Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentlewoman. I thank the managers of this bill, including the majority leader. I just want to say that I…”

“I thank the gentlewoman. I thank the managers of this bill, including the majority leader. I just want to say that I come from Space City. Houston, Texas, has as its motto--its defining moment besides railroads--is Space City. I served 12 years on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and I had a strong commitment and continue to have a strong commitment to human space exploration--in particular, the research that is garnered out of that mighty effort. I have traveled to most of the NASA centers across the Nation, and I have seen outstanding researchers. There is no reason for any of us, Democrats or Republicans, to oppose the idea of space exploration and, in this instance, commercial space exploration. What I will say to you, Mr. Chairman, and to my good friend, the majority leader, let us walk step-by-step together. Certainly, I am concerned as someone who offered and wrote legislation to promote more safety on the International Space Station-- proudly so--legislation that was ultimately passed and I believe has made the space station more enduring, to be able to suggest that this bill limits to a certain extent the safety requirements that I believe would make this industry a better industry, to say also that we are highlighting or offering the commercial space industry over the investment in NASA, which I have great concern, as we look forward to the implementation of the Orion and the opportunities for further space exploration.…”