John Culberson: “it is a collaborative effort. There are thousands of scientists and engineers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory…”

“it is a collaborative effort. There are thousands of scientists and engineers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and across the country and scientists around the world who participate in these missions. I also want to point out that this set of coins will contain metal that was recovered from spacecraft that actually flew in space. So some portion of each coin will contain metal that flew in space. There will be a certificate to that effect. The money will go to the support of the families, and it will also go to the support of the Air and Space Museum and for the creation of a money museum. The coins are expected to generate quite a bit of revenue, and, therefore, it will be a benefit to the families who have lost loved ones. But above all, Congress has expressed its strong support for NASA. I am proud to serve on the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Science. The gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) is a strong supporter. This House has supported increased funding for NASA in a vote on this floor just weeks ago. So in addition to this coin, Congress has expressed our tangible support for NASA and their mission with increased funding. As this coin is brought into production in 2008, we do not know what the future holds, but I am confident it holds immense promise.…”