Dale Bumpers: “I have listened to the speakers who oppose this amendment. I have listened very carefully. I have not heard anybody make…”

“I have listened to the speakers who oppose this amendment. I have listened very carefully. I have not heard anybody make any claims of any beneficial research, mechanical, medical, physical, or any other successful research being accomplished by the Russians and the former Soviet Union after 25 years in space. That is right. The Russians have had a space station orbiting the Earth for 25 years. The only reason in God's world we are putting one up there is because they have one. If you don't like that explanation, there is another one that is probably about as good, which is to figure out how we are going to get to Mars, because it is going to take at least 24 months to get there and back, and we want to know, can man survive that long in space. If you want that to be the justification for the space station, for Pete's sake, be honest about it and let us debate that. Carl Sagan is not rhapsodic about all these arguments about curing cancer, but he is about the exploration of space. Even Daniel Goldin said that we not only need to go to Mars, we need to have an outpost there on a permanent basis. He as much as said that is the reason for the space station. If you want to buy that as a rationale for building a space station, I won't vote for it because we don't have the money. Bear in mind that every dime you put into this space station is borrowed money.”