Today, Representative Mike Garcia (CA-25) delivered remarks on the House Floor to acknowledge the United States’ leadership in space and advocate for continued investment in the U.S.’ presence and advancement in space exploration.
 
Garcia currently serves on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee where he continues to advocate for the nation’s advancements in space exploration. 
 
Click here  to watch Rep. Garcia’s remarks on the House Floor.
 

Below are remarks as prepared for delivery: 
 
Mankind has existed on this beautiful blue marble that we call earth for nearly 200,000 years. Yet, just 118 years ago we learned to fly in our own planet’s atmosphere. 
 
As a nation, we are thirsty for something to rally behind that unifies us, something we can all be invested in, intrigued by and passionate and positive about.
 
There isn’t a better movement to get behind than our nation’s modern space program. Some question the value of spending precious taxpayer dollars to overcome our planet’s gravity to go to space. But those people aren’t seeing the big picture. 
 
In the early 1900s many questioned the value of spending so much capital and risking so many lives in hopes of conquering flight, and now we can’t imagine a world in which we don’t have the luxury of modern aviation. 
 
And we had no idea that a canvas glider flown on a beach in North Carolina would evolve into a modern fighter jet.
 
We have no choice but to think outside of the box, outside of our own solar system even, to make sure that we do not only understand the answers to our most profound questions but to discover new questions for tomorrow that we can’t even fathom asking today.
 
We have no choice but to better understand the extensions of God’s creations, to know if we are alone in the universe, to know if there is a second home somewhere out there beyond our sights and imaginations. 
 
Failing to press on is a disservice to previous generations who have sacrificed so much and worked so hard to get us here today. 
 
And failing to press on is a disservice to current and future generations who benefit from our progress.
 
You see, space is a domain where we as a nation can thrive, but it’s also a domain where we can be vulnerable and susceptible to the malicious intent of foes such as China, Russia, and Iran. These are existential threats.
 
Any decisions on our part to divest from this adventure will not dissuade our foes from advancing their own space programs. 
 
It would only serve to highlight a massive strategic vulnerability and create capability gaps that will be impossible to close in the future. 
 
A path of divestment is an unforgiving one and the damage is irreparable. 
 
While we as a nation currently hold an advantage in space, our lead, like the nearly 118 years that separates today from the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903, can vanish in the blink of an eye.
 
In this new frontier, time is as precious as money. And now is not the time to slow down.
 
As big as space is, we must as a nation be bigger. Bigger as a united team.
 
As a nation, we must recognize that this investment in our future is more than science and curiosity. It’s more than resolve and perseverance, it’s more than just discovery and challenges…it’s about survival, excellence, and inspiration.
 
It’s about national security and it’s about planetary security against threats that are not slowing down. 
 
It’s about a new golden era for the American Space Program.
 
As a result of the construction of the international space station, we have not had all humans together on this planet for over 20 years. That’s remarkable to think about.
  
Earlier this year, NASA successfully landed a JPL Mars rover on the Martian surface for the 5th time. We were the first, and only nation to have done this until recently when the United Arab Emirates, followed by China, also landed on Mars.
 
In April, we flew a helicopter in the Martian atmosphere. No other nation has done that. But the United States now has.
 
In 2024, we plan to once again land Americans on the moon, and further make history with the first woman on the moon. Still to this day, no other nation has done that. 
 
During our lifetimes we will land Americans on Mars. No other nation has done that. The United States will be the first.
 
As Americans, we are in fact exceptional. And our successes in space are a testimony to this. We should take pride in that and embrace our exceptionalism. 
 
In 1962, JFK inspired our nation with his moonshot speech. Today we have no excuses to not be inspired. We in Congress have no excuses to not support these exceptional programs in earnest and with pride. We have no choice. 
 
Click here to learn more about Garcia’s efforts to support advancements in space.