NASA 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

NASA 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT -- (House of Representatives - July 15, 2008)

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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the House leadership for allowing this most important piece of legislation to proceed expeditiously. I also thank Chairman Barney Frank, the chairman of the full committee, the Committee on Financial Services, which has jurisdiction.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6455, the NASA 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of NASA.

I would like to thank my colleague, Sheila Jackson-Lee from Houston, Texas, for sponsoring this most important piece of legislation.

On October 1, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, began operations with about 8,000 employees and an annual budget of about $100 million. Today, NASA continues its mission to pioneer the future in space exploration, in scientific technology, in aeronautics, as well as to inspire Americans of all ages and backgrounds to experience firsthand the scientific wonders of our universe.

For 50 years, NASA has been the world leader in space exploration. On December 6, 1958, the United States launched Pioneer 3, the first United States satellite to ascend to an altitude of 63,580 miles. In July 1969, NASA astronauts were the first humans to walk on the Moon. And in 1983, NASA also sent the first woman and the first African American into space. The astronauts were Sally Ride and Guy S. Bluford.

It is through NASA technology and research that our world is a much safer and well-informed place. We are blessed to have NASA as a part of the American history and a part of our great American icons.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, providing helpful insight into the history and fate of our universe. And in December of 1999, Terra, the flagship of NASA's Earth-Observing System, was launched to monitor climate and environmental changes on Earth.

Telecommunications would not be what they are but for NASA. Something as simple as the microwave is a development that has come into being as a result of NASA.

It is with great pride and sincere appreciation that we commemorate NASA's 50th anniversary with a gold and silver coin that honors NASA's remarkable achievements, enlightening research, and dedicated employees.

And on the note of the employees, let me just say that NASA employees are second-to-none. They are hardworking employees who have devoted much of their lives to the research that has made our lives much better, and we, by doing this, will pay them a great deal of respect and give an expression of gratitude.

Many of NASA's employees, however, have lost their lives during space missions, including the crews of Apollo 6, and the Space Shuttle Challenger, and the Space Shuttle Columbia. These Americans are owed a debt of gratitude, as well as their families, and today, we want to thank them, their families, for the lives that were lost and the tribute that we will pay to them for the price that they paid to help us to explore the universe.

This is not the first time that this Congress has voted to create a NASA 50th anniversary commemorative coin program. On July 30 of last year, the House passed H.R. 2750, a bill with 296 cosponsors that would require the creation of such a program. I was proud to be a cosponsor. The final vote of passage on the bill was 402-0.

Recently, the Senate passed an amended Senate version of H.R. 2750 on June 19 of this year.

As a result of the constitutional requirement that revenue-raising bills originate in the House, it was necessary to reintroduce the Senate bill as a new House bill. This bill, H.R. 6455, adopts the language of the Senate-amended bill.

Again, I thank my colleague Sheila Jackson-Lee for introducing this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

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