Vitter Holds First NASA Subcommittee Hearing

Statement

Vitter Holds First NASA Subcommittee Hearing

U.S. Sen. David Vitter today issued the following statement regarding his first subcommittee hearing as the ranking member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences.

"I look forward to working with NASA officials on space-related projects and programs as the new ranking member of this subcommittee. I had the opportunity to meet with the crew of the STS-120 space shuttle mission before the hearing. They are a very impressive group of professionals, and it was an honor to learn more about their mission.

"The presence of the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, where the space shuttle's external tanks are constructed, and the Stennis Space Center, located just over the state line in Mississippi and employing a number of Louisianans, create a particular interest in NASA and the space program in Louisiana. The vision of NASA and the promise of future journeys resonates with the bold, can-do spirit of Louisianans.

"Today's hearing focused on a number of very important issues facing the future of NASA not addressed in the president's FY 2009 budget request. I questioned the NASA administrator about the lack of funding in the president's budget to accelerate the development of the Ares 1 Launch Vehicle and the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. The existing space shuttle program is due to be phased out by 2010, and if NASA is to continue with its tradition of progress and exploration we must move to address the gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability that will occur with the retirement of these vehicles.

"If we fail to accelerate the funding to close this gap, the U.S. will have no choice but to pay for our astronauts to travel to space in Russian vehicles. I am sure that most Americans will not be pleased to see us paying hundreds of millions of dollars to the Russians to send our astronauts into space at the same time we are laying off highly qualified, experienced and dedicated Americans who have been working on space shuttle programs for the past 27 years. NASA and the administration should examine whether it makes more sense to spend those hundreds of millions of dollars to close the gap rather than to pay the Russians to try to fill it," said Vitter.

Source