John Cornyn: “I rise today to remember two events, one which occurred 20 years ago this past Wednesday, and another which took place 3…”

“I rise today to remember two events, one which occurred 20 years ago this past Wednesday, and another which took place 3 years ago today. These dates mark profound tragedies in the history of the U.S. space program. As my colleagues will remember, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just minutes after takeoff in 1986, claiming the lives of five men and two women, among them Christa McAuliffe, who was to have been the first teacher in space. She is quoted as saying shortly before the flight, ``One of the things I hope to bring back into the classroom is to make that connection with the students that they too are part of history, the space program belongs to them.'' I believe this statement represents very well the spirit of curiosity and the hope for the future that both these brave explorers and the space program represent. Then, just 3 short years ago, seven men and women lost their lives when the space shuttle Columbia exploded as it reentered the atmosphere. So many individuals pulled together to help in recovery efforts after this national tragedy. The police departments, firefighters, local VFWs and emergency services, as well as the thousands of volunteers from East Texas and across the State, worked remarkably well together to handle the crisis and to prevent further tragedy on the ground. Law enforcement officials, NASA, and FEMA faced such a difficult time in the aftermath--and they handled the stress with grace.…”