Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and a former member of the Science Committee I am in strong…”

“As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and a former member of the Science Committee I am in strong support of H.R. 2809, the ``American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017.'' Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson for their work to bring H.R. 2809 before the House for consideration. There is historic congressional support for NASA in Congress, and I am proud to have played a leading role in this effort. Now that space exploration has attracted strong private sector investments, space exploration has entered a new era. I served on the House Science Committee for 12 years; and one of the goals was to see private sector investments in space exploration. This legislation grants the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) of the Department of Commerce the authority to issue certifications to U.S. nationals and nongovernmental entities for the operation of: 1. specified human-made objects manufactured or assembled in outer space, including on the Moon and other celestial bodies, with or without human occupants, that were launched from Earth; and 2. all items carried on such objects that are intended for use in outer space. To be eligible for certification, each entity's application must include a space debris mitigation plan for the space objects. H.R. 2809 also directs that the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) establish a Private Space Activity Advisory Committee to: 1.…”