By:  Jackson                                                    S.C.R. No. 6  
	(In the Senate - Filed May 11, 2004; May 12, 2004, read 
first time and referred to Committee on Finance; May 14, 2004, 
rereferred to Committee on Natural Resources; May 17, 2004, 
reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 
following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 17, 2004, sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.C.R. No. 6                                    By:  Armbrister

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Since its inception in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats, in addition to advancing humankind's knowledge of the Earth and the universe; and WHEREAS, Texas, primarily through the work done at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, has been a leader in the research, design, exploration, and development of space enterprise since the dawn of the space age; and WHEREAS, More than 3,000 civil servants, with a total payroll in excess of $260 million, and over 12,000 contractor employees work at the Johnson Space Center; and WHEREAS, The value of contracts with the Johnson Space Center's major contractor companies is over $3 billion, representing a significant economic impact to both the state and local economies; and WHEREAS, Thirty percent of NASA's $14 billion budget is spent in Texas at the Johnson Space Center; and WHEREAS, The Johnson Space Center has pioneered breakthroughs in space exploration, specifically through the Space Shuttle and International Space Station Programs, as well as astronaut selection and training; support of extravehicular activities; mission operations, including the Mission Control Center; engineering, biological, and physical research; and the care of astromaterials; and WHEREAS, Texas colleges and universities receive over $10 million in NASA science and engineering grants and contracts; and WHEREAS, NASA operates ambitious education outreach programs across the state through the Johnson Space Center, including NASA Explorer Schools and the Texas Aerospace Scholars Program; and WHEREAS, The desire to explore is part of America's character, and history has shown that space exploration benefits all humankind through new technologies for everyday application, new jobs across the entire economic enterprise, economic contributions through new markets and commercial products, education and inspiration, United States leadership, increased security, and a legacy for future generations; and WHEREAS, A Space Exploration Vision has recently been articulated to affirm the United States' commitment to human space exploration and to give NASA a new focus and clear objectives, including long-term human and robotic programs to explore the solar system, and a return to the moon that will ultimately enable future exploration of Mars and other destinations; and WHEREAS, The Space Exploration Vision begins with NASA returning the Space Shuttle to safe flight, with the chief purpose of completing assembly on the International Space Station, in addition to developing a new crew exploration vehicle to explore beyond Earth's orbit to other worlds, all of which are goals uniquely suited for the expertise resident at the NASA Johnson Space Center located in our state; and WHEREAS, The Space Exploration Vision has the potential to drive innovation, development, and advancement in the aerospace and other high-technology industries across the nation and in the state of Texas; and WHEREAS, The proposed budget request for NASA in fiscal year 2005 fully supports the Space Exploration Vision, aligns NASA programs with the Vision goals, affirms the nation's commitment to space exploration, and provides a clear direction for the United States space program; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas and the House of Representatives, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of Texas hereby strongly encourages all members of the United States Congress to fully fund the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the amount of $16.2 billion in support of the Space Exploration Vision, as submitted to the Congress for fiscal year 2005, to enable the United States, and the state of Texas, to remain leaders in the exploration and development of space; and be it further RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official copies of this resolution to the president and vice president of the United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives, to each senator and representative from Texas in the Congress of the United States of America, and to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator.
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