Ami Bera: “I want to thank the ranking member and the chairman for this bill. This bicameral and bipartisan bill that we are…”

“I want to thank the ranking member and the chairman for this bill. This bicameral and bipartisan bill that we are considering today, the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, authorizes NASA's appropriations for the fiscal year 2017. If enacted, the bill's provisions will provide important stability and funding and consistent vision that we need for NASA to succeed as they continue to make progress across disciplines of space and earth science, in human exploration and spaceflight, innovative technologies, biomedical research, and in aeronautics. Mr. Speaker, NASA truly is a symbol of American excellence and ingenuity. For NASA to continue doing the great things that it does, including preparation for flying SLS and Orion, launching the James Webb Space Telescope, and landing humans on Mars, it is critical that S. 442 be enacted. And while I would have preferred a more comprehensive outlook of NASA's science discipline--namely, in earth science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics--I am pleased the bill provides the consistent policy direction our Nation's space and aeronautics programs require and deserve. Notably, the bill sets the long-term course of sending humans to the surface of Mars and directs NASA to provide a human exploration roadmap outlining the capabilities and milestones needed to achieve the goal. In closing, Mr.…”