Wayne Allard: “I am proud to announce on behalf of the State of Colorado that today the Senate will have the opportunity to approve…”

“I am proud to announce on behalf of the State of Colorado that today the Senate will have the opportunity to approve House Resolution 25 to allow the placement of the statue of Jack Swigert in National Statuary Hall. Coloradans chose astronaut Jack Swigert as the second State statue to be placed in the U.S. Capitol. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 representing the Sixth Congressional District. Unfortunately, his successful campaign was beset by his battle with bone-marrow cancer. The cancer spread quickly but he insisted on traveling from Colorado to Washington despite his failing health. The Representative-elect died only days before the swearing in ceremony. Mr. Swigert is well known as one of the astronauts on the famous Apollo 13 mission. The details of the mission are familiar to many; the suspenseful story of the astronauts' journey was recently depicted in a major movie. The ship and crew of Apollo suffered several complications and disasters, including an oxygen tank explosion that threatened the lives of the crew. It was the relentless determination and competence demonstrated by Jack Swigert and the other crew members that made it possible for the return of the spacecraft to Earth.”