Tom Feeney: “I thank the gracious majority leader and minority leader also for their resolution today. Mr. Speaker, the Columbia's…”

“I thank the gracious majority leader and minority leader also for their resolution today. Mr. Speaker, the Columbia's crew made remarkable use of their gift of life. To borrow thoughts from the late Christopher Lasch, these astronauts belonged to a band of people who achieve selflessness by dedicating themselves to a tremendous challenge, mastering arduous, risky pursuits, meeting impersonal standards, and struggling towards an ideal of perfection. As you listen to the crew's family members and loved ones, you grasp that their strivings were not solitary. Each astronaut was surrounded by those who supported his or her calling. Many people have calls, but few are blessed to be so unconditionally loved and supported, especially when their pursuit involves danger, risk, and the unknown. During their all-too-brief lives, each member of Columbia's crew achieved greatness because somebody told them they should follow their hearts. Columbia's crew pursued life with passion. But Saturday reminded us of that word's Greek roots. Passion means 'to suffer.' And to follow one's passion requires the acceptance of suffering as well as the joy of living life with fullness and with purpose. The space family is large and extended. Although Kennedy Space Center employees, many of my constituents, remain here on Earth, each mission carries their hopes and dreams into space. They are bonded to the astronauts as comrades. My family belongs to that space family.”