July 20th, 2006
Washington, DC: Congress today unanimously passed H.ConRes 448, introduced by Congressman Ron Paul to praise the successful NASA Discovery mission.
The following are excerpts of Congressman Paul’s remarks on the House floor:
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to sponsor H.Con.Res. 448, a resolution commending the people of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the latest mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Successfully launched on July 4 this mission, known as STS-121, marks the second mission on the Return to Flight sequence. STS-121 originally was scheduled to perform just two space walks. However, d ue to the overall success of the launch, the mission was extended from twelve to thirteen days, allowing for an additional space walk.
Among the tasks that were preformed on this mission are tests of shuttle safety improvements to build on findings from Discovery’s flight last year, including a redesign of the shuttle’s external fuel tank’s foam insulation; in-flight inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield; improved imagery during launch; and the ability to launch a shuttle rescue mission. The external tank, which underwent work prior to the mission to reduce foam loss, performed well this time especially early in the flight.
The STS-121 mission also bolstered the International Space Station by making a key repair and delivering more than 28,000 pounds of equipment and supplies, as well as adding a third crew member to the Space Station.
STS-121 was NASA’s most photographed mission in shuttle history as more than 100 high definition, digital, video, and film cameras assessed whether any debris comes off the external tank during the shuttle’s launch, while four new videos have been added to the solid rocket boosters.
Mr. Speaker, the success of STS-121 is a tribute to the skills and dedication of all NASA employees, especially the Space Shuttle Discovery’s crew of Colonel Steve Lindsey; Commander Mark Kelly; Piers Sellers, PhD; Lt. Colonel Mike Fossum; Commander Lisa Nowak; Stephanie Wilson; and Thomas Reiter.”
Posted in Press Releases | No Comments »
Similar posts:
July 18th, 2006
Lake Jackson, Texas: Congressman Ron Paul will host the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, John Woodley Jr., for a visit to the 14 th congressional district of Texas. Secretary Woodley will spend several days (August 29-September 1) touring ports, beaches, rivers, and other sites where federal funds are needed for a variety of projects.
Secretary Woodley oversees the Army’s Civil Works program, including programs for conservation, development of the nation’s water and wetland resources, flood control, navigation, and shore protection.
Paul is working with congressional appropriators, the Interior Department, the Army Corps of Engineers, and federal agencies to secure funding for several engineering projects in the 14 th district, including the following:
- dredging, widening, and deepening the Texas City ship channel;
- combating beach erosion in Surfside Beach and on Galveston Island;
- reopening the mouth of the San Bernard river, made worse by Hurricane Rita;
- dredging the mouth of the Colorado River; and
- ongoing cleanup of several beaches in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.
“I’m pleased Secretary Woodley has agreed to tour the 14th district and personally assess some of our projects that deserve federal funds,” Paul stated. “Under new congressional rules, the Army Corps of Engineers and federal agencies have more discretion over which projects receive priority. It is important that officials see problems first hand, and I appreciate Secretary Woodley’s willingness to spend his time considering problems that impact the economy, environment, and quality of life in the 14th district.”
Posted in Press Releases | No Comments »
Similar posts:
July 11th, 2006
(The following is a statement issued by Congressman Ron Paul for a public meeting in Lake Jackson with Department of Energy representatives to discuss the proposal to place a new Strategic Petroleum Reserve site at Stratton Ridge).
I want to join with others tonight in expressing my concerns regarding the Stratton Ridge expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). In the recent past President Bush has stated the need to judiciously diminish the reserve in order to reduce non-market demand, thus helping to reduce energy costs. In light of that, we should seriously consider not only where, but also whether or not, to increase the reserve.
Certainly, if high energy prices are a legitimate concern (and they clearly are at this time) we should not undertake such an expansion in a way that could negatively impact any component of the petro-chemical industry. Any federal action that would threaten to raise costs to business, which would be passed along to consumers, is a bad policy at any time. However, this is a particularly bad time for any such policy to be enacted. In addition, it is always a concern of local property owners that federal activity will result in a taking of private property. Such takings have a direct negative impact not merely on the property owner, who has every right to expect that government will protect his property interests, but also upon economic activity. When property rights are in jeopardy property owners do not take the kinds of economic actions that benefit themselves as well as other economic actors.
As a leading advocate of property rights, I share the strong concern of others in the area that locating this reserve expansion at Stratton Ridge will negatively impact property owners. Moreover, I join with the local government authorities and taxpayers who are always concerned about taking property off of the local tax roles. With many suffering from property evaluation inflation, further erosion of the tax base will only serve to further increase property taxes upon already strapped homeowners and businesses. Again, I wish to join with the Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County, the Dow Chemical Company, and other concerned members of the community in expressing my concern regarding the site of an SPR expansion at Stratton Ridge.
Posted in Press Releases | No Comments »
Similar posts: