[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E836-E837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2020

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. KENDRA S. HORN

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2019

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3055) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, 
     Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2020, and for other purposes:

  Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Madam Chair, I rise to speak on the 
Amendment offered by Mr. Babin.
  I thank the gentleman for his interest in commercial space and for 
the opportunity to work with him on the Space and Aeronautics 
Subcommittee of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which 
I chair and on which he serves as Ranking Member.
  The gentleman's amendment concerns the organization of space 
activities within the Department of Commerce and its National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
  My concern with this amendment is that it should be considered in the 
authorizing committee of jurisdiction through its work on commercial 
space.
  Reorganizing space activities in the Federal government shouldn't be 
something slipped into an appropriations bill. Those decisions should 
be evaluated and considered by the Committee of jurisdiction--the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
  There are multiple stakeholders involved in commercial space 
activities, including Federal government agencies, commercial 
providers, users of commercial space activities, and partnerships among 
the various stakeholders.
  Their views on the current state of commercial space activities and 
regulations should inform policy going forward as should the 
perspectives of the Federal government agencies involved working on 
commercial space-related activities.
  How Federal agencies are organized to carry out their roles and 
responsibilities related to commercial space is the work of the Space 
and Aeronautics Subcommittee and I plan to engage the Subcommittee on 
these and other important commercial space matters.
  The Members of the Subcommittee and the full Science Committee expect 
to be involved in matters regarding the future of space activities 
within the Federal government. Changing important policy affecting many 
stakeholders in a multi-agency spending bill may have unintended 
consequences. Such changes should be addressed through the committee of 
jurisdiction where they can be debated and reviewed in the light of 
day. I hope that this provision will be removed from the appropriations 
bill before it goes to the President.

[[Page E837]]

  

                          ____________________