Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today, I am asking for unanimous consent to pass H.R. 3547, as amended, a bill to extend government liability, subject to appropriation, for certain third-party claims arising from commercial space launches. The bill supports the competitiveness of the United States commercial space industry. This industry, which grew in part out of the successes of NASA, is vital both to the economy and to national security. Our U.S. space companies offer us new opportunities to send astronauts into space on U.S.-built vehicles and to continue launching communications satellites and conducting important scientific research on the International Space Station. This bill helps to ensure the strength of the space industry by continuing to provide Federal launch liability protection from third- party losses for commercial launches. Congress first established this indemnification regime in 1988 and has seen the need to extend the policy many times since then. It is important to note that it has never cost the United States a single dime. This indemnification helps domestic launch companies compete in the global launch market. Many international cornpetitors enjoy similar protections in their various home nations. However, indemnification protection is set to expire on December 31st of this year. Without indemnification, each company would ``bet the company'' every time they launch.…”