John Cornyn: “I would like to take about a minute more of our colleagues' time. I neglected to make some additional brief comments…”

“I would like to take about a minute more of our colleagues' time. I neglected to make some additional brief comments that I would like to make on the space shuttle launch that is occurring today. It was my very first speech on the Senate floor, sadly, when I paid tribute to the astronauts who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster in February of 2003. The thoughts and admiration of the Nation are with the brave astronauts aboard Discovery today as they make their journey into space. It is the first one this Nation has attempted since that terrible tragedy in February 2003. I believe the robust manned space program is critical to both America's proud tradition of exploration and its commercial and military preeminence in space. NASA's missions foster technological and scientific advances and help ensure our national security as well as create jobs for thousands of Texans and thousands of Americans. I believe the mission of NASA, together with the President's vision for future space exploration, will also encourage young people to study math and science and prepare for space-related careers. As so many young children have done in the past, they are inspired by the feats of daring and accomplishment by these brave astronauts who are launching into space again today. These goals are set not just for our current benefit, but also for future generations of leaders and innovators in Texas and across America. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.…”