Frank Lucas

But this is the first time we've been able to see a black hole directly, and it marks a huge milestone in our understanding of the universe.

Thank you, Chairwoman Johnson, for holding this hearing and thank you to all our witnesses for coming to discuss this incredible discovery.

This is a great example of NSF's approach to basic research and driving scientific progress.

Since Einstein predicted the existence of black holes, scientists have been able to observe their effects and refine theories on how they affect our universe, but this is the first time we've been able to see a black hole directly, and it…

Thank you, Chairwoman Johnson for holding this hearing today to discuss how we can achieve the promise of a more diverse STEM workforce in the United States.

This week I joined Chairwoman Johnson in co-sponsoring the 'STEM Opportunities Act of 2019' to help address this disparity.

The only way we'll achieve our potential is by utilizing America's most valuable resource: Our people.

When women and minorities face cultural and institutional barriers to access and advancement in STEM careers, our nation's technological competitiveness suffers.

This Committee has a long bi-partisan history of supporting STEM education for all and I look forward to continuing that today.

I believe that human missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as robotic exploration, will continue to inspire.

We should be investing more in such inspiring and consequential research rather than cutting it, as is proposed in NASA's 2020 request.

I do not support the alternative of cannibalizing NASA's other important research activities just to speed up the human lunar exploration program.

That billion-dollar cut will have serious negative impacts on major research areas if enacted.

As I said at our last hearing, our Nation's space program is a source of pride.

I hope that the proposals we'll receive are not funded in a similar fashion to the things done in the previous Administration, because that will cut the legs out from under us.

The enthusiasm and focus of the NASA family is contagious.

I appreciate the effort of the Administration to submit a proposal that emphasizes NOAA's core priorities, principally, protecting life and property.

NOAA's work benefits America's farmers, ranchers, coastal communities, disaster personnel, land-use planners, weather forecasters, and Americans across the country.

We certainly don't want to push private industry out of the spectrum, as hard as you and I worked to make that possible.

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Jaime Herrera Beutler represents the Third District of the southwest of Washington State.

Our Nation's space program is a source of pride. It exemplifies the greatest aspects of our country: The pursuit of knowledge, heroism, technical excellence, perseverance, and the intrepid spirit to chart a course into the unknown.

Current EPA leadership is taking positive steps to address these issues, and I laud their progress.

I trust the Committee's leadership will maintain this direction, and I look forward to working with them on that goal.

The lack of consistent commitment negatively impacts cost, schedule, performance, workforce morale, process discipline, and most importantly, safety.

We have a lot of work to do. These are exciting times for the Nation's space enterprise.