Political Quotes

“It has been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In the same way, a journey of a million miles must be completed with one final step. It was at the moment of that ultimate step on February 1, 2003, that the Space Shuttle Columbia could go no further. In its last moments, America's first shuttle took with it the brave souls of its crew. It is those seven heroes and human beings I honor today, on behalf of every Oregonian who mourns them. In recent years, the names of shuttle astronauts have seldom been known by most Americans. Now, the names of the Columbia Seven have entered the nation's consciousness through the floodgates of our shared grief: Flight Commander Rick Husband; Pilot William ``Willie'' McCool; Payload Commander Michael Anderson; Mission Specialist Kalpana ``K.C.'' Chawla; Mission Specialist David Brown; Mission Specialist Laurel Clark; and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon. As the recent chair of the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, I came to know firsthand that America's astronaut corps, and indeed the teams of engineers and experts that support them, are the best this country has to offer.”