Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on the Impact of Trump’s Proposed Cuts to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered remarks at a press conference with U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-04) outside of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland following a tour of the facility and a briefing from officials on its missions. Below is a full transcript of his opening remarks:
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) speaking at a press conference outside of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Thank you very much, Senator. I had the great privilege of representing Goddard for 42 years, so I've been here a while, [and] I know the extraordinary work that goes on here. The extraordinary work that we cannot predict the specific advances that this will make in science and technology and the economic effect that it will have, but we do know from the many past years of NASA that they will occur, even though we may not know the specifics of it. I am pleased to join Glenn Ivey, who now represents this area, but he and I think of Prince George’s County as a unit, not as a single or two units, and we represent them together. And I'm so glad to be on Team Ivey, with respect to Goddard Space Flight Center.
"Let me say, I was a colleague of Bill Nelson. Some of you may remember Senator Nelson. Senator Nelson served in the United States House of Representatives, and I served with him. He then went to the United States Senate, and then he went to space. He was the ‘Senator in Space.’ He came back and he was one of the great proponents, not only of Goddard Space Flight Center, but all of the NASA components. And then, of course, he became the administrator of NASA in the last administration. He heard about this proposal, and here's what he said: ‘They're going to run NASA into a very deep ditch if they proceed with this kind of savagery.’ His words, not mine. He went on to say, ‘If you savaged NASA science, you have savaged our entire exploration program. And that will affect the human exploration program as well,’ which was essentially, Senator, what you said.
“We've seen, over the last three months, an effort to essentially disassemble American enterprise, American government, and American progress by a group that knew everything about how they were going to do it and do it quickly. But as in this instance, in almost every instance in which they've undertaken, they do not know the consequences, and the consequences will be dire, as Senator Nelson said, with respect to Goddard Space Flight Center.
"This center is the envy of one of our greatest competitors: China. This enterprise is going to be critical as we compete with China in science and in space and in technology. To disassemble this, to cut it in half, and Senator Van Hollen made the point that we were going to abandon the investment that's already been made. Now, let me say what that investment is: $3 billion has gone into the Roman telescope and to look for habitable worlds, Senator. What they're cutting is $600 million, which is the completion of this program, as Senator Van Hollen said, our budget. What a penny wise and pound foolish that decision would be.
“I am going to urge, Senator Van Hollen’s going to urge, and Glenn Ivey is certainly going to be leading the pack for the Congress not to do this. And I predict that Congress is not going to do this because it makes no economic sense, it makes no competitive sense, [and] it makes no national security sense for them to do this.
“The people who are doing this know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. We need to make sure that America continues to be a leader: a leader in space, a leader in culture, a leader in economics. This center is absolutely critical to be able to make the further investment to complete a project, which, as you said, is on budget, so far on time.
"So, I'm pleased to join my two colleagues, Senator Van Hollen and Congressman Ivey. And we are going to fight this with every fiber in our bodies, because America’s future success and national security depend upon it. Now let me yield to my dear colleague Glenn Ivey, who, while a new Member of Congress as a Member, worked for the Congress for many, many years. He has extraordinary experience in our state and around the country, and he was an extraordinary partner of mine as we represent, not only with Senator Van Hollen and Senator Alsobrooks, our districts, our state, and also the national interest. Congressman Ivey."