Pete Olson on UHCL campus

Pete Olson (R-TX 22nd District) speaks at the Clear Lake town hall meeting Sept. 20 at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.







Matt Griesmyer

The Signal Staff

Discussion at the town hall focused on recent activities in Congress involving NASA funding levels, “cap and trade” energy and health care proposals. The meeting was interrupted by protests on the issue of goverment run health care and one person had to be removed by campus police. The following is a video of the meeting and an exclusive interview with Olson conducted by Signal editor Matt Griesmyer. Below the video is the transcript of the interview.

Matt: If funding is cut to NASA or reduced, how do you think it is going to affect the area?

Olson: It is going to have a significant negative impact. It is not just funding cuts. We need to get more funding for NASA. That is the biggest thing I am taking away from the Augustine report.

They basically said we have been under-funding NASA for about a decade. We cannot continue doing that; those bills are becoming due. If we are going to have a commitment for a true human space flight program, we need to make that commitment. So that is what we are going back to Washington with, to get the funding NASA needs to do the mission we expect them to do.

Matt: Has President Obama had anything to say in regard to this issue?

Olson: Not that I am aware of. He has gotten the brief, I understand, and we have not seen it. We have just seen the little synopsis of it. We have not actually read the report yet, which should come in the next week or two.

The ball is in his court now, but we are not sitting on our hands, I am certainly not. I am talking to my colleagues up there and starting to talk about things we can do to make sure NASA gets the funding they need this fiscal year.

I would argue with anyone in America that no federal agency gives more bang for the tax payer dollar than NASA.

Matt: The answer may be apparent, but how do you think reduced funding would affect scientific growth.

Olson: It would curtail the growth. The things we have gotten from the International Space Station for example. The fact that human beings have spent numerous months up there doing experiments in a zero gravity environment.

It is just tremendous progress that has come from that in terms of medicine, health care, metallurgy, etc. It is just phenomenal and we need to make sure that we do not lose that venue. Right now we are scheduled to de-orbit the ISS in 2015 and we need to extend that to at least 2020. That is another thing we are going be talking about.

Matt: The Shuttle program is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2010, is that correct? Shortly after that, is it five years before the Ares is going to be ready?

Olson: It is. Right now the last estimate we saw from NASA is five. The Augustine panel determined it would be closer to seven. That is a danger and something I am concerned about because this is our fault. That is the sad thing because we have no one to turn to but our government and our unwillingness to make that commitment.

We are in this situation now where we have to depend upon the Russians to get our astronauts to and from the ISS. We have to do everything we can to close that gap.

Matt: Bringing this issue home to students, how would this affect students?

Olson: Well, if you are looking to get a job at the Space Center that is going to be an uncertain proposition until we figure out what we are going to do. We need to make it a long-term commitment and that has been our problem.

We have not made the long-term, financial commitment to let NASA do the things we are asking them to do. That has to stop and the other bottom line is this is rocket science (laugh).

Matt: It is rocket science (laugh).

Olson: People do not realize that before the shuttle finally got up this last mission it took four tries. The weather and all the other things involved require significant cost. It requires fueling and de-fueling and all sorts of things to get it ready for the next mission.

She landed out at Edwards Air Force Base because of bad weather, and loading it up onto a 747 to fly it across the country, again, that is another seven-figure ordeal. NASA incurs this and we need enough funding to do that. We need to keep the shuttle flying enough to, at least, complete the current manifest and make sure we close that gap to the shortest time possible to ensure that if we are putting Americans in orbit they are going up in American vehicles.

Matt: As far as for our students, what kind of message would you have for the students?

Olson: My message for the students is “get in this game and fight.” It is too important for our country’s future. Our human space flight, the advances we have had are tremendous. I would stand here and not have any hesitation to argue that NASA has given more bang for the federal dollar and it is a great future. Get into it and we are just glad you all are here.

Matt: Thank you very much Congressman.

Olson: Thank you.