Neil Abercrombie: “I rise with regrets, acknowledging H.R. 3008, a bill to close the Federal helium program, will pass today. In these days…”

“I rise with regrets, acknowledging H.R. 3008, a bill to close the Federal helium program, will pass today. In these days of downsizing, it seems the time has come to terminate programs which appear to have outlived their usefulness like the Federal helium program. I want to note that I say appear, Mr. Speaker. Since 1925, when the Defense Department believed that dirigibles or blimps would be an integral part of our national defense, the Federal Government has managed a helium program. Today the Federal helium program continues to serve the needs of major Federal users of helium such as NASA and DOE laboratories, who are required to purchase helium from the Bureau of Mines. The Federal Government got involved in helium production at a time when there was no private helium production. Today, however, the private sector manufactures 90 percent of the world's helium. For this reason groups such as the National Taxpayers Union, the '20/20' TV program, the Interior Department inspector general, and the Heritage Foundation, an unlikely conglomeration, have called for its elimination. H.R. 3008, like its predecessor, H.R. 3967 in the 103d Congress, enjoys bipartisan support. While I did not support termination of the program, I recognize after several years of consideration Congress is poised to resolve the question of the helium program by terminating it.”