Political Quotes

“on February 1, 2003, we lost seven of mankind's finest. The crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia made the ultimate sacrifice, not in a feat of arms, but in the noble quest to expand human knowledge. My deepest thoughts and prayers go to the families of those brave men and women lost in this accident. Their loved ones will be remembered with deep gratitude and admiration for their dedication towards advancing our understanding of new frontiers and discovering ways science can improve our lives. While space shuttles fly regularly, space travel itself is anything but routine. Its dangers are many but the Columbia's crew was willing to brave them. We in Congress have a duty to them and our astronauts to find the cause of this horrific accident. We can never fully eliminate the danger, but we can manage the risk. I realize that the NASA family is greiving--and they too have my sympathy--but even as we grieve Congress must be willing to ask serious questions about the shuttle program and our nation's goals for the space program.”