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Congressional Record—Senate S690

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Congressional Record—Senate S690 S690 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 15, 2012 spend X percent of money on certain RECOGNIZING JOHN HERSCHEL Whereas the United States public viewed projects, such as bike paths and walk- GLENN, JR. John Glenn and the Mercury Seven astro- ing paths and other so-called enhance- nauts as men on the front line of the war not Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I only for space supremacy but also, in many ments. I am not against that. I use ask unanimous consent that the Sen- those. I jog on bike paths and appre- minds, for the survival of the United States; ate proceed to S. Res. 377, submitted Whereas John Glenn accurately captured ciate some of those enhancements. But earlier today. the significance of the time when he later that ought to be a State decision in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The wrote that ‘‘the world was at the door of a terms of how it allocates its money and clerk will report the resolution by new age, and we were the people who had not a Federal decision because a one- title. been chosen to take the first steps across the size-fits-all dictated by a particular The legislative clerk read as follows: threshold’’; piece of legislation simply does not Whereas the Project Mercury astronauts A resolution (S. Res. 377) recognizing the take into account the individual needs 50th anniversary of the historic achievement trained for their manned space flight mis- of a particular State. Some States may of John Herschel Glenn, Jr., in becoming the sions in the Multi-Axis Space Training Iner- want to say: Look, our roads are in first United States astronaut to orbit the tial Facility at NASA’s Research Center in such shape and our bridges need re- Earth. Cleveland, Ohio; Whereas Alan Shepard was chosen to pilot paired. At least for this year or the There being no objection, the Senate next 2 years, we are going to divert the the first manned Project Mercury mission on proceeded to consider the resolution. Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961, which proved that money into strictly construction and Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I the United States was capable of successfully repair projects. Others might say: Well, ask unanimous consent that the reso- launching a person into suborbital flight; we are in a little bit better shape this lution be agreed to, the preamble be Whereas Virgil Grissom was chosen to year and we can use some of this. That agreed to, the motion to reconsider be pilot the second manned Project Mercury ought to be for the States to decide and laid on the table, with no intervening mission on Liberty Bell 7 and became the sec- not a piece of legislation coming out of action or debate, and that any state- ond United States astronaut to achieve sub- orbital flight on July 21, 1961; this body. ments be printed in the RECORD. Whereas the Soviet Union had successfully Finally, another amendment I would The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without have liked to offer, if not for the ma- launched the spacecrafts Lunar 2 and Lunar objection, it is so ordered. 3 in 1959 before successfully launching and jority leader’s refusal for an open- The resolution (S. Res. 377) was amendment process, is one that would returning to Earth Major Yuri Gagarin, who agreed to. completed a 108-minute single orbit around have limited the scope of eligible The preamble was agreed to. the Earth in 1961; transportation enhancement projects. The resolution, with its preamble, Whereas John Glenn was selected from We hear these reports every day about reads as follows: among the Project Mercury astronauts to crumbling roads and unsafe bridges. command the first United States capsule to S. RES. 377 Yet what we are doing in this bill is orbit the Earth; limiting how a State determines where Whereas John Herschel Glenn, Jr. was born Whereas John Glenn, with the help of his on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio to par- children Dave and Lyn, named the first it puts its funds. I think we ought to ents John and Clara Glenn; narrow that option, if not take it away. United States space capsule to orbit the Whereas John Glenn grew up in New Con- Earth Friendship 7, re-emphasizing the peace- To wrap up, let me just say I think it cord, Ohio with his childhood sweetheart and ful intentions of the United States space ex- is very unfortunate that we have re- future wife, Annie Castor, 150 miles east of ploration program; sorted to a system where if the other Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of the Wright Whereas John Glenn trained vigorously, brothers, who first took humankind into side—and I would say this to my leader working through 70 simulated missions and flight; if my party was in the majority. This reacting to nearly 200 simulated system fail- Whereas John Glenn enlisted in the Naval is not how the Senate is supposed to ures, to prepare to orbit the Earth and suc- Aviation Cadet program shortly after the operate. Someone from the other side cessfully complete the first manned orbital December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, who has an amendment we don’t like, mission for the United States; Hawaii, and was commissioned as an officer Whereas the work that John Glenn con- they ought to have the opportunity to in the United States Marine Corps in 1943; ducted on the cockpit layout, instrument offer that amendment and they ought Whereas John Glenn received many honors to have the opportunity to debate that for his military service, including the Distin- panel design, and spacecraft controls in the amendment and to require a vote on guished Flying Cross on 6 occasions, the Air Mercury spacecraft enhanced the design of that amendment. Then we can vote yes Medal with 18 Clusters, the Asiatic-Pacific Friendship 7 and the ability of an astronaut to control Friendship 7, which proved useful or we can vote no and the public can Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the during the mission; judge us accordingly. But to simply Whereas, at 9:47 a.m. Eastern Standard shut it all down and not give anybody China Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Korean Service Time on February 20, 1962, the Atlas 109D that opportunity I think is not the Medal; rocket boosters ignited and John Glenn and kind of procedure we want. Whereas, with the onset of the Cold War, Friendship 7 commenced liftoff at NASA’s Finally, let me simply say this bill the United States and the free world feared Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida; brought before us is a flawed bill. With- the intentions of the Soviet Union in space; Whereas John Glenn, aboard Friendship 7, out the process of amending it or the Whereas President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first United States astronaut to opportunity to amend, to fix what we asked the National Aeronautics and Space orbit the Earth, orbiting 3 times and observ- think is wrong with it, puts us in a po- Administration (referred to in this preamble ing 3 sunrises, 3 sunsets, and the wonder of sition where it is impossible to say we as ‘‘NASA’’) to find the most talented, patri- the universe in only 4 hours and 56 minutes; Whereas, when John Glenn learned that can vote for something such as this. otic, and selfless test pilots to participate in Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight the heat shield on Friendship 7 had possibly For the reasons I have articulated become loose in orbit, compromising the suc- and for other reasons that will come program in the United States; Whereas John Glenn and fellow candidates cessful completion of the space mission, out as we make these speeches on the for NASA’s Astronaut Corps underwent pres- Glenn bravely managed the reentry proce- floor but don’t have a chance to offer sure suit, acceleration, vibration, heat, loud dures and proved that a person can safely amendments, I simply cannot support noise, psychiatric, personality, motivation, and successfully complete a NASA mission; this bill as it is. and aptitude tests at the Aeromedical Lab- Whereas John Glenn successfully com- I yield the floor and I suggest the ab- oratory at the Wright Air Development Cen- pleted reentry into Earth, splashing down in sence of a quorum. ter in Dayton, Ohio; the Atlantic Ocean at 2:43 p.m. Eastern The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Whereas John Glenn, Malcolm S. Car- Standard Time, east of Grand Turk Island at clerk will call the roll. penter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., Virgil I. 21 degrees, 25 minutes North latitude and 68 The legislative clerk proceeded to ‘‘Gus’’ Grissom, Walter M. Shirra, Jr., Alan degrees, 36 minutes West longitude, and was call the roll. B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. Slayton were recovered by the USS Noa; Whereas, in the context of the Cold War, Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I selected from among hundreds of other patri- otic candidates to be named the original the success of the Friendship 7 flight restored ask unanimous consent that the order ‘‘Mercury Seven’’ astronauts; the standing of the United States as the for the quorum call be rescinded. Whereas Project Mercury was charged with leading country in the race to space against The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. the unprecedented responsibility of com- the Soviet Union; WHITEHOUSE). Without objection, it is peting with the strides that the Soviet Union Whereas the completion of the inaugural so ordered.
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