James Rogan: “today the House is poised to cut more than $1 billion from NASA's space science budget. Sixty percent of these funds go…”

“today the House is poised to cut more than $1 billion from NASA's space science budget. Sixty percent of these funds go directly to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This cut is a step backward for our Nation, which to date has led the world in pioneering the exploration of space. This is wrong and I urge my colleagues to join my friend, the gentleman from Virginia, and me to reverse this trend by voting for the Rogan-Bateman amendment. The Rogan-Bateman amendment will restore $105 million to NASA's aeronautics, science and technology programs. These funds will go for investments that are science fact and not science fiction. These programs are not only important to local economies around the country, they are the root of a new economy for our Nation where high-tech programs from years past become the commercial products of today. In just the last decade, technologies developed by NASA, JPL, and their affiliated programs have yielded products and services that have dramatically changed our way of life. For instance, it was these scientific experts that produced laser technology that now gives surgeons the ability to perform less invasive laser angioplasty surgery, which is helping thousands of Americans conquer heart disease. Also, NASA-JPL technology has provided engineers with powerful telecommunications components, making it easier for us to complete wireless telephone calls.”