Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and House Science Subcommittee on Space Aeronautics Hold Joint Hearing on Columbia Disaster

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and House Science Subcommittee on Space Aeronautics Hold Joint Hearing on Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster and Future of NASA

STEVENS:

Mr. Chairman, I thank you. And I do have to return to that conference. I have come because the gentleman that's before you, I consider to be one of the closest friends I have in the world. I think members should know who he is.

He came to Washington as a White House Fellow. He worked for the Department of the Navy. Then he became a Senate employee and became the chief of staff of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

He went from there to become the comptroller of the Department of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy. He subsequently became a professor at Syracuse University, then a deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and is now the administrator of NASA.

I know of no one who has committed himself to good government and conducted himself in the finest of our traditions than Sean O'Keefe. He's a man of integrity, of complete honesty and openness in all he does. I would back him, as I know he would me, with my life.

And I urge you to listen to Sean O'Keefe today. He will tell you the truth. Thank you very much.