September 20, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1581 

support 12 graduating students. Lincoln High 

School’s organizing committee has hosted various fundraisers to connect students and communities through education. 

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I 

honor Lincoln High School. Schools like Lincoln High School keeps students motivated 

and active by ensuring that all are given the 

opportunity to have a bright future. 

f 

CONFIRMING FULL OWNERSHIP 

RIGHTS TO ARTIFACTS FROM 

ASTRONAUTS’ SPACE MISSIONS 

SPEECH OF

HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4158, to Confirm Full Ownership 

Rights for Certain United States Astronauts to 

Artifacts from the Astronauts’ Space Missions 

Act. 

H.R. 4158 preserves the rights of astronauts 

who served on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s, through 

the time of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Flight, to retain full and complete ownership of certain artifacts such as personal logs and flight manuals that were used in training or during their 

flights. 

For many years, it was an accepted practice 

for astronauts to keep mementos of their training and flight missions. 

However, confusion surrounding NASA’s informal policies on artifacts have led to attempts to repossess those artifacts years later. 

This has resulted in questions concerning 

the status of items that astronauts have had in 

their possession for years, if not decades, or 

donated to museums, universities, scholarship 

funds, and so forth. 

I support this bill, because it clarifies that 

the ownership of those artifacts rests with the 

astronauts who served during those missions, 

while preserving the current policy that ownership of moon rocks and lunar material will continue to rest with the Federal Government. 

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, we lost an 

American hero, Neil Armstrong. He and his 

fellow astronauts fulfilled the dreams of a 

grateful nation by pushing the boundaries of 

space. 

One small way to show our gratitude is by 

passing this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it. 

f 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. KEVIN BRADY OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 586, I was unavoidably detained and 

could not be present for last night’s rollcall 

vote on H.R. 5912, a bill that would amend the 

Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the 

use of public funds for political party conventions and provide for the return of any previously-distributed funds for deficit reduction. I 

am a strong supporter of this legislation. Had 

I been present, I would have voted ‘‘yes.’’ 

IN HONOR OF THE NATIONAL 

MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT 

HON. SAM FARR 

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reflect on one of the most important pieces of 

federal legislation impacting our coastal, great 

lakes and ocean resources stretching from 

Fagatele Bay in American Samoa to the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary along the East 

Coast. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 

which was signed on October 23, 1972, recognized the value of these national treasures; 

designating marine protected areas for current 

and future generations. 

40 years later, communities across the 

country have seen real dividends from these 

federal investments and are expressing their 

interests in protecting their own waters. Reactivation of NOAA’s Site Evaluation List, a scientifically rigorous and publicly reviewed list of 

sites, is being considered as part of the Strategic Action Plan to implement our National 

Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our 

Coasts, and the Great Lakes. It would bring a 

renewed commitment to conserve, protect, 

and enhance the biodiversity, ecological integrity and cultural legacy of our nation’s system 

of marine protected areas. 

In my experience, the most remarkable 

thing about the National Marine Sanctuary 

Program is the transformation which occurs 

when communities recognize they have the 

opportunity to become stewards of their local 

marine environment. I cannot emphasize 

enough that ours and future generations will 

increasingly depend on a healthy ocean—for 

ecological, economic, educational, scientific, 

social, cultural and recreational benefits, as 

well as for the food we eat. For me, the best 

example is the Monterey Bay National Marine 

Sanctuary, which this year celebrates its 20th 

Anniversary. 

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary emerged from a collaboration of local officials, civic minded citizens, environmentalists 

and many others who were concerned about 

the possibility of oil drilling on the Central 

Coast. Their hard work resulted in the establishment of the largest marine sanctuary in the 

Continental U.S. It goes down more than 2 

miles and is almost as deep as the Rockies 

are tall. Its undersea mountain—‘‘Davidson 

Seamount’’—is higher than any coastal mountain, 7480 ft. tall, and it supports one of the 

most bio-diverse ecosystems in the world. 

I am fortunate to represent a congressional 

district that has one of the greatest synergies 

of ocean science and research in the world. 

And it is through increased understanding of 

our marine sanctuaries that we become better 

stewards of our blue planet. The National Marine Sanctuary Program is charting the course 

forward through research and education and it 

is only fitting that, on this anniversary of the 

National Marine Sanctuaries Act, we in Congress commend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and all of our nation’s sanctuaries 

for their significant work in advancing understanding and protection of the world’s oceans. 

HONORING NASA LANGLEY’S 95TH 

ANNIVERSARY 

HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize the 95th Anniversary of NASA 

Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In 1917, this nation’s first civilian aeronautical research laboratory was established 

in Hampton, Virginia, by the National Advisory 

Committee for Aeronautics as the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Today, NASA 

Langley is known around the world for its cutting edge research, leading numerous aviation 

breakthroughs, making contributions to flight 

technologies across all speed regimes, and 

improving the safety of our national air space. 

I would also like to recognize the approximately 1900 civil servants and 1800 contractors who contribute to the important mission 

carried out at NASA Langley today and to 

thank the many individuals who have played a 

part in the Center’s 95-year history in establishing the Center’s strong legacy of excellence in aeronautics. 

NASA Langley contributes to NASA’s vision 

to ‘‘reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind’’ by developing robust aerospace systems that can perform in our own atmosphere, on the Moon, on Mars or anywhere 

that NASA explores with aircraft, spacecraft 

and satellites. These NASA technologies can 

be found on virtually every civilian or military 

aircraft flying today. NASA Langley has also 

conducted ground-breaking climate and atmospheric research, which has improved the 

understanding of our planet, its atmosphere, 

and the impact on human health. NASA Langley is a vital member of the Hampton Roads 

community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, 

and the Nation and I am certain that the Center and its employees will continue to achieve 

unparalleled technology advances that will inspire generations of future explorers. 

I urge my colleagues to join me in commending NASA Langley for continuing to drive 

game-changing technology innovations that 

support our Nation’s economic vitality and 

leadership in aerospace. 

f 

HONORING THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION 

HON. DAVID SCOTT OF GEORGIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, 

today I rise in honor of the 225th anniversary 

of the United States Constitution and to celebrate its many contributions to American society. On September 17, 1788 members of the 

Constitutional Convention signed what would 

become the most important and fundamental 

document in the United States of America. 

Our founding fathers came together in true 

American spirit to lay out our rights and freedoms, rights that were later extended to include all Americans regardless of race or gender. The unmatched longevity of the Constitution still maintains those values today. This 


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