Bill Posey

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) delivered the following statement today before the House Budget Committee regarding closing the human space flight gap and keeping America first in space:

“Chairman Spratt, Ranking Member Ryan, Members of the Committee:

“Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.  You have likely already heard a great deal about the President’s FY 2011 budget request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  Today, I appear before this Committee to ask that the Committee provide NASA with sufficient resources to continue Shuttle operations through at least Fiscal Year 2011, sufficiently fund Constellation and see that the space gap between the two is minimized.  I am here to tell you why this is the wisest policy.

“The plan for human space flight, as outlined by the Administration, is significantly lacking in detail and appears to have been developed with little or no coordination with public and private stakeholders.

“One glaring example is NASA’s announced decision to seek termination of the Constellation program.  This decision will adversely impact our nation’s solid-rocket-motor industrial base, which is critical to our military. In a report from last June to the Congress, the Air Force said that delays in the Constellation program could have significant negative impact on the industrial base.  When questioned about this issue last week, Air Force Secretary Donley testified that “we have a challenge on the solid-rocket-motor industrial base and on the booster industrial base.”

“NASA is making the decision in a vacuum, and does not fully understand, or at least obviously does not take into consideration, the much broader military, industrial, and economic implications. The plan, and I use that term lightly, demands considerably more discussion and public scrutiny.  I am very concerned that they continue to develop this plan “on the fly” and that it is irresponsible for the Congress to embrace it without considerably more input from all the stakeholders.

“Over the course of the last year we lost precious time in charting a course for the future for our nation’s human space flight program. NASA remained without an Administrator for much of the year, and NASA was essentially placed on hold as the Augustine Committee undertook a review of our nation’s human space flight program.  All the while NASA continued to approach the impending retirement of the Shuttle fleet.  Over the years, the Constellation program continued to be underfunded.

“The Augustine Committee report made clear what many of us already knew:  If America is to have a robust space exploration program it must have a budget to match it.  That, my friends, is the essential question before you and this Congress. Are we going to continue to have a robust space program and continue on the path forged by John F. Kennedy? Or, are we going to return to the days of Sputnik, when the United States took a back seat to space exploration. Are we going to cede space to Russia and China? Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham recently said that the Administration’s proposal “accelerates America’s downward spiral toward mediocrity in space exploration.”

“I think Apollo 17 astronaut and former U.S. Senator Harrison Schmitt summarized it best last week when he wrote that this proposal “would cede the Moon to China, the American Space Station to Russia, and assign liberty to the ages.  Other [nations] would accrue the benefits –psychological, political, economic, and scientific – that the United States harvested as a consequence of Apollo’s success 40 years ago. This lesson has not been lost on our ideological and economic competitors.

“It is my sincere hope that it will not be lost on this Congress either.  This Committee is the one that will take the first step regarding the President’s NASA budget.  I urge you, my colleagues, to think about the future we are building for our children and grandchildren. Will it be a future where we do mediocre things or will it be one where we embark to accomplish bold things?

“Some have suggested that this is a question of jobs. That is true. The lives of tens of thousands of Americans will be disrupted if the Administration’s proposal is adopted.  There will be 10,000 direct jobs and according to a recent economic impact assessment as many as 23,000 jobs will be lost – almost immediately – in my district and that of Rep Suzanne Kosmas to my north.  We are still waiting on a current NASA Workforce Transition Strategy report.  The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 requires NASA to produce this strategy every six months; the last one Congress received is from July of 2009.  This is further evidence of a failure to plan for the future and follow Congressional intent.  We need a better landing and a smoother transition for our nation’s premier space launch workforce.  This is a highly skilled workforce that cannot be replaced, and will be lost if we travel down the proposed path.

“Space exploration touches the life of every American.  Our space program has generated thousands of inventions and spinoffs that have translated directly into the creation of tens of thousands of jobs right here in America.  If we accept the Administration’s plan, we will be abandoning a robust space program.  They may protest that it is not abandonment, but that is exactly what it is.  And, as a result we will lose these future benefits, and we will see China, Russia, India and others become the beneficiaries of a robust and superior space program.

“Countless products in our homes, offices, cars and airplanes owe their existence or widespread use to space exploration. Yet we often take for granted cell phones, GPS, carbon monoxide detectors, Velcro, lithium batteries, and advanced weather forecasting, just to name a few.  We will be compromising advanced micro-gravity research.  It is no doubt that our space  program leads to cutting edge, high-skilled jobs and inspires the leaders of tomorrow to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.  Among great human achievements, space exploration is inspiring in a way like no other.

“Under the current plan, NASA is betting our nations’ entire space program on yet unproven commercial vendors.  I am very supportive of commercial, but I am concerned about sole reliance on entrepreneurs for the short-term.  NASA has taken the mistaken step of once again putting Russia in the critical path for our research on the International Space Station.   We saw how this almost jeopardized the ISS from the very outset and raised the cost of the ISS.

“The Committee should also be aware that retiring the Shuttle will generate far less in savings that what has generally been believed.  This is due to several factors.  By abandoning the Shuttle prior to fulfilling our commitments to fly foreign astronauts to the ISS through 2020, NASA will incur hundreds of millions in costs associated with purchasing seats for foreign astronauts on Russian vehicles – a price Russian Space Agency officials just said they would raise once they are the only game in town.  Also, hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure costs will not turn into savings as many assume, but rather those costs will continue to recur but from an accounting perspective will be assigned to another account.

“According to the Augustine Committee, and information I have received from NASA, the annual cost of flying the Shuttle may cost up to about $1.3 billion for two flights per year. However, that cost can be cut significantly based on discussions with the contractors who currently operate the Shuttle for NASA.  I would ask the Committee provide sufficient funding to allow up to two shuttle flights in Fiscal Year 2011 for the many reasons I have outlined for you. Thus, for a budget equal to a fraction of one percent of the stimulus, we can extend the Shuttle for one year and provide a smoother transition for our nation’s space program and tens of thousands of dedicated workers.

“Furthermore, although the Shuttle’s current manifest includes four remaining launches, NASA needs to act now to assure that even these missions are completed.  NASA’s current, inflexible policy on flying the Shuttle beyond calendar year 2010 jeopardizes the last scheduled Shuttle mission, which would transport the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to ISS.  It is my understanding that this mission may not be ready until spring of 2011, beyond NASA’s arbitrary deadline.  Fully funding Shuttle operations through FY 2011 will not only provide for smoother transition, but it will ensure that our commitments to our international partners regarding the AMS are fully met.  Absent the Shuttle, there is no means of getting AMS to the ISS. Let’s also remember that Endeavor just completed its 24th mission.  It was designed for 100 missions.

“In addition to extending Shuttle operations, the Committee should provide sufficient funding to continue with the Constellation program. It makes little sense to abandon Constellation given the investments already made and the termination costs estimated to be in the range of $2.5 billion.  We had a successful test flight of the Ares 1-X rocket in October and are building on that success.

“Congress must act today to save our space program. The plan presented by the Administration has gaping holes and is not ready for prime time.  They need to go back to the drawing board and the Congress needs to join with the voices of our nation’s space pioneers like Gene Cernan, the last human to walk on the moon, who said last week, “Now is the time for wiser heads in Congress to prevail. Now is the time to overrule…mediocrity.  Now is the time to be bold, innovative and wise in deciding how we invest in the future of America.”

“We have a come a long way since Alan Shepard became the first American in space in 1961.  I urge you, my colleagues, to work together to ensure that our 50 years of leadership in space is not abandoned. America is looking to us for leadership.”

Bill Posey

MELBOURNE, FL – Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) provided the following testimony to the EPA regarding Florida’s water standards. The remarks were delivered on his behalf by his District Director:

“I want to take just a couple of minutes to express my concerns about the proposed regulations and how they would adversely impact our local businesses, our state’s critical agricultural community, and state and local government budgets.

“There is strong opposition to the proposed EPA regulations based on sound reasons.  In fact, 23 members of Florida’s Congressional delegation wrote EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on December 2, 2009, expressing our concerns about the proposal and its adverse economic impact on the state.   Concerns over the regulations have been expressed to me by small business owners, agricultural producers and elected officials.  I would urge the EPA to listen to the concerns that are expressed today, to take these concerns into consideration, and to adjust your approach to accommodate these concerns in this particularly trying economic time.

“The state of Florida has been a national leader in making our waters cleaner.  Florida has in place today some of the most robust standards to support water quality improvement.  Unfortunately, the proposed regulations fail to recognize this and instead impose a blanket approach to water quality that fails to recognize the variability of Florida’s water resources and the positive steps Florida has already taken.  Furthermore, rather than this being a science-driven approach, it has been a timeline driven approach that lacks the transparency that our local governments and businesses deserve.  If allowed to be implemented, these regulations will cause serious economic harm to our state while having uncertain environmental benefit. If, that is, the proposal is even economically attainable.

“The EPA should set aside the proposed regulations and begin to work again closely with the State of Florida to utilize the state’s existing efforts to enhance water quality, rather than disrupt Florida’s successful ongoing efforts and divert limited resources to initiatives that may not be the most effective.

“Agriculture faces higher costs and increasing pressures due to overseas competition.  The proposed regulations would further compromise Florida’s competitiveness, result in further job loss, raise the cost of agricultural production, and impede our recovery from the recession.  Additionally, in this era of heightened awareness of the threats of terrorism and the need to secure our nation’s food supply, it is critically important that we retain our domestic agricultural production.  Regulations that lead to the loss of domestic production could result in greater reliance on foreign producers, thus potentially compromising the safety of our nation’s food supply.

“Many businesses are struggling to keep their doors open.  Costly regulations would raise the cost of doing business in Florida and the United States, hampering our ability to remain competitive and create jobs here in Florida.   With an unemployment rate of nearly 12 percent, we cannot afford to see the costs of doing business in Florida increased further.

“Finally, state and local budgets are stretched thin.  Not only would the loss of additional agricultural production and small businesses limit our state’s ability to create more jobs, but the loss would also make it more difficult for the state and local governments to balance their budgets.  The costs of complying with these proposed rules do come with a cost. There will be budget tradeoffs for local governments.  Costly regulation should not be imposed in a vacuum because they do impact every sector of our economy.

“Thank you for this opportunity and thank you for listening to the concerns of Florida residents.”

CLICK HERE to read the letter from the Florida Delegation to the EPA Administrator.

Bill Posey

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) introduced the Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act, legislation designed to give the American people a stronger voice in reigning-in out of control government spending. Posey’s bill, H.R. 4308, which already has the support of 17 of his colleagues, would create a means by which the American taxpayer could put a small portion of their tax refunds toward deficit reduction and the government would then be obligated to match it $9 to $1 and lower spending accordingly.

“In recent years, Washington has taken us down a dangerous, irresponsible and unsustainable path of overspending,” said Congressman Posey. “This month our national debt exceeded $12 trillion for the first time in our nation’s history and as early as tomorrow the Speaker may bring a bill forward to raise the debt limit to $14 trillion.  Last year alone put a record $1.4 trillion on the next generation’s credit card – more than three times the previous record.  Unfortunately, Washington seems dead to the common sense idea of lowering spending.  Many constituents have indicated they feel powerless and my bill gives them a direct way to cut Washington spending.”

Specifically, the Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act would add a new “Deficit Reduction Check-Off” line to IRS tax forms. Individuals would be given the opportunity to direct up to $10 of their tax rebate/refund for deficit reduction ($20 for joint filers). While the individual’s tax return would only be reduced by a maximum of $10, Posey’s bill directs the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to cut federal spending by $100 ($200 for a joint return). A $10 check-off translates into $100 in direct deficit reduction.

“For every $10 dollars you give, Washington would be required to cut $100 in spending – $200 for joint filers,” said Posey. “For example, if 40 million Americans ‘check-off’ a total of $300 million on their tax returns, the Federal government would be directed  to cut spending by $3 billion. It adds one more deficit reduction tool and it will also give Congress an idea of just how serious the American people are about cutting spending.”

Bill Posey

If you’re like me you talk to a few different Congressmen in DC or their staff on a regular basis.  Different issues require different key members of the congressman’s staff.  I have noticed that usually after the freshman year of a congressman that he generally changes.  DC is a tough town and I believe it could beat anyone up.

However that’s not the case for Bill Posey (R- Rockledge) Congressman Posey has not sold out his principles or ideals.  He is still an honest man in DC.  Posey has been instrumental in several pieces of legislation that were driven by the grassroots.  When people had issues with Barack Obama and the question of his birth certificate, Posey introduced a bill.  He has gotten a lot of flack for this and been nicknamed a “Birther” because of it.  However I believe he is simply trying to fix this issue for future elections.

When the Tea Party phenomenon caught on and grassroots were calling on Congressional members to accept the same health care coverage Posey Co-Sponsored it.  To close the space gap and help America not fall behind in space exploration Posey suggested extending the Shuttle Missions.  Posey is also very fiscally minded when it comes to our ever expanding National Debt.  He introduced a measure that would allow a Taxpayer to allocate $10 of their income tax return to help pay off the National Debt.  Bill Posey has also introduced HR 689 which requires bills be available 72 hours for the public before voting on them.

Posey is a welcomed face in DC.  We need more congressmen with the grit and tenacity like him.

Bill Posey

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, acknowledged what he termed a “friendly crowd” as it broke into applause when he spoke of efforts to cut off federal funding for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) because of voter fraud.

Posey was applauded often during a visit Friday to the Indian River County Administration Complex. People filled the seats and lined the walls of the County Commission Chambers, and latecomers had to watch the proceedings on televisions outside the chambers.

Prior to addressing the public and talking their questions, Posey met with various public officials in a conference room at the complex. In both cases, he decried what he viewed as excessive spending and regulation under the current administration.

He contended there is an animosity in the halls of Washington toward business that extends beyond Wall Street and impacts the nation’s small businesses.

While unemployment rises, Posey said the proposed national health care legislation and cap and trade legislation, designed to control carbon emissions, will cost millions of jobs.

He also complained that the crafting of some of the federal legislation is not being done in the open. Posey received loud applause when he talked of calling for a requirement that would give lawmakers three days to review proposed legislation before acting on it.

Speaking of an issue that is a hot topic for those living in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral, Posey called for a smoother transition between the space shuttle program and the upcoming Orion program, which could transport astronauts to the moon, Mars and elsewhere in the solar system.

A three-year gap between the ending of the shuttle program and the launch of the Orion program has now grown to five to seven years. He wants to close that gap.

“It’s a matter of national security and economic survival for this nation and particularly this region,” said Posey.

Bill Posey

WASHINGTON, DC – This afternoon Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) delivered a speech on the House Floor discussing the need to invest more in our nation’s space program. In his speech, Posey outlined what a day without NASA spinoff products would be like.

“NASA has been at the cutting edge of technology, leading to many devices and luxuries that we use every day,” said Congressman Posey who worked on the Apollo 11 mission as a young man.

Posey used his time on the floor to also speak about contaminated Chinese drywall which has been used recently to build hundreds of homes in Florida and across the country.

“It’s a critical time for NASA and our nation’s leadership in space.

“With the looming retirement of the Space Shuttle and the risk of a growing space gap, we risk losing tens of thousands of additional jobs across the U.S.

“These are jobs in industries that develop the cutting edge technology which raises our living standards and helps American businesses compete.

“NASA has been at the cutting edge of technology, leading to many devices and luxuries that we use every day.

“Imagine what a day without NASA products would be like:

“First, you may not have had a good night’s sleep if you normally rest on that temper foam mattress or pillow – originally developed by NASA as a shock absorber.  You may have even overslept without NASA’s quartz timing in your alarm clock.

“Being green won’t help you get ready for work in the morning if you have a solar water heater installed on your roof.  Many cosmetics, toothpaste and perfumes find their roots in NASA.

“Before you head out the door, you may have difficulty getting an accurate weather forecast due to the lack of weather satellites coming out of our nation’s space program.

“Better use a landline telephone to call work and let them know you’re running late because cell phones and other wireless devices are out of service on a day without NASA derived technology.

“Getting to work might be a challenge as well particularly if you drive a hybrid.  The lithium-ion battery in your hybrid was developed with NASA engineering expertise and tested at Kennedy Space Center.  Get rid of that temper foam seat if you ride motorcycle to work.

“Don’t plan on flying to that vacation or important job conference.  NASA developed flight-tracking and management software is used by air traffic controllers.  It probably won’t surprise you that flight safety software was developed by NASA.  Just in case you still find yourself on an airplane, it may be a bumpy ride without NASA software that informs pilots of turbulent conditions.

“Work may be a little difficult too without access to NASA computer technology and wireless headsets.

“On an unrelated but important topic –

“As a member of the Contaminated Drywall Caucus and Representative of an area impacted by contaminated drywall, I wanted to take a few minutes to draw the attention of my colleagues to this issue.

“Between the 2004 and 2008 many homes were been built using what has turned out to be organically contaminated drywall.

“Homes in 26 states and the District of Columbia are affected

“It is particularly problematic in areas, like Florida, with high humidity.

“A little over a year ago, it was discovered that the source of a number of corrosion issues and health symptoms were likely due to contaminated drywall that originating from China.

“Since then we’ve been working to find a solution and what we’ve discovered is disturbing.

“The contaminated drywall contains toxic and semi-toxic substances which release harmful gases.

“Many of these homes are filled with a pungent sulfuric odor which has since been linked to adverse health conditions.

“Some families have already been forced to move out of their homes for fear of long term health effects.

“These gases are also responsible for devastating corrosion to many standard household systems such as copper and brass fittings, air compressor coils, electrical systems, and even fire alarms.

“We don’t know if there is a valid remediation protocol short of pulling all the contaminated boards out and replacing them.

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been tasked as the lead Federal agency and is working with Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency to find solutions.

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission will soon release a study to answer some of the questions. They are also working on a remediation protocol.

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission must work closely with all parties, seriously consider the results of private studies, and share the results of their own studies with all stakeholders. We need all parties to be a part of a quick and permanent solution.

“I ask all of my colleagues to join me in thanking all those who are working hard on this issue and in calling on the CPSC to bring forward their study results quickly.”

Bill Posey

MELBOURNE, FL – Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) has announced that the location of next week’s Healthcare Town Hall Meeting has changed due to an overwhelming response by interested constituents. The new location will be at the King Center at Brevard Community College, approximately 3 miles from the original location. Staff will be present at the Holiday Inn (the old location) to direct constituents to the King Center in order to help citizens who did not receive notice of the venue change.

“We’ve gotten a tremendous response,” said Congressman Posey. “Three days after announcing the location of our event, we more than doubled the available capacity of the original location.  We want to be able to comfortably accommodate as many constituents as possible and the King Center at Brevard Community College can help us meet the growing demand.”

“I want to thank everyone at the Holiday Inn, Brevard Community College and the Brevard Community College King Center for offering their facilities in service to our community,” added Posey.

The event will include presentations by Congressman Posey and Mr. Dennis Smith, former Director of the Federal Center for Medicaid and State Operation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A panel of representatives from local health care providers, medical practitioners, and the business community will also be available to field questions from residents. Congressman Posey sent both President Obama and Vice-President Biden an invitation to attend the forum as well.

What: Healthcare Town Hall Meeting

When: Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm

Where: The King Center at Brevard Community College

3865 N. Wickham Road

Melbourne, FL 32935

Map of the Brevard Community College Campus:

http://www.brevard.cc.fl.us/pdf/maps/melbourne.pdf

Open to all Residents of Florida’s 15^th Congressional District

RSVP appreciated but not required.

RSVP online at www.posey.house.gov/RSVP/

RSVP by Phone: 321-632-1776

*If you have already RSVP’ed, you do not need to re-register for the event.

Last week Posey sent copies of the 1,017 page health care reform proposal to the main public libraries of both Osceola and Indian River Counties and has made a copy of the bill available to constituents who want to read it in his Melbourne office as well.

Over the last several months, Congressman Posey has been gathering input from constituents, local health care professionals, and policy experts on health care reform and how Congress should proceed. Last month, Posey held two telephone town hall meetings with constituents on the topic, has hosted several roundtable discussions with local health care experts, and toured community health centers in Indian River County.

Posey, who has received thousands of letters, emails and phone calls from constituents, said that it is important to hear from residents about what they like and don’t like about their current health care plans and reiterated his pledge that he “will not vote for legislation in its final form that he has not been afforded proper time to read and evaluate.”

Bill Posey

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Green fuels, solar power and electro-magnetic technology topped the list of energy issues discussed during U.S. Rep. Bill Posey’s tour of Indian River and Brevard counties Tuesday morning.

In Fellsmere, the Rocklegde Republican visited with representatives from PetroAlgae Inc. to learn about the company’s large-scale production of biofuels.

“We’re taking this opportunity to look at the positive things that are happening in the district in regard to energy,” Posey told Fred Tennant, chief marketing officer for PetroAlgae. “Today we will see firsthand the progress that is being made by local developers of clean energy technology.”

PetroAlgae is licensing a micro-crop technology that they hope will someday replace fossil fuels. At the small-scale outdoor production site west of Fellsmere, about 150 different micro-organisms are grown in modular trays and harvested several times a day. The crop is processed into two products: a carbohydrate-rich solid that’s used as substitute for petroleum in an oil refinery; and a second product that can be used as a protein source in animal feed.

“Everyone wants renewable energy because the sources for non-renewable energy are growing low,” said John Scott, chairman of PetroAlgae. He added that the PetroAlgae product could be used by an existing refinery as a replacement for petroleum and produce clean, viable fuel.

Tennant said company officials have been meeting with key legislators in Washington to muster support for clean fuels. It was Posey’s second visit to the farm since he was elected to Congress last year.

“I sat with the congressman in Washington, and he’s extremely receptive to what we’re doing here in Fellsmere,” he said. “When he was out here before, we weren’t as far along in development, and it’s important to us that he knows how well we’re doing.”

Posey, whose tour also took him to AML Energy in Palm Bay and the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, said America needs a comprehensive energy policy with incentives for developing clean, renewable energy.

“What PetroAlgae, Advance Magnet Lab and the Florida Energy Center offer us is a glimpse into the future of powering our country and a demonstration of what’s possible,” Posey said.

After touring the facility, Posey stopped to meet some of the plant’s 100 employees.

“We want to make sure that you get a fair shake in Washington,” Posey told PetroAlgae executives. “We want to make this site the center of the PetroAlgae world.”

Bill Posey

In May, the Obama administration authorized a committee of experts to review current and activities for human space flight as undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee’s findings, scheduled to come out in late August or early September, will play a significant role in shaping our nation’s human space flight programs for generations to come.

Though appointed by NASA at the request of the administration, this panel of experts ultimately owes its allegiance and diligence to the American people. In some ways our space program has become a victim of its own success. The abundance of NASA spinoffs — cell phones, laptops, GPS — has resulted in many Americans taking for granted, or failing to appreciate altogether, how space exploration has directly benefited their lives. The committee’s report could have a significant impact on our ability as a nation to continue in our technological and scientific advances.

Space exploration is the one thing for which the United States is undeniably, unequivocally and universally respected around the world. But our international competitors are eager to catch up. Russia, China, India, and others are challenging our position as the world leader in aerospace. We should not and cannot afford to surrender this leadership to others. Not for the sake of national pride but because it is an integral part of our future and will inspire future generations of Americans. We must press the envelope and lead the world. Additionally, we all realize the vital implications at stake in regards to our national security; whoever dominates space will control what security we have here on Earth.

President John F. Kennedy, like the Wright brothers, inspired a generation with his vision of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.” As a young man, I was inspired by that vision and joined thousands of other Americans to work on the Apollo program to see the vision fulfilled. Forty years ago, almost to the day, we succeeded. Soon thereafter, however, tens of thousands of us received our pink slips. As we approach the Space Shuttle’s retirement and our temporary dependence on the Russians for access to the space station, we must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Our talented work force cannot simply be laid off and then rehired a few years later.

I have urged the committee to highlight in their report ways to minimize the U.S. gap with the Shuttle’s successor program to maintain our high-skilled space work force. Furthermore, I asked the committee to think outside the arbitrary budget numbers placed on NASA — $18.8 billion out of a total $3.6 trillion budget, less than half a percent of the federal budget.

If we are serious about maintaining our leadership in space and wish to continue as a beneficiary of space exploration, policy makers need to know what the best options are overall. Budgets are a reality, but proper leadership can and should match the budget to a worthy mission — not the mission to the budget. Finally, I reminded the committee of the importance of vision in inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.

Posey, R-Rockledge, represents the northern Treasure Coast in the U.S. House.