It is truly an exciting time for our space program.

Not only that, but with bipartisan support early on in this whole dialogue. And now we are seeing the resistance of the majority leader to take up the very bill that passed with those overwhelming numbers of bipartisan support.

It is true, and not only is it true that the President requested it, but immediately, a whole bunch of us out here filed a bill and brought it to the attention of the Senate, and it is now 5 months later.

Change can be good, but let me state unequivocally that it's the position of the Coalition that major disruptions stemming from abrupt shifts in space policy risk derailing all of the progress that's been made and jeopardize our future as…

Not only is that true, those four things, but then the House of Representatives put it on a very good bill, the MILCON appropriations, and they sent it down here thinking that we were going to have to take it at the eleventh hour with all…

It is a political message that is so reviled by the people of America. They want us to get down to the business. If Senator McConnell had a flood or an earthquake in Kentucky, we would all support him with emergency funding to meet that…

Not only the good fortune but the great privilege, and now I have the opportunity to work on the policy for the Nation's space program.

Through the Chair, Mr. President, I would answer the Senator. Yes, my family came to Florida right after Florida was acquired as a territory from Spain.

Amen to that, and here we are dithering with these political games. We wonder why the American public is so turned off when they see what is going on up here, and here is one of the very best examples of an emergency.

All of this goes back to when my colleague from Texas Kay Bailey Hutchison and I had the opportunity of bringing in for a landing, the new direction of NASA in the 2010 NASA Authorization.

This committee has always worked in a non-partisan manner, and I am pleased to be a part of continuing that tradition in this Congress as we work toward advancing and passing a NASA reauthorization.

I will predict that shortly, in the next few years, if not immediately, you will see an extension even on out to the end of the decade.