La Vista
generate the greatest return on our investment, and I think that our space program has contributed as much or more than any civilian government program to securing America’s technological and economic leadership in the world.
The Constellation program had been established over several years of careful deliberation by both Republican and Demo- cratic Congresses and written into law in two separate NASA Authorization bills. The American people had already invested over $9 billion in the Constellation system to replace the space shuttle, when the president decided to cancel it.
I think that it was a dangerous decision to reject all that we have accomplished and instead rely on a risky new initiative to buy commercial crew services from companies that, in some cases, have little-to-no track record developing space systems. This decision could jeopardize our ability to ferry our own astronauts to the International Space Station, a project that reflects a multi-decade investment.
HE&IT: You are a lawyer, a banker and lawmaker. Where did you develop your interest in science issues? Hall: I must admit that back in school I wasn’t much of a sci- ence whiz. I once brought home my report card with four Fs
and a D in science and my dad scolded me for spending too much time on one subject.
But I think that being from the great state of Texas, Space exploration and the Space race with the Soviets really sparked my interest in science issues. Many years before the Space race began, I had been a pilot in the Navy. So aviation had already been one of my interests. But Space exploration was a brand new, exciting kind of aviation.
HE&IT: Why did you want to be chair of the Science, Space and Technology Committee? Hall: Having served on the committee since I was first elected to Congress in 1980, I have worked on these issues for many years. I have worked with a number of excellent chairmen, both Republican and Democrat, so I have some big shoes to fill. Issues before this committee have long-ranging impact on our economy and on our nation’s competitiveness. I believe that in this budget environment, it is going to be a balancing act to prioritize our investments in research and development. This committee has a great reputation for working together in a bipartisan way. I think that if we continue to work together, this committee can accomplish a lot.
HISPANIC ENGINEER & IT IS JOINING THE
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GOOGLE REVOLUTION! & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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8 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2011
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