Date: 2010-03-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Thank you very much. Congressman OLSON. and to the colleagues that have joined you tonight and who recognize the importance of this hour. albeit how late it might be. to really emphasize the uniqueness of Americas space program and the uniqueness of. if you will. the human space exploration. As I was listening to the debate. I was very much convinced that we do have an opportunity to save this valuable asset. I think we know that the NASA budget actually. as I understand it. has seen an increase in 2011. And I think all of us would admitand thank the Presidentthats a good thing that the budget itself has increased. but we know that the program that deals with exploration to the Moon and Mars have suffered a blow. So I would say that we have an easy fix. a reprogramming of the moneys to allow for a program that has now had a sufficient start to be able to redesign itself. to be able to focus on whats important about human space exploration. But the main thing is to save it. because when we save it. we not only save jobs of todayJohnson. Huntsville. Mississippi. Florida. and places around the Nationbut we save the jobs for 2020. 2030. 2040. and beyond. I think its important for our colleagues to know that we built the space station. I was on the Science Committee. That space station is barely a decade oldit is a decadeplus. We put it together piece by piece. And when our friends. the Russians. were delayed. they had bad economic times. we moved on. The space station is the size of a football field. And the necessity of human space exploration is to be able to tend to that space station which has the possibilities of massive research that creates jobs. Let me thank my friends on the floor. And Congressman OLSON. let me thank you for your leadershipwe have joined you in this bipartisan effortfor signing onto the legislation. H. Res. 1150. which establishes or. if you will. determines that NASA is a national security asset. and it is. Because involved in NASA is much of our military science. climatic science. and technology not yet discussed or discovered. And so I would rise today to support the moving forward on the Constellation Program. but also the working with this administration. I think we all know that we have a leader at NASA who knows Houston. for example. but also knows the human space exploration program. General Bolden was an astronaut and a marine. Thats good news for us. And the reason why it is good news is because that is a voice that can be part of this discussion. I dont take the initial budget by the President as a statement that human space exploration is not good. And I think it is important tonight to take a stand for our continued effort and energy in working to bring about the right kind of response between the Congress and the administration. a budget that is right there in the Presidents budget. one that can be reprogrammed. reformed. enhanced. if you will. to emphasize the importance of saving the space exploration. this Constellation Program. Now. let me say this. Constellation is Moon and Mars. And there are scientists who probably have different perspectives. but I dont think anyone can have a different perspective on the pushing of the human capacity and what it brings about in terms of our own enhancement. both in terms of the knowledge that we gainand I remember when we were trying to gain votes. Congressman OLSON. that we would say things which were really truethe kind of research on the space station had to do with heart disease. cancer. HIV/AIDS. And discoveries today are being utilized. Those discoveries are saving lives. but they also create jobs. medical jobs. So I. one. want to continue to raise the question. I want to put in the RECORD that the potential of jobs lost at Johnson Space Center could be anywhere from 4.000 to 7.000 hightech jobs. And each day jobs are being created more and more. And then of course the idea of the national security informationclassified. climatic. as Ive said. the weather research thats being doneand the need I think most of alllet me not say most of all because we stand on our own merit here in the United States. we are inventors. we are world leaders. but there are other countries that have looked to our leadership. Russia. India. China. all competing to be part of space exploration. Let me close and yield back to you by saying this: I want to see business involvement in this industry. but I believe it is important for NASA to. in essence. be part of the government and for the jobs we save all over this Nation on behalf of the American people.