Barbara Mikulski: “I conclude in my opposition to the Bumpers amendment by talking about the impact, what it would mean to both taxpayers'…”

“I conclude in my opposition to the Bumpers amendment by talking about the impact, what it would mean to both taxpayers' jobs and scientific innovation. Cost to terminate the station would erode any fiscal 1997 savings gained from cancelling the program. Termination costs are estimated at $700 million. The U.S. Government has invested $6.4 billion in the redesigned station and, for the most part, what the Bumpers amendment would do is essentially lose what we have already put in. Let's go to mission and employment. Termination of the space station would result in the loss of 15,000 highly skilled engineering and production jobs currently under contract, Mr. President, 15,000 jobs in Texas, in Alabama, and in other parts of our great country. In addition, 1,300 civil service positions directly supporting the space station would become expendable. A conservative multiplier effect in California, Texas, Alabama, and Florida estimates 40,000 jobs. We could talk about science impact, international impact, and the intangibles. Since its inception, the U.S. space program has driven science and technology. It has also motivated our young people to enter careers in space research, engineering, and has inspired the Nation. We all went to see 'Apollo 13.' Apollo 13 was more than a movie. It was the whole Apollo program, the space station program.”