Space Dominance

Floor Speech

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Mr. FONG. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Florida (Mr. Haridopolos) for leading this Special Order today about the importance of America leading in aerospace and aviation.

My district in California encompasses a number of military, space, and aerospace facilities, including Naval Air Station Lemoore, Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, and the Mojave Air and Space Port.

We are known for our innovation and research and continuing to push the boundaries of space exploration and our rich legacy in this industry.

Dating back to almost a century ago, Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier in 1947 as a test pilot for what is now Edwards Air Force Base.

During World War II, the Mojave Air & Space Port was used as a training facility for the United States Marine Corps, and the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake was established for research, testing, and evaluation of military weapons.

In the 1950s, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center was the location where many of the technologies for Project Apollo were tested, including where the lunar landing research vehicle was flown in the 1960s in preparation for the historic American Moon landing.

With a deep, embedded history in the aerospace industry, my region continues to defy odds, make historic discoveries, and innovate for the future.

As we see our foreign adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran increasing their space technology efforts, it is critical that we stay ahead of the curve to ensure we stay at the cutting edge of technologies.

This is one of the reasons why I introduced the Making Advancement in Commercial Hypersonics Act, also known as the MACH Act. This legislation authorizes the establishment of the MACH program at NASA and allows NASA to support scientific experiments through high-speed flights.

In order to stay competitive in hypersonics technology, we must fully utilize public-private partnerships, like I have in my district, to advance this necessary technology. East Kern County is making great strides not only for our community but also for our Nation.

The MACH program builds on successes we have already seen in commercial spaceflight and lays the groundwork for urgent, necessary advancements to keep our competitive edge as a nation.

The MACH legislation was included in the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and passed the House last Congress. I look forward to this reintroduced legislation passing and getting signed into law this Congress so we can continue to innovate and grow in America.

In addition to national defense efforts, the aerospace industry continues to assist with our emergency responses in our Nation.

Earlier this year, we saw wildfires devastate my home State of California. Unfortunately, this is something that we know all too well in my community. Wildfires continue to ravage every part of California. Unfortunately, fire season is now all year long, and we must take advantage of the technologies available to try to fight these terrible tragedies.

The Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations Act, also known as the ACERO Act, which I introduced earlier this year, authorizes NASA to leverage the use of drones to fight wildfires. This project is especially helpful when there is low visibility, heavy smoke, or unsafe conditions for our firefighters to fly. This piece of legislation is lifesaving not only to help stop these wildfires, which have devastated communities, but also to assist our brave firefighters.

There are not enough thanks to give to our selfless firefighters and first responders in times of natural disaster. We should help them fight these fires by passing legislation to give them additional tools.

The aerospace industry does so much for our country, from assisting in national defense to helping in natural disasters to improving the way we travel. As we continue to innovate and grow, it is crucial to acknowledge the many advancements we continue to make.

Our work is just getting started in space as a Nation, and here in Congress we are committed to seeing strides of advancement to make our Nation dominant in new and advancing technology.

As we look to the future, I see my district continuing to make history in the aerospace industry with its innovation and exploration efforts.

Recently in my district, Boom Supersonic completed the first successful civil supersonic flight at Mojave Air and Space Port, making supersonic flight technology usable for all Americans.

In addition, in December, Stratolaunch made history with its first fully reusable hypersonic flight test of the Talon-A 2 vehicle off the coast of Vandenburg, which took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port, signifying a new era of hypersonic flight technology, where traveling at faster speeds may soon become a reality.

These important advancements for America show that my community will continue to be a national leader in the aerospace industry.

I again commemorate all of the great work being done in my community. The Nation thanks you. We have more advancements ahead being developed in California's aerospace valley. I look forward to a future of growth and innovation with California's 20th Congressional District in the forefront.

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