[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ``APOLLO 11''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Hill) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 50th 
anniversary of the Apollo 11 series.
  When I think of Apollo 11, I am reminded of a feeling that many of us 
have forgotten in this current time of divisiveness and anger. Apollo 
11 reminds me of an America that pulled together; a time when America 
prioritized impossible dreams, because impossible dreams were what 
built this country; a time when we understood that achieving those 
impossible dreams was a way to make every child feel prouder to be an 
American and every adversary feel that our Nation loomed larger than 
they could hope to surmount.
  As Americans, we work hard, we get better, then we become the best.
  At its core, space exploration and the Moon landing were rooted in 
the American Dream, and I believe that dream is still worth dreaming 
today.
  Fifty years later, the Apollo series and the space exploration of 
that time remind us that we are part of something bigger than 
ourselves. I stand here today as the congresswoman of a district that 
is incredibly proud of our contributions to space technology, flight, 
and exploration. Really, our contributions to bringing that dream to 
life.
  My district is home to many of the Edwards Air Force Base workers who 
are critical to our country's defense and service. We often say that 
the Antelope Valley is actually the aerospace valley because of how 
much testing, research, and development takes place in our community.
  The NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base 
made countless contributions to the NASA human spaceflight program 
during the sixties, from the X-15 rocket plane hypersonic research 
program to the lunar landing research vehicle, both of which had a 
direct impact on the Apollo missions. In fact, the first flight of a 
lunar landing research vehicle was in 1964 at Edwards Air Force Base. 
These vehicles were later used at Ellington Air Force Base to train the 
Apollo flight crew, including Neil Armstrong.
  For my constituents and so many others across the Nation, the 
celebration of the Apollo mission is the celebration of our history. It 
is the celebration of people like my grandfather, who worked on the 
thrusters for the lunar lander. From 1961 to 1970, he was involved with 
Apollo service module rocket development, qualification, and 
production.
  In talking with my grandfather, I have seen how much of a catalyst 
this work is for our identity as Americans. The Moon shot gave so many 
of us something to believe in, and that belief paid off in its enduring 
impact to scientific discovery and commercial applications. We need to 
realize that triumph in this generation of Americans.
  My work on the House Armed Services Committee has also shown me that 
the military and our defense capabilities simply don't work any longer 
without a mastery of space. Our adversaries are on their way to the 
Moon, and we have no choice but to be there, as well. That is a vital 
part of how we maintain our status as the global leader that we have 
always been. To keep our strongest position, we have to have a plan and 
a strategy for space.
  In doing so, we will inspire a generation of STEM workers, many of 
them young women, people of color, and first-generation college 
students, to be part of something great, something that defines our 
identity as Americans. We will stimulate our economy, innovate products 
that stretch beyond use in space, and contribute to our comfort and 
well-being here in America.
  On the 50th anniversary of Apollo, I am honored to champion a program 
that unlocked so much American greatness. I am even more honored to 
stand with the knowledge that greater things are yet to come. Together, 
we can do so much and go so far, further than we have ever gone before. 
Because we can. Because we have to. Because our security demands it. 
Because, without doing so, we will never know what is possible. And as 
humans, as Americans, we will not let the impossible stop us.

                          ____________________