July 28, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1587 the National Association of Veterans Homes STS–108. With this latest mission, he has International Space Station equipment. They and the 119 State Veterans Homes rep- logged almost 25 days in space. He is also also tested techniques for inspecting and re- resented by that association for their contribu- the father of two children. pairing the Shuttle mid-flight while also suc- tions to the health care of veterans and the Mission Specialist Michael Fossum, wasn’t cessfully transferring 14 tons of equipment to health care system of the Nation. always an astronaut. Before riding into the the ISS. Ambrosio Guillen State Veterans Nursing heavens he was a NASA Systems Engineer, Mr. Speaker today I congratulate the NASA Home opened its doors in my Congressional charged with evaluating the use of the Rus- space program for enduring great tragedy, and District of El Paso, TX on July 19, 2005, as sian Soyuz spacecraft as a viable emergency turning it into a monumental success, again. the first veterans nursing home to be located escape vehicle for the space station. He also They are doing what we all hope to have the in a major Texas metropolitan area. This 160- represented the Flight Crew Operations Direc- strength and power to do during times of great bed home has exhibited a great commitment torate during the redesign of the International adversity, they are facing the challenge and to caring for those who have honorably served Space Station. Once a Capsule Communi- then conquering it. our country. cator, CAPCOM, in Mission Control, Fossum I wish everyone involved in our space pro- I am proud to join in the bi-partisan support was able to log more than 306 hours in space gram the very best as they embark on future shown by the House of Representatives as we during STS–121. He and his wife Melanie missions which will no doubt, continue to honor the National Association of Veterans have four children. change our country for the better. That’s Just Homes. Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak, a graduate the Way It Is. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to of the U.S. Naval Academy, made her first f join me in supporting all those who dedicate space flight on STS–121. She also logged 13 themselves to serving our veterans by voting days of space flight time. A former Mission HEALTH INFORMATION TECH- in favor of H. Con. Res. 347. Commander and EW Lead of the Electronic NOLOGY PROMOTION ACT OF 2006 f Warfare Aggressor Squadron 34, she also worked in the Astronaut Office Robotics SPEECH OF TRIBUTE TO NASA MISSION STS– Branch and in NASA Mission Control as prime 121 HON. RON KIND communicator with on-orbit crews. She and OF WISCONSIN her husband have three children. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HON. TED POE A Harvard graduate, Stephanie Wilson Thursday, July 27, 2006 OF TEXAS served as an astronaut on STS–121, her first IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES mission into space. She has completed exten- The House in Committee of the Whole sive research on controlling and modeling House on the State of the Union had under Friday, July 28, 2006 large, flexible space structures. She has consideration the bill (H.R. 4157) to amend Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, we have all suffered worked for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Social Security Act to encourage the dis- setbacks in our lives. For most of us, millions Pasadena, California, and was a member of semination, security, confidentiality, and usefulness of health information technology; of people are not watching as monumental the Attitude and Articulation Control Sub- tragedy unfolds in a matter of seconds. system for the Galileo spacecraft. After work- Mr. KIND. Mr. Chairman, I rise in apprecia- This was the case for family and friends of ing in Mission Control Wilson worked in the tion that House Leadership has at last brought the astronauts who tragically died in the Co- Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations Branch, a health information technology bill to the lumbia Shuttle disaster in 2003. In that instant, with the Space Shuttle Main Engines, External floor. As a cochair of the New Democrat Coali- the folks at NASA lost their friends and co- Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. tion, I have been a long-time supporter of workers in the Space Shuttle Columbia trag- Mission Specialist Piers Sellers is an expert health IT. I believe health IT, if done correctly, edy. It was a moment they will never forget. It on how the Earth’s biosphere and atmosphere will highlight the need for personal account- was a moment that has created great sorrow interact. His studies have included computer ability in health care, advance technological in- and an intense pressure for perfect missions. modeling of the climate system, satellite re- novation, promote fiscal responsibility and, NASA employees, have vowed to use hard mote sensing studies and climatological field most importantly, improve health and save work and determination, to never again make work coordinating aircraft, satellites and lives. Additionally, great strides can be made the same mistakes. It is with that determina- ground teams across the world. Sellers also in homeland security as well as tracking dis- tion that they completed their second journey worked part time in Moscow as a technical li- ease and infection. into space after Columbia, and it was a perfect aison on ISS computer software. This is his I am pleased that H.R. 4157 will codify in mission. second mission and he has logged more than law the Office of the National Coordinator for Today I congratulate all seven members of 559 hours in space, and 6 spacewalks. He Health Information Technology and that the the STS–121 mission, and the countless men and his wife have two children. coordinator will be tasked with devising a na- and women who supported them throughout Finally, Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, of tional strategic plan for implementing health their successful 13-day, five million-mile jour- Germany is the only astronaut to stay in space IT. Additionally, the grant money authorized by ney. This second successful space mission during STS–121. He will live aboard the Inter- the bill is a worthwhile, if small, step in the since the Columbia tragedy, marks the new national Space Station and return to Earth right direction. Representing western Wis- standard of success NASA has resolved to aboard Shuttle mission STS–116 or a Russian consin, I know too well how difficult it is for meet and exceed. Soyuz in a few months. He has trained as a small medical practices to afford the purchase The Commander of STS–121, Col. Steve cosmonaut and was also involved in European and upkeep of software and hardware needed Lindsey was also mission commander on a Space Agency, ESA, studies of manned space for electronic medical records. The $5 million space flight in 2001. He flew as pilot on 2 pre- vehicles and the development of equipment in grants to rural or underserved urban areas vious shuttle missions, and he has logged for the International Space Station. He and is the first of many such grants Congress must more than 1,000 hours in space. A graduate Russian colleagues were on the crew of ESA- facilitate. of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Air Russian Euromir 95 mission to the Mir Space While I am pleased the bill is moving for- Force Institute of Technology he has been the Station. Reiter was the on-board engineer for ward, I am disappointed that negotiations were recipient of many awards and medals, includ- the record-breaking 179-day mission. He per- not done in a more bipartisan manner. It is ing the Distinguished Flying Cross, three formed some 40 European scientific experi- good to see that harmful and invasive policies NASA Space Flight Medals, the NASA Out- ments and performed two spacewalks. He and on privacy issues were removed from the bill, standing Leadership Medal, and the NASA Ex- his wife have two sons. and I am hopeful that when the House and ceptional Service Medal. He and his wife Each astronaut on this mission and the Senate meet in conference, members will take Diane have three children. countless people who supported them accom- a hard look at strengthening further the bill’s Pilot Mark Kelly has logged 12 days in plished great tasks, to help our space program privacy provisions. space. His dream to become an astronaut move forward, in characteristic giant steps. Mr. Chairman, I plan on voting for this started with Alan Shepard, the first American NASA equipped this shuttle with more cam- health IT bill and look forward to working with to fly into space. A graduate of the U.S. Mer- eras to improve views and data from all an- the Senate on improving it. America’s doctors, chant Marine Academy, he flew 39 combat gles of the shuttle during and after launch. nurses, and patients deserve 21st century missions in Operation Desert Storm. He has Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum performed technology in the health care system, and it is logged over 4,000 flight hours in more than 50 spacewalks to test equipment, remove and re- past time for Congress to be acting on this different aircraft and has served as a pilot on place power, command and data cables on issue.