Many Members of the 113Th Congress Have Expressed Statements and Opinions Regarding Commercial

MEMORANDUM

TO: / Executive and Associate Members
FROM: / CSF Staff
DATE: / February 13, 2013
RE: / 113th Congress Statements and Opinions on Commercial Space Endeavors

Introduction

Many members of the 113th Congress have expressed statements and opinions regarding commercial spaceflight. This memorandum highlights some of the more recent statements and opinions.

Contents

House Science Committee

Democrat Members………………………………………………………………………... 2

Republican Members ……………………………………………………………………… 9

House Appropriations – CJS Subcommittee

Democrat Members ……………………………………………………………………… 22

Republican Members ………………………………………………………………....….. 24

Senate Appropriations – CJS Subcommittee

Democrat Members ……………………………………………………………….……… 27

Republican Members ……………………………………………………………….……. 30

Senate Commerce Committee

Democrat Members ……………………………………………………………………… 33

Republican Members ………………………………………………………………….…. 39

House Science Committee

Democrat Members

• Bera, Ami (CA)

Office Address / Office Contact
1408 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5716
Fax: (202) 226-0777 / TBD
No Statement

• Bonamici, Suzanne (OR)

Office Address / Office Contact
439 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-0855
Fax: (202) 225-9497 / Eric Ffitch

No Statement

• Brownley, Julia (CA)

Office Address / Office Contact
1019 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5811
Fax: (202) 225-1100 / TBD
No Statement

• Edwards, Donna (MD)

Office Address / Office Contact
2445 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-8699 main
202-225-8714 fax / Angie Jean-Marie

9/14/2012:
Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Recent Developments in NASA Comm. Crew Acquisition Strategy / “I also am keenly interested in and excited by the entrepreneurial energy being devoted to human spaceflight these days. The passion of those working on commercial approaches to human spaceflight is infectious—and as I’ve said before, I’d love to fly into space myself someday!”
9/14/2012:
Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Recent Developments in NASA Comm. Crew Acquisition Strategy / “I have to say that I am concerned that NASA is not holding [the Commercial Crew] program to the same standard as its other major acquisitions.... I am puzzled and a bit frustrated that NASA appears to be unable or unwilling to acknowledge the warning signs that this major program is not on a firm path to success at present.”

• Etsy, Elizabeth (CT)

Office Address / Office Contact
509 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4476
Fax: (202) 226-5933 / TBD
No Statement

• Grayson, Alan (FL)

Office Address / Office Contact
430 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-9889 / TBD
7/22/2010:
NASA Authorization Act of 2010 markup / Introduced an amendment in the Science Committee to cut all commercial crew funding in the 2010 House Science Committee NASA Authorization bill
7/22/2010:
NASA Authorization Act of 2010 markup (quoted in the Space Review, 7/26/2010) / “[Commercial Crew] is the epitome of socialism and corporate welfare. Why hand $500 million of federal resources to companies that don’t need it, haven’t asked for it, don’t want it, and in all likelihood will provide nothing for it?”

• Johnson, Eddie Bernice (TX)

Office Address / Office Contact
2468 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-8885
Fax: (202) 226-1477 / Eric Hammond

9/14/2012: Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Recent Developments in NASA Comm. Crew Acquisition Strategy / Re the Commercial Crew Program: "Instead of converging on an executable plan, NASA has shifted its acquisition approach multiple times and now is proposing to carry out two distinct acquisition approaches in parallel. It has persisted in basing its program on budgetary assumptions that appear to be unrealistic based on both the authorizations and appropriations provided to date and the fiscal outlook facing the agency. And it still does not appear to have achieved a consensus within the agency on whether the primary purpose of the program is to provide crew transport to the ISS as soon as possible or to attempt to create a new commercial crew industry that doesn’t currently exist."
9/14/2012: Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Recent Developments in NASA Comm. Crew Acquisition Strategy / "while one of NASA’s stated goals for its commercial crew program is “Achieving significant industry financial investment,” based on Committee staff calculations the recently awarded Space Act Agreements demonstrate that the companies selected are only willing to contribute an average of just 11% of the cost of developing the commercial crew systems—systems that the government will then also have to pay to use. I’m not sure I can explain to my constituents why they should consider that a fair arrangement."
9/14/2012: Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Recent Developments in NASA Comm. Crew Acquisition Strategy / "I really am excited by the work that the companies have done to date, and I certainly wish them well. However, as I said at last year’s hearing, I can’t let my enthusiasm for entrepreneurship override my responsibility to take a clearheaded look at NASA’s plans. I owe that to my constituents and to all of the American taxpayers."

• Kennedy, Joe (MA)

Office Address / Office Contact
1218 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5931 / TBD
No Statement

• Kilmer, Derek

Office Address / Office Contact
1429 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5916 / TBD
No Statement

• Lipinski, Daniel (IL)

Office Address / Office Contact
1717 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225 - 5701
Fax: (202) 225 - 1012 / Jason Day

No Statement

• Lofgren, Zoe (CA)

Office Address / Office Contact
1401 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone (202) 225-3072 / Ben Gutman

10/26/2011:
Full Committee Hearing – NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program / “I’ve been enthusiastically supporting [the Commercial Crew] effort… the payoff is so enormous….. [Is] there any possibility that we could significantly reduce that timeframe [for flight] … with the private sector involvement that we have?”
7/21/2010:
Signed Letter (Along With Other Reps From CA) to Science Committee Supporting Commercial Crew Program / “We urge you to increase funding for the Exploration Technology Program, Robotic Precursor Spacecraft Program, and Commercial Cargo and Crew Programs. These are areas that should be the cornerstone of NASA's new direction because they will drive innovation and job creation across the nation.”

• Maffei, Dan (NY)

Office Address / Office Contact
422 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3701
Fax: (202) 225-4042 / TBD
No Statement

• Peters, Scott (CA)

Office Address / Office Contact
2410 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-0508
Fax: (202) 225-2558 / TBD
No Statement

• Swalwell, Eric (CA)

Office Address / Office Contact
501 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5065 / TBD
No Statement

• Takano, Mark (CA)

Office Address / Office Contact
1507 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2305
Fax: (202) 225-7018 / TBD
No Statement

• Veasey, Marc (TX)

Office Address / Office Contact
414 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-9897 / TBD
No Statement

• Wilson, Frederica (FL)

Office Address / Office Contact
208 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4506
Fax: (202) 226-0777 / Keenan Austin

No Statement

Republican Members

• Smith, Lamar (TX), Chairman

Office Address / Office Contact
2409 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4236
Fax: (202) 225-8628 / Chris Shank

11/9/2012:
H.R. 6586: Space Exploration Sustainability Act / Co-sponsored H.R. 6586 that extends for one year the government risk-sharing arrangement for commercial launch companies. The resolution was passed in the closing hours of the 112th congress.
2/29/2012:
Signed Letter to White House regarding concerns for safety oversight of Commercial Crew / “We have serious concerns about the Administration’s course of action with the commercial crew program. It is inexcusable for the Administration to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds on these nascent systems without the ability to define and impose the necessary requirements to ensure the health and safety of astronaut crews. We ask that you heed your own advice from your testimony before the Science Committee. If safety is being jeopardized through improper contracting methods, we expect you to take immediate action to remedy the situation.”
7/28/2010:
Additional Views Accompanying NASA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Offered By Reps. Hall, L. Smith, Bartlett, Lucas, Akin, McCaul, Diaz-Balart, A. Smith, Broun and Olson / “We do not support a commercial-only approach as proposed by the Administration, remaining unconvinced by the little evidence provided to us in hearings and briefings that the commercial launch industry is anywhere near ready to perform this vital role… they cannot assure enough of a finished product to justify abandoning the 5 years of legislative cooperation by both Republicans and Democrats embodied in the Constellation program. That said, we do back the industry's development both in policy and with taxpayer investment, and remain optimistic that commercial crew will one day be our primary source of ferrying astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.”

• Bridenstine, Jim (OK)

Office Address / Office Contact
216 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2211 / Joe Kaufman (chief of staff -- permanent space/science contact to be appointed in future)
No Statement

• Brooks, Mo (AL)

Office Address / Office Contact
1230 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4801
Fax: (202) 225-4392 / Anna Campbell

9/14/2012: Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Recent Developments in NASA Comm. Crew Acquisition Strategy / “[I]f only one of these three [commercial crew] companies
is ultimately [going to] be providing services to the United States
government -- if, for example, that happens to be Boeing just
because they're the ones that are receiving the most money -- that
means roughly $650 million would have been spent on companies
for which NASA's not getting any direct service. But we're spending the money on the hope that some day thatcompetition will lower the cost. Is that a fair assessment?”
2/29/2012:
Signed Letter to White House regarding concerns for safety oversight of Commercial Crew / “We have serious concerns about the Administration’s course of action with the commercial crew program. It is inexcusable for the Administration to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds on these nascent systems without the ability to define and impose the necessary requirements to ensure the health and safety of astronaut crews. We ask that you heed your own advice from your testimony before the Science Committee. If safety is being jeopardized through improper contracting methods, we expect you to take immediate action to remedy the situation.”

• Broun, Paul (GA)

Office Address / Office Contact
2437 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4101
Fax: (202) 226-0776 / TBD
7/28/2010:
Additional Views Accompanying NASA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Offered By Reps. Hall, L. Smith, Bartlett, Lucas, Akin, McCaul, Diaz-Balart, A. Smith, Broun and Olson / “We do not support a commercial-only approach as proposed by the Administration, remaining unconvinced by the little evidence provided to us in hearings and briefings that the commercial launch industry is anywhere near ready to perform this vital role… they cannot assure enough of a finished product to justify abandoning the 5 years of legislative cooperation by both Republicans and Democrats embodied in the Constellation program. That said, we do back the industry's development both in policy and with taxpayer investment, and remain optimistic that commercial crew will one day be our primary source of ferrying astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.”

• Bucshon, Larry (IN)

Office Address / Office Contact
1005 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4636
Fax: (202) 225-3284 / TBD
No Statement

• Cramer, Kevin (ND)

Office Address / Office Contact
1032 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2611 / TBD
No Statement

• Hall, Ralph (TX)

Office Address / Office Contact
2405 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)225-6673
Fax: (202) 225-3332 / Kyle Oliver

11/9/2012:
H.R. 6586: Space Exploration Sustainability Act / Co-sponsored H.R. 6586 that extends for one year the government risk-sharing arrangement for commercial launch companies. The resolution was passed in the closing hours of the 112th congress.
6/20/2012:
Full Committee Hearing - Examining Priorities and Effectiveness of the Nation’s Science Policies / Re: Space Act Agreements -- "how can we be assured that NASA's developing safe systems if it's prohibited from levying any design requirements, prohibited from developing or demanding performance tests from the companies?"
3/28/2012:
Full Committee Hearing - Securing the Promise of the International Space Station: Challenges and Opportunities / “After spending tens of billions of dollars to build the space station, Congress wanted to ensure that a national capability to access it was not jeopardized by over-reliance on untested commercial propositions. Supplying and utilizing the International Space Station is simply too important to be left to others.”
3/28/2012:
Full Committee Hearing - Securing the Promise of the International Space Station: Challenges and Opportunities / "NASA spent $1.6 billion on [commercial efforts] so far and the nation didn't have very much to show for it. What does NASA get back on companies continued delay and what's the penalty when they don't perform?"
2/17/2012:
Full Committee Hearing - An Overview of the Administration’s Federal Research and Development Budget for FY 2013 / "NASA is pacing development of these systems [SLS and Orion] to be operational in 2021, which could occur after International Space Station has been retired -- after the retirement. America's continued leadership in space and even our national security depend in large part on developing and maintaining this critical capacity."
2/17/2012:
Full Committee Hearing - An Overview of the Administration’s Federal Research and Development Budget for FY 2013 / "I cannot stress enough the importance of accelerating the launch system to ensure we have an alternative method to transport people and cargo to ISS as well as the ability to launch missions beyond lower earth orbit."
2/17/2012:
Full Committee Hearing - An Overview of the Administration’s Federal Research and Development Budget for FY 2013 / "... I have a problem with [safety standards in Space Act Agreements]. Under this agreement, it's my understanding that NASA can't require the companies to meet any safety standards. I don't know how that could have been left out."
10/26/2011:
Full Committee Hearing – NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program / “NASA’s in an emergency; our space program’s in an emergency. We can do better than those dates, I think … Somebody just needs to say… ‘let’s go’ and I think you [commercial companies] all are the ones to do it and I hope you will.”
7/28/2010:
Additional Views Accompanying NASA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Offered By Reps. Hall, L. Smith, Bartlett, Lucas, Akin, McCaul, Diaz-Balart, A. Smith, Broun and Olson / “We do not support a commercial-only approach as proposed by the Administration, remaining unconvinced by the little evidence provided to us in hearings and briefings that the commercial launch industry is anywhere near ready to perform this vital role… they cannot assure enough of a finished product to justify abandoning the 5 years of legislative cooperation by both Republicans and Democrats embodied in the Constellation program. That said, we do back the industry's development both in policy and with taxpayer investment, and remain optimistic that commercial crew will one day be our primary source of ferrying astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.”

• Harris, Andy (MD)

Office Address / Office Contact
1533 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5311
Fax: (202) 225-0254 / John Dutton

No Statement

• Hultgren, Randy (IL)

Office Address / Office Contact
332 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2976
Fax: (202) 225-0697 / Mischa Fisher

2/29/2012:
Signed Letter to White House regarding concerns for safety oversight of Commercial Crew / “We have serious concerns about the Administration’s course of action with the commercial crew program. It is inexcusable for the Administration to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds on these nascent systems without the ability to define and impose the necessary requirements to ensure the health and safety of astronaut crews. We ask that you heed your own advice from your testimony before the Science Committee. If safety is being jeopardized through improper contracting methods, we expect you to take immediate action to remedy the situation.”

• Lucas, Frank (OK)

Office Address / Office Contact
2311 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5565
Fax: (202) 225-8698 / Jason Grassie

7/28/2010:
Additional Views Accompanying NASA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Offered By Reps. Hall, L. Smith, Bartlett, Lucas, Akin, McCaul, Diaz-Balart, A. Smith, Broun and Olson / “We do not support a commercial-only approach as proposed by the Administration, remaining unconvinced by the little evidence provided to us in hearings and briefings that the commercial launch industry is anywhere near ready to perform this vital role… they cannot assure enough of a finished product to justify abandoning the 5 years of legislative cooperation by both Republicans and Democrats embodied in the Constellation program. That said, we do back the industry's development both in policy and with taxpayer investment, and remain optimistic that commercial crew will one day be our primary source of ferrying astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.”

• Lummis, Cynthia (WY)

Office Address / Office Contact
113 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2311
Fax: (202) 225-3057 / Christine Riffle

No Statement

• Massie, Thomas (KY)

Office Address / Office Contact
314 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3465 / Stephen Johnson

No Statement

• McCaul, Michael (TX)

Office Address / Office Contact
131 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2401
Fax: (202) 225-5955 / Charles Fields

7/28/2010:
Additional Views Accompanying NASA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Offered By Reps. Hall, L. Smith, Bartlett, Lucas, Akin, McCaul, Diaz-Balart, A. Smith, Broun and Olson / “We do not support a commercial-only approach as proposed by the Administration, remaining unconvinced by the little evidence provided to us in hearings and briefings that the commercial launch industry is anywhere near ready to perform this vital role… they cannot assure enough of a finished product to justify abandoning the 5 years of legislative cooperation by both Republicans and Democrats embodied in the Constellation program. That said, we do back the industry's development both in policy and with taxpayer investment, and remain optimistic that commercial crew will one day be our primary source of ferrying astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.”
3/24/2010: Statement at Subcommittee Hearing on Proposed Changes to NASA’s Exploration Program / “This is anational security asset. I don’t think you can completely turn it
over to commercial spaceflight. It has national security aspects to
it, military aspects to it. I don’t see the transition here either….
I don’t see a transition period, something that we have invested 8,
$9 billion in, and then we are going to just hand it off to commercial