Ed Case: “I humbly rise in support of H. Res. 51. I want to thank the Majority and Minority Leaders for bringing this resolution…”

“I humbly rise in support of H. Res. 51. I want to thank the Majority and Minority Leaders for bringing this resolution to the House floor on a completely united basis. Mr. Speaker, what happened on the morning of February 1st was truly a world tragedy. The crew of the space shuttle Columbia, returning from a productive sixteen day scientific mission to the International Space Station, was lost over Texas. My heart goes out to the families of Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, Rick Husband, William McCool, and Ilan Ramon, the heroic crew now known as the Columbia 7. On Saturday, we were all again reminded of the dangers of space exploration. Many Americans, my self included, vividly remember January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger was lost a minute and thirteen seconds into its launch. That tragedy, as well as Saturday's, shocked our nation and focused national attention on the space program and the courageous men and women who risk their lives in the name of science and exploration. The heroic crew of the Columbia was composed of seven of our best and brightest men and women, who reflected the diversity of our nation and world and embodied a new spirit of international cooperation.”