Bill Nelson

Thanks to the Senator for his big heart, his big heart toward his people. Voter Suppression

Over the recess we marked a sad anniversary: 2,000 days since retired FBI agent Bob Levinson went missing in Iran. That is 2,000 days Christine Levinson has been without her husband and 2,000 days their children have missed his laugh…

The two of us, as you know, we take the partisanship out of the selection of judges by having a judicial nominating commission that the two of us appoint.

It is that process that, again, we come to you today with an excellent recommendation that the President then selected as the nominee.

Big oil wants its way. They've been trying to bully their way to drill off the coast of Florida . . .

Now you are talking about the funding of it. Well, the funding--and there again, I thank Senator Hutchison because she is on the Appropriations Committee as well.

But still the uncertainty of the funding of the future.

The average American thinks that the space program is over because they have attached the visible evidences of the space program naturally to the Space Shuttle.

When Apollo was developed, other than the goal of getting to the Moon and back, it was also then utilized for other things, a thaw in the Cold War.

As President Kennedy said of space, 'Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind.'

I would suggest that in your position with the NRC's Space Studies Board, you might want to have them look at this topic--the impacts to the space program of the different funding scenarios, including sequestration, even though this…

The authorization in 2010 set the course, the blueprint, for the SLS and set the parameters.

I think most importantly, heavy lift capability is essential for someday sending humans to Mars.

I believe that the ultimate goal of NASA's human exploration program should be Mars.

As a matter of fact, Curiosity can greet the human crew when they land.

And in your exploration to determine if there was water, what is the process by which you do that?

If we truly intend to have a program of human exploration to some destination beyond low Earth orbit, there is a piece of the puzzle missing.

I do want to look toward the future, and I think one of the things that we've been missing here is the protection of the future.

I cannot say enough good things about Kay and her leadership and her passion for America's space program.

I disagree with critics who contend that NASA does not have clear goals for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

Well, we want to thank you. This is an exciting update. Congratulations again on making the country proud.

And so I, on behalf of the 406 scientists and all of the engineers, probably 1,000 people currently working on this project, want to thank you for the support.

Neil Armstrong stood up last year when he, too, was worried that we might be sacrificing the future for the present.

It would also be helpful if you could report from the NRC to us on the Committee on an evaluation of the administration's plan under the NASA authorization bill for the exploration program with regard to Mars.

I think setting the goal is terribly important for eliciting potential innovations.