Bill Nelson

Space is a nonpartisan issue, and we always run this committee in a bipartisan way.

There is a great deal at stake here, and it's not only for our employees in our respective states, but it clearly is for this Nation being the leader in technology through its space exploration program.

I think we are still looking at a significant strategic mistake in shutting down the Space Shuttle before we need to.

I think it's time to--for NASA to get back to that NACA mentality here a little bit.

We need to branch out beyond low-Earth orbit, and that's going to require heavy lift.

The $2 and a half billion in the President's budget to cancel the program--instead, use that to continue testing on Rocket X.

If you gave me an infinite pocket of money--pot of money, I could not get a human to Mars within the next 10 years.

We have to have a goal, as Senators Nelson and Senator Vitter said, we have to have a target, we have to have a plan.

I have great concern about not having a goal for NASA and canceling existing programs that would put us on a path to get us beyond lower Earth orbit.

Our program seeks to enable the capabilities we will need for astronauts to meaningfully explore the Moon, asteroids, and eventually Mars.

If, however, we instead accept the Administration's proposal laid out in this budget request, I have no doubt that it will lead to no less than the ruin of our proud space program.

I continue to believe that the space program represents one of the best uses of taxpayer's dollars.

We simply must do right by the men and women who have made this space program great.

It's not a question of money; it's a question of priorities.

I believe continuation and acceleration of the Constellation Program or some variant of it is one way to achieve that.

Only a clearly defined mission and vision for our space program can provide our children with the necessary inspiration and enthusiasm to themselves reach for the stars.

The shift to commercial spaceflight cannot come at the expense of astronaut safety.

I don't think it's any different than the George Bush Administration. I think OMB is running the space program, because it designs the budget.

I don't think we would have ever gotten there with the Constellation program set up and funded the way it was.

If the Constellation program is canceled, how do we make sure that those valuable assets are integrated into the new program?

Well, I found some additional money that you can use, General Bolden.

This budget carries forward the decision to retire the Shuttle fleet by the end of this year.

I believe that investing billions of dollars in technology development, as this budget proposes, without any clear vision, mission, or target date for achieving them is counterproductive.

As you start to ramp up, you've got to look at this incredible talented workforce that may be out of a job.

I believe this proposed new path is both irresponsible and far too risky.