. 6063 so that NASA 
will be able to build upon its own prestigious legacy as we move 
forward into this new millennium.

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