Today I want to talk about NASA’s inspiring Artemis moon mission. As part of my duties on the House Science Committee, I had the privilege of watching Artemis II launch from Cape Canaveral.
This mission – which sent four astronauts further into space than we have ever been before – represents years of hard work, collaboration and investment at the highest levels of government. It should fill all of us with a feeling of true national pride.
The mission should also fill us with local pride! Two of the astronauts on the Artemis II mission – Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman – spent substantial time training at nearby Edwards Air Force Base earlier in their careers.
My belief that NASA represents the very best of American ingenuity extends far beyond my year serving as your congressman. In 2009, I was tapped to assume the role of NASA Chief of Staff by President Obama.
After that, I ran one of the first-ever commercial spaceflight companies in the United States. In both positions, I witnessed the tremendous work that NASA does every day to influence both the public and private sector, and how their initiatives extend far beyond spaceflight.
NASA satellites help us understand climate change, monitor wildfires, predict extreme weather and study our galaxy.
NASA’s impact can be felt here on Earth as well. Our area is a manufacturing hub for the aerospace industry, building and developing essential parts of cutting-edge spacecraft. Astronauts frequent Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base for training and research.
The innovation driven by NASA’s mission brings high-quality jobs to our district and helps fuel the local economy.
That is why, using my positions on the Science Committee as well as the Armed Services Committee in Congress, I’ve consistently advocated for more robust workforce development opportunities in Santa Clarita that give students the practical skills they need to enter the aerospace field and made sure our local industry has the necessary support to succeed.
I’ve worked to protect local jobs and demand accountability from the higher-ups in Washington who made reckless cuts that put employees at risk.
As vice ranking member of the Science Committee, I’ve also been fighting against the attacks on NASA and the scientific community that have taken place over the past year.
The cuts that were proposed to NASA one year ago directly impacted our district as local employees of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Armstrong Flight Research Center were affected by layoffs. We lost decades of experience and expertise at the federal level, when employees who study natural disasters like wildfires were forced out of the agency.
Now, the administration is once again trying to dismantle NASA’s budget, cutting its science division by nearly 50% and effectively eliminating 40 ongoing space science missions.
These are the programs that improve wildfire detection, combat climate change and advance innovation across numerous fields. The proposed budget also zeroes out NASA’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programs. I will fight back against these cuts, because they impact our local economy as well as our ability to remain competitive on the global stage.
The projects pursued by NASA do not run on timelines of the 24-hour news cycle or even a two-year congressional term; they take years of hard-work and dedication. Despite not always making headlines, the work that NASA employees do, from our community all the way to Washington, D.C., pushes the bounds of what is possible. Steady, consistent government support is integral to their mission, and should never be called into question.
That is why it is essential that we cultivate and prepare the next generation of engineers and aerospace experts here at home.
College of the Canyons, which has been a tremendous partner in my congressional work, serves as an incredible example of what workforce development can look like in Santa Clarita. By partnering with NASA and giving passionate students the chance to connect with industry experts, COC is making sure that young people have a window into what’s possible, and how they could turn an interest in space into a full career.
In fact, COC students have actively worked on several space-based projects in partnership with NASA. I believe the federal government should support and expand these kinds of partnerships, not cut them, and use them as a model that can be replicated across our district and the country.
That’s one of the many reasons I oppose the proposed NASA budget cuts, and why I will fight against them in Congress.
I have long believed that our desire to explore is directly linked to our identity as Americans. We as a country have always defined ourselves at the edge of the map; it is there that we are at our best.
The success of Artemis II serves as a beacon of what continued investment, hard work and collaboration can achieve.
NASA’s success is not just about far-away discoveries, but also supporting STEM education and pathways to success here at home. I will continue to be a partner in that work, uplifting our local workforce programs and making sure our area stays at the forefront of aerospace development for generations to come.
Rep. George Whitesides represents California’s 27th Congressional District. “Democratic Voices” appears Tuesdays and rotates among several local Democrats.
