Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, it is about time for a bipartisan amendment after all that stuff, and we are going to offer one here. That is why I rise in support of this amendment offered by my colleague, Frederica Wilson, and myself. The amendment highlights the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon and back, which launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. On July 20, 1969, NASA Astronaut Neil Armstrong took the first historic steps on the Moon and declared: ``That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'' It was the greatest technological feat in the history of mankind. And what makes it even more remarkable is when we think back 50 years ago, this was all done with slide rules. Our daughters' iPhones have thousands of times more power than all of the Apollo computers combined. This amendment is offered to honor Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, the men and women of NASA, and especially the contractors in virtually every State across the Nation who made that possible with the support of the American taxpayers, without whose support the Apollo program would not have been possible. Space exploration is one of the greatest examples of American leadership and the boldness of the human spirit. It is important to our national security, our technological advancement, and, ultimately, the survival of our species. Space is also vital to the American economy. The space industry generates more than $400 billion in economic activity.…”