[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPPORTING UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GARCIA of California. Madam Speaker, mankind has existed on this 
beautiful blue marble that we call Earth for nearly 200,000 years. Yet, 
just 118 years ago, we learned to fly in our own planet's atmosphere.
  As a nation, we are thirsty for something to rally behind, something 
that unifies us, something that we can all be invested in, be intrigued 
by, be impassioned about, and something to be positive about.
  There isn't a better movement to get behind than our Nation's modern 
space program. Some question the value of spending precious taxpayer 
dollars to overcome our planet's gravity to go to space, but those 
people aren't seeing the big picture.
  In the early 1900s, many questioned the value of spending so much 
capital and risking so many lives in hopes of conquering flight, and 
now we can't imagine a world in which we don't have the luxury of 
modern aviation.
  We had no idea that a little canvas glider flown on a beach in North 
Carolina would evolve into the modern fighter jet.
  We have no choice but to think outside the box, think outside of our 
own solar system even, to make sure that we not only understand the 
answers to our most profound questions but also discover new questions 
for tomorrow that we can't even fathom asking today.
  We have no choice but to better understand the extensions of God's 
creations, to know if we are alone in the universe, to know if there is 
a second home somewhere out there beyond our sights and imaginations.
  Failing to press on is a disservice to previous generations who have 
sacrificed so much and worked so hard to get us here today. Failing to 
press on is a disservice to current and future generations who benefit 
from our progress today.
  You see, space is a domain where we, as a nation, can thrive, but it 
is also a domain where we can be vulnerable and susceptible to the 
malicious intent of foes such as China, Russia, and Iran. There are 
existential threats right now in space.
  Any decision on our part to divest from this adventure will not 
dissuade our foes from advancing their own space programs. It would 
only serve to highlight a massive strategic vulnerability and 
potentially create capability gaps that will be impossible to fill in 
the future.
  A path of divestment is an unforgiving one and the damages 
irreparable. While we as a nation currently hold an advantage in space, 
our lead, like the nearly 118 years that separates today from the 
Wright brothers' first flight in 1903, can vanish in the blink of an 
eye.
  In this new frontier, time is as precious as money. Now is not the 
time to slow down.
  As big as space is, we must, as a nation, be bigger, be bigger as a 
united team. As a nation, we must recognize that this investment in our 
future is more than science and curiosity; it is more than resolve and 
perseverance; and it is more than just discovery and challenges. It is 
about survival, excellence, and inspiration; it is about national 
security; and it is about planetary security against threats that are 
not slowing down. It is about a new golden era for the American space 
program.
  As a result of the construction of the International Space Station, 
we have not had all humans together on this planet for over 20 years. 
That is remarkable to think about.
  In 2020, SpaceX, a critical commercial partner in our quest for low-
cost and frequent space travel, averaged one rocket launch every 2 
weeks. That is 26 launches in a year or almost three times the number 
of flights that the space shuttle did in its best year.

  Earlier this year, NASA successfully landed a JPL Mars rover on the 
Martian surface for the fifth time. We were the first and only nation 
to have done this until recently when the UAE and China just landed on 
Mars.
  In April, we flew a helicopter in the Martian atmosphere. No other 
nation has done that, but the United States now has.
  In 2024, we plan to once again land Americans on the Moon and further 
make history with the first woman on the Moon. Still, to this day, no 
other nation has done that.
  During our lifetimes, we will land Americans on Mars. No other nation 
has done that. The U.S. will be the first.
  As Americans, we are, in fact, exceptional. Our successes in space 
are testimonies to this. We should take pride in those successes, take 
pride in our exceptionalism, especially in the space domain.
  In 1962, JFK had to inspire us with his moonshot speech. Today, we 
have no excuses not to be inspired. We in Congress have no excuses to 
not support these exceptional programs in earnest and with pride. We 
have no choice.

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