Lynn C. Woolsey: “I suggest we can do better by our budget and by our children by investing the Space Station money in more worthy…”

“I suggest we can do better by our budget and by our children by investing the Space Station money in more worthy, reliable programs, both at NASA and in other areas of the science budget as well as reducing our national debt. Mr. Chairman, what could we do with $2.1 billion? We could fund the National Institutes of Health for 16 years. We could provide low-income heating assistance for thousands of families; or fund child immunization programs nationwide. We could also clean up our Superfund sites, fund drug prevention programs, provide Head Start to our children in need, pay our debt to the United Nations, and provide a tax cut for working families. These are investments we should be making for our children and for their future. I strongly believe that the Space Station is a case of misplaced priorities. With the many needs here on Earth, the Space Station is just too expensive. We need to shore up our Social Security system and protect Medicare and Medicaid. This amendment must be passed.”