Supporting The Goals And Ideals Of National Aerospace Day

Floor Speech

Supporting The Goals And Ideals Of National Aerospace Day

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 167, supporting the goals and ideals of National Aerospace Day. Since it opened in 1976, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has been the most popular museum in our Nation's Capital, with over 6 million visitors each year. This is indicative of our Nation's love of flight and the importance of flight to our country's well-being.

In this museum, you can see the Wright Flyer, which was the world's first powered airplane. You can also see the X-1 that Chuck Yeager first powered past the speed of sound and the Apollo XI capsule that returned Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins from their remarkable trip to the Moon. These are truly great achievements, and they deserve their hallowed place in our Nation's history.

The industry and individuals that support our aerospace endeavors also deserve our recognition, because they are the ones that make the great achievements in flight and space exploration possible.

The aerospace industry directly employs over 800,000 people in the United States with high-paying and high-tech jobs. In addition, the industry supports more than 2 million jobs in related fields. The United States is the unquestioned leader in aerospace technology, and it is a leadership position made possible only through the dedication of the talented aerospace workforce.

I want to thank Representative Ehlers for introducing this resolution to recognize the contributions of the aerospace industry to our country and urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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