[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 93 (Friday, June 19, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2847) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, 
     and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2010, and for other purposes:

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2847, the 
Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. The bill provides $18.2 
billion, $421 million above FY 2009 levels, for NASA, an agency which 
is critical to our nation's economy, competitiveness, and environment. 
It provides protection for the most important reason for NASA's 
historic and ongoing success: its workers. This bill extends a ban on 
involuntary layoffs until at least September, 2010, a provision for 
which I organized support among several Members of the Ohio delegation.
  In Ohio, NASA Glenn is an economic anchor and a source of well paying 
jobs. In FY 07, the year for which we have the most recent data, the 
economic output of NASA Glenn alone in Ohio was $1.2 billion per year. 
It was responsible for over 8,000 jobs, and household earnings amounted 
to $402 million. NASA Glenn's expertise in renewable energy and energy 
efficiency technologies will be critical to Ohio's new green economy.
  While the bill provided significantly less than the needed funding 
for space exploration, the administration is expected to submit a 
supplemental request for NASA exploration funds when president Obama's 
blue ribbon panel designed to review U.S. human space flight activities 
is complete.
  The bill also contains a 13 percent increase in funding for the Legal 
Services Corporation. The American legal system is increasingly 
inaccessible for low and moderate income citizens. The costs and 
specialized knowledge associated with pursuing justice have left 
thousands on the outside looking in, unable to obtain even an 
opportunity to tell their side of the story. LSC provides funding to 
organizations that provide free and low-cost legal assistance to 
individuals and families who otherwise would not have the resources to 
pursue justice. I also commend the Committee for including language 
that begins to undo some of the restrictions that have been placed on 
LSC grantees in previous appropriations bills. This will allow LSC 
grantees to serve more clients and maximize their resources.
  I am proud, therefore, to support this bill.

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