Congressional Quotations

Rep.  Michael Castle (R-DE)
"TransHab technology could possibly mean a manned-exploration of Mars which could result in a wealth of scientific information previously unavailable."  (Congressional Record, 20 May 1999)

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
"Yesterday, Bill Clinton told Walter Cronkite and the American people on CNN that `Our space program has been a great investment.  It's had hardly any increases in funding since I became President, but we've gone from two launches to eight launches a year'

"That's pure nonsense.  Bill Clinton has cut NASA's budget in actual dollars every year since he has been President, and slashed the real purchasing power by a third.  In fact, this administration has cut $40 billion from NASA's outyear budget since he was first elected.

"Furthermore, there were eight Space Shuttle launches in 1992- the last year of George Bush's Presidency ­ and only four this year.  So in fact Bill Clinton has cut human space flight in half.

"This administration has repeatedly ignored the importance of space to our economy and national security.  Indeed, they've used NASA as an idealogical piggy bank for foreign aid to Russia and for Al Gore's radical environmental agenda, while vetoing funding for important military space projects.  In sum, they treated space like just another political prop.

"Personally, I'm glad that John Glenn got to return to space.  But we need to invest our space dollars in making it cheaper so that lots more people and projects can go into space.  I hope that next year the President will work with the new Congress to really open the space frontier for everyone."  (Press Release, October 30, 1998 ­ "Rohrabacher:  Clinton Misleads Public Again, This Time About NASA Budget" ­ from NASAWatch)
 
 
 

Rep. Tim Roemer (D-IN)
"And thirdly, my preference would be to cancel the Space Station, to move on, not to let our dreams be suspended 100 miles above Earth in technology that was designed 15 years ago.  Let us dream about Mars.  Let us dream about going back to the Moon.  Let us dream big dreams like we are capable of, NASA." (Congressional Record ­ Debate on H.R. 1654, 19 May 1999)

Rep. David Weldon (R-FL)
"There are people within NASA as well as within the American space society talking about ideas of how we could someday send men and women to Mars.  This shows (referring to a graphic) a Mars base and a return vehicle there as well as a little greenhouse.  This is what it could someday be.  I encourage all of my collegues to support NASA and support our space efforts."  (Congressional Record, 17 July 1997) SEE also 25 July 1997
 

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
"I believe very strongly that the International Space Station should be termintated-" That money "ought to be used to re-establish a moon base-and we ought to be launching a manned mission to Mars."
(article by Jonathan Lipman "Senate Boosts NASA Budget"  States News Service ­ Special to Space.com, Sept. 15, 1999)

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
"I look forward to the day when the United States sends a manned mission to Mars.  America must continue to be a nation of explorers, carrying out the traditions of discovery embodies by Lewis and Clark, and the dedication of thousands of men and women working on projects large and small that will lead us to new frontiers in space." (Congressional Record)
 

Presidential Quotes

President William J. Clinton
When asked whether he supported sending humans to Mars by 2019 he said,
 
"Well, let me say, what we're doing now will help us once we get to the position of evaluating that," (What?)
 
"I don't want to either affirm or renounce it-Let's get the space station up and going and evaluate what our long-term prospects are.  I'll tell you this, I am for continued, aggressive exploration of space in ways that are high quality, cost effective and that will benefit us here on Earth." (
 
 

Presidential Candidiates

Alan Keyes (R)

Exploration, he said ,"was concidered by our founders to be one of the most important functions of government: to explore this great continent, to produce the maps that would be necessary so that folks could then move in and exploit the resources and opportunities that were there for people." (Quotation from the Republican presidential candidate debate on October 28, 199 at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire ­ SpaceViews, October 28, 1999.)

"We have a vast frontier sitting on our doorstep in space which we have developed the technology to make use of - We should as a community, sustain our commitment to make sure we are able to
develop and make use of the new frontier; for the sake of humanity, not just our own sake." (Quotation from the Republican presidential candidate debate on October 28, 199 at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire ­ SpaceViews, October 28, 1999.)

"Our potential is best realized when we are challenging ourselves to reach for things that transcend our every day needs and desires and passions.  I think space exploration is one of those and I would support it strongly." (Quotation from the Republican presidential candidate debate on October 28, 199 at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire ­ SpaceViews, October 28, 1999.)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
 

When asked about the International Space Station,
"All of us love NASA and space exploration, but NASA has some serious cost overruns."  He then said "They have got to make better use of their budget and develop more realistic cost projections."
(Speaking in Londonderry, New Hampshire ­ latimes.com, November 3, 1999)