Kendra S. Horn: “Today, the House has taken final action on the appropriations bill that funds the National Aeronautics and Space…”

“Today, the House has taken final action on the appropriations bill that funds the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This is an appropriate time to recognize the extraordinary contributions of NASA Administrator Dr. Dan Goldin, whose energy and vision have been essential to continuing our Nation's leadership in space exploration. As he prepares to leave NASA and return to the private sector, we should recognize Dan Goldin's superb leadership during his tenure as head of America's space agency. My association with Dan Goldin began not long after I came to the House of Representatives in 1993. I learned that NASA was considering cutting jobs at the space shuttle manufacturing plant in Downey. We discussed NASA's plans over coffee in the Members Dining Room, and I told him of my concerns about further job losses in Southern California, where the economy already was devastated. I was impressed from the very beginning by Dan's forthrightness, his commitment to what he viewed as best for the space program, and his willingness to listen to new and different ideas.”