[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3321-3322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3752, COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH 
                         AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2004

  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 546 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 546

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 3752) to promote the development of the 
     emerging commercial human space flight industry, to extend 
     the liability indemnification regime for the commercial space 
     transportation industry, to authorize appropriations for the 
     Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space 
     Transportation, and for other purposes. The first reading of 
     the bill shall be dispensed with. Points of order against 
     consideration of the bill for failure to comply with clause 
     4(a) of rule XIII are waived. General debate shall be 
     confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally 
     divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
     member of the Committee on Science. After general debate the 
     bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute 
     rule. The bill shall be considered as read. No amendment to 
     the bill shall be in order except those printed in the 
     portion of the Congressional Record designated for that 
     purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIII and except pro forma 
     amendments for the purpose of debate. Each amendment so 
     printed may be offered only by the Member who caused it to be 
     printed or his designee and shall be considered as read. At 
     the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the 
     Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with 
     such amendments as may have been adopted. The previous 
     question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and 
     amendments thereto to final passage without intervening 
     motion except one motion to recommit with or without 
     instructions.


[[Page 3322]]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds) 
is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the 
purpose of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 546 is a modified open rule that 
provides for consideration of H.R. 3752, the Commercial Space Launch 
Amendments Act of 2004. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate and 
makes in order under the 5-minute rule any amendments preprinted in the 
Congressional Record. The rule also provides one motion to recommit 
with or without instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, recent discoveries in the space program have 
reinvigorated our Nation's enthusiasm for space travel and discovery 
and, while in its infancy, commercial human space flight is becoming a 
new and exciting industry. As this concept continues to mature, there 
is hope of regular and safe round trips into space for paying 
customers. Eventually these trips will also serve as an important tool 
for investigation into commercial remote sensing and microgravity and 
atmospheric research. Currently there is no clear, defined structure to 
preside over this emerging new concept. Failing to provide a precise 
and consistent form of management will negatively affect the industry's 
ability to plan for its future, compete with international providers 
and attract financing from investors.
  The underlying bill creates a process for all commercial space flight 
and grants authority over commercial human space flight to the FAA's 
Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space 
Transportation. This will clearly define the structure to allow flights 
of suborbital rockets carrying human beings. Centrally locating this 
within the Administrator's office will also expedite the issuance of 
permits and licenses for commercial space travel. The Administrator 
will also be charged with drafting a policy for crews relating to 
training and medical condition prior to space travel.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3752 is a noncontroversial bill that moved easily 
through the committee process and is necessary to support this emerging 
space industry. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the 
underlying legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for 
yielding me the customary 30 minutes and I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Chairman Boehlert, Ranking Member 
Gordon and the entire Science Committee's hard work in crafting this 
legislation. While I am disappointed that the Committee on Rules did 
not grant an open rule today, it is refreshing to actually consider a 
truly bipartisan bill in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3752 will promote the development of the emerging 
commercial human space flight, extend the government indemnification 
until 2007, and allow the FAA to issue experimental launch permits. Mr. 
Speaker, the idea of space travel is extremely exciting and it holds a 
special place in the heart of Massachusetts' Third Congressional 
District. My hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, is the birthplace of 
Dr. Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry. At the age of 17, 
Dr. Goddard had a vision of space travel while in his family's backyard 
that would remain with him the rest of his life. In his autobiography, 
Goddard wrote:
  ``On the afternoon of October 19, 1899, I climbed a tall cherry tree. 
It was one of the quiet, colorful afternoons of sheer beauty which we 
have in October in New England, and as I looked towards the fields at 
the east, I imagined how wonderful it would be to make some device 
which had even the possibility of ascending to Mars. I was a different 
boy when I descended from the tree from when I ascended for existence 
at last seemed very purposive.''
  Mr. Speaker, in 1926 Dr. Goddard, as Director of the physical 
laboratories at Clark University, went on to launch the first liquid 
propellant rocket at Auburn, Massachusetts, which was the catalyst for 
our modern space industry. Throughout his lifetime, Dr. Goddard was at 
the forefront of science and space research. As a Professor at Clark 
University and Princeton University, Dr. Goddard devoted his life to 
the growth of rockets and his research has had lasting effects on our 
space industry.
  During World War II, Dr. Goddard was Director of Research for the 
Navy Department's Bureau of Aeronautics. In that position he developed 
jet-assisted takeoff and variable-thrust liquid propellant rockets at 
Annapolis, Maryland and Roswell, New Mexico. Following his service as a 
researcher to our Nation in World War II, Dr. Goddard served a year as 
Director of the American Rocket Society before passing away on August 
10, 1945 in Baltimore, Maryland.
  As is the case with innovation, many people did not see the potential 
that Dr. Goddard's research would have on future space travel. Indeed, 
a New York Times editorial in January 1920 stated that Dr. Goddard's 
assertions of future space travel lacked the knowledge ladled out daily 
in high schools. Dr. Goddard countered by saying that every vision is a 
joke until the first man accomplishes it. Once realized, it becomes 
commonplace. Of course, 49 years later on the eve of man's first walk 
on the Moon in 1969, the New York Times printed a correction to their 
editorial by stating that it is now definitely established that a 
rocket can function in a vacuum as well as in an atmosphere. The Times 
regrets the error. That was in their editorial.
  Since the start of the space program, we have seen Americans walk on 
the Moon, we have started to construct an international space station, 
and we currently have unmanned rovers exploring the surface of Mars. 
And now, with the passage of this legislation, commercial space travel 
is one step closer to reality.
  Mr. Speaker, while I am disappointed that the Committee on Rules 
would refer a restrictive rule for this bipartisan bill, I keep hoping 
that one of these days the rhetoric of my friends on the majority side 
will be actually matched by their actions, but I guess we are going to 
have to wait for that day. But having said that, I will not oppose the 
rule and I support the underlying legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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