House Committee on Science: "Committee on Science
SHERWOOD BOEHLERT, CHAIRMAN
Bart Gordon, Tennessee, Ranking DemocratPress Contacts:
Heidi Mohlman Tringe
Jeff Donald
(202) 225-4275

SPACE BILL ROCKETS TOWARD CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 4, 2004 - The House of Representatives today approved legislation, sponsored by Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), designed to promote the development of the emerging commercial human space flight industry. H.R. 3752, The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, would put in place a clear, balanced regulatory regime to promote the industry while ensuring public safety. The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate.
'Through our hearings and other work on the bill, I have come to see this as one of the most important measures this Committee will move this year,' stated House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY). 'This is about a lot more than 'joy rides' in space, although there's nothing wrong with such an enterprise. This is about the future of the U.S. aerospace industry. As in most areas of American enterprise, the greatest innovations in aerospace are most likely to come from small entrepreneurs. This is true whether we're talking about launching humans or cargo. And the goal of this bill is to promote robust experimentation, to make sure that entrepreneurs and inventors have the incentives and the capabilities they need to pursue their ideas. That's important to our nation's future.' Boehlert's full statement follows this release."
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