Daniel Inouye: “I wish to thank Senators Hutchison, Nelson, and Stevens, for their leadership in bringing together the different bills…”

“I wish to thank Senators Hutchison, Nelson, and Stevens, for their leadership in bringing together the different bills from the Senate and the House. The final product is the result of hard work and compromise. It provides the National Aeronantics and Space Administration, NASA, and the country clear congressional direction on how to proceed with human space exploration, and it emphasizes NASA's invaluable work in science and education. Human space exploration is a key component of this bill. I am confident that space discovery will continue to excite young minds and, hopefully, inspire them to pursue an education in math and science. The skills and talents they develop will not only help them reach the stars, they will propel American innovation and define our country's future. At the same time, we must not overlook safety. I applaud Senator Nelson and the other conferees for keeping safety a top priority in this legislation. In addition, I want to express my appreciation for the conferees' willingness to accommodate my efforts to promote the design and development of new science facilities, such as telescopes through the National Science Foundation, as well as NASA. NASA plays a strong role in astronomy from the Hubble Telescope to the Keck Outrigger Project in Hawaii. I am pleased to see that the bill affirms NASA's commitment to astronomy by ensuring that the Hubble will be serviced.…”