Expressing Sorrow on the Anniversary of the Space Shuttle "Columbia" Accident

EXPRESSING SORROW ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE "COLUMBIA" ACCIDENT -- (House of Representatives - February 03, 2004)

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 507), expressing the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives on the anniversary of the accident that cost the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia their lives, and extending heartfelt sympathy to their families.

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Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the crew of Columbia. The names Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon will now forever be linked to the risks and rewards of exploring the frontier. They were all extraordinary people.

Rick Husband. A man of strong faith in God. A man who dreamed of taking part in space travel since his childhood in Amarillo, Texas. A family man, committed to his community. He set the highest of standards for us all.
William McCool. A man who personified excellence in all he did. From San Diego, since the earliest age, he dreamed of flying and followed his dream with an unending fount of energy and skill. While gifted, he never showed any hubris; in fact, he was always humble-something we all could learn from.

Michael Anderson. From Pittsburgh, he had a drive uncommon to most people. He loved science and learning. He followed his passion for science. This led him to NASA and space flight. He knew his responsibility as an astronaut and took every opportunity to talk to schoolchildren about the excitement and value of space exploration.

Kalpana Chawla. She lived a uniquely American life. Born and raised in India, she came to America as an immigrant. She worked hard and studied engineering and science. She became an American citizen and from there became an astronaut. She made her home nation and her adopted nation proud of her in all that she did.

David Brown. Truly a man for all seasons. He was a physician, a Navy pilot, and member of the astronaut corp. Everything he set out to do, he accomplished. He had many other goals he was anxious to accomplish after this mission was completed.

Laurel Clark. A wife. A mother. A physician. An astronaut. She was aware of what a special honor it was to be selected to fly in space. She was thankful for the special opportunity that she had. She lived life to the fullest. She enjoyed scuba diving and flying airplanes. Everything she did, she loved.

Ilan Ramon. The first Israeli in space. A dedicated and brave pilot. The son of Holocaust survivor. He is an inspiration to a small, determined nation.

Commander Husband, on the evening before they launched, shared with his crew and their families, his favorite passage from the book of Joshua. This is instructive for all of us as we reflect on this tragedy: "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

That is where we are as a nation right now. We live in a dangerous world with many challenges facing us. The measure of a
truly great nation is one that can face down its challenges on earth and excell and lead the world to a higher level.
That is why we have NASA and why we must recommit ourselves, now more than ever, to the dream and adventure of human space flight that was such a part of the lives of these brave men and women.

How we decided to respond to this tragedy will be judged very closely by many generations that come after us. I am proud
to say that the President has risen to the occasion and has charted a bold new exploration initiative. We cannot let future generations down and walk away from our destiny in space. The Columbia 7 will be memorialized by a great, strong, robust return to space by America.