Bill Nelson: “any invasion of Iraq will likely require a large number of U.S. troops to serve in an occupation/stabilization force…”

One of the reasons you and I were able to accomplish so much on this committee is both of us worked very hard to keep politics out of NASA and to focus on the core mission of exploration.

When we find those, by the way, not only looking for life, we start to understand their development, and we better understand who we are, why we are here, how we got here, and all of this evolution of the cosmos.

It is the research and development that allows this country to move forward.

It is critical that NASA remain focused on its core mission.