To redesignate the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 667 has been offered to redesignate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center. The bill would also rename the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

While I plan to support this bill, it is a bit unfortunate since it honors one aerospace pioneer by stripping away the honor previously extended to another worthy pioneer, Hugh L. Dryden.

Dr. Hugh Latimer Dryden was director of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, NACA, from 1947 until the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration where he was named deputy administrator.

President Johnson said of his passing that it was:

A reason for national sorrow. No soldier ever performed his

duty with more bravery, and no statesman ever charted new

courses with more dedication than Hugh Dryden.

Whenever the first American spaceman sets foot on the Moon

or finds a new trail to a new star, he will know that Hugh

Dryden was one of those who give him knowledge and

illumination.

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was named in his honor on March 26, 1976. The center is NASA's premier site for aeronautical flight research. At the dedication ceremony, then-NASA Administrator, James Fletcher, stated:

It is most fitting that this Flight Research Center, with

its unique and highly specialized capability for solving

aerospace problems, should memorialize the genius of Hugh

Dryden.

Neil Armstrong joined NACA in 1955 following his service as a naval aviator. Over the next 17 years, he was an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator for NACA and its successor agency, NASA.

As a research pilot, he flew over 200 different models of aircraft, such as the storied X-15. He transferred to astronaut status in 1962 and was command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission on which he performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong successfully led the first manned lunar landing. His service and his famous words, ``that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,'' inspired millions around the world, including this Congresswoman sitting in front of a black and white television.

Mr. Speaker, it's clear that Mr. Armstrong never sought the honor of having a NASA center named after him while alive. In truth, his name will live on throughout history whether or not we ever name anything for him. I doubt, in this era of declining funding for NASA, that either Neil Armstrong or Hugh Dryden would want a single precious dollar to be spent on a cosmetic facility name change when that money could be spent instead on fulfilling NASA's mission to reach for the stars. And, in fact, when Neil Armstrong appeared before our Science Committee, he almost said exactly that.

While I expect that we will approve this legislation today, I hope that all the Members who vote to honor Neil Armstrong today will remember his testimony before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee during which he said:

The key to the success of American investment in space

exploration is a clearly articulated plan and strategy

supported by the administration and the Congress and

implemented with all the consistency that the vagaries of the

budget will allow. Such a program will motivate the young

toward excellence, support a vital industry and earn the

respect of the world.

I hope we can honor his words. But his words were foreshadowed by Hugh Dryden in a letter he wrote to Senator Robert Kerr, chairman of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences in 1961:

The development of space science and technologies

strengthen our whole industrial base and serves as insurance

against technological obsolescence. Education will profit.

The discipline of cooperation in a great national effort may

well be the instrument of great social gain.

If the same Members who vote to rename these two NASA facilities today will commit to working in the coming months and years for those exploration goals to which both men devoted their lives, then we will have truly honored both of their legacies in an enduring and a meaningful way.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I'd inquire if the gentleman has additional speakers?

I'll continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I'd inquire if the gentleman is prepared to close as well.

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

I am pleased today that we've been able to bring forward H.R. 667.

Former Chairman Hall was here today, and we had an opportunity to do this in the last Congress. So hopefully, in honor of these two gentlemen, real tremendous patriots and heroes and pioneers, we will be able to bring forward H.R. 667 and rename the Dryden Center after Neil Armstrong. I'm grateful to be here to do that with our colleagues.

It is sad, however, that here we are on a Monday, prepared to honor these two great patriots of NASA, of this Nation, and at the same time, by the close of the week, on March 1, enable a sequester to take effect which could result in the loss of $894 million from NASA's budget, a budget that would include science, technology, engineering, investigation of climate change, and all of the things that we need to prepare this next generation to be as inspired as our generation was with the exploits and exploration of Hugh Dryden and Neil Armstrong. Yet here we are.

So I am pleased to go forward in supporting this legislation today, making sure that on a Monday we are able to take a vote to rename these two centers and to honor these two pioneers. But I am sad that here in this Congress we are also prepared to cut millions of dollars in a budget that should be spent on the kind of science and exploration that both of these gentlemen pioneered.

When we think of what needs to be done for the next generation in order to inspire future scientists and those who will work in technology--our engineers, our math students--we regret that they won't see that same kind of inspiration because of the irresponsibility of this Congress. I want to say how pleased I am as I look forward to working with Chairman Smith, because I know of his commitment to science and to technology, and I know of his commitment to NASA and to moving forward an agency that's going to propel us in 21st century space science and in aeronautics, but this is not the way to do it.

While we do our renaming today in honor of Hugh Dryden and in honor of Neil Armstrong, we will take an ax hammer to NASA's budget on March 1, at the end of this week, taking out $894 million from an already strapped budget. I dare say that future generations will not be inspired by what this Congress will do, will not be inspired by what the majority is doing by not allowing us and enabling us to sit down and actually negotiate in a way that is going to result in our making the kind of investment in the 21st century that our young people deserve.

Again, I am pleased to be able to redesignate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center as the ``Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center'' and to rename the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the ``Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range''--renaming but slashing a budget.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 667) to redesignate the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 667, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California, Kevin McCarthy, the majority whip and, I might add, the originator and author of this bill.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, for honoring Neil Armstrong and NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh Dryden with this bill. Not many people know the relationship between these two men. Hugh Dryden was the visionary behind NASA's X-15 rocket plane and the Apollo program. Neil Armstrong was the one who flew the spacecraft that Dryden envisioned.

The X-15 rocket plane set many speed and altitude records in the early 1960s. Hugh Dryden was the engineer

and program manager for that spacecraft which Neil Armstrong flew seven times.

While everyone knows that Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the Moon, not many people know Hugh Dryden's role. The Soviets had launched the first satellite Sputnik in 1957, and cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin became the first man in space in April 1961.

President John F. Kennedy wanted to demonstrate American ingenuity and technical superiority over the Soviet Union, so he convened the National Space Council. President Kennedy asked for their advice on the best way for America to respond to the Soviet's string of firsts in space exploration. In that meeting, Hugh Dryden recommended to the President that the goal of putting a man on the Moon within 10 years was achievable and something the American people could rally behind.

The rest is history. President Kennedy grabbed Hugh Dryden's idea and addressed a joint session of Congress the very next month. The Apollo program was the brainchild of Hugh Dryden. Neal Armstrong turned that dream into reality by making that ``one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind'' on another world almost 240,000 miles away. Hugh Dryden was not able to see his dream become reality, as he died in 1965. And, unfortunately, Neil Armstrong passed away last August.

It is important for us to honor both men's legacies by naming the Flight Research Center after Neil Armstrong and the surrounding Test Range after Hugh Dryden. With this bill, we reaffirm that America is filled with dreamers like Hugh Dryden, and doers like Neil Armstrong, who--working together--can ``shoot for the Moon.'' Thanks to Mr. McCarthy, we honor their legacy, and that reminds us that America always needs to think about new frontiers.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), former chairman of this committee.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), who has long been an able spokesman on the issues related to space.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we have one additional speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for as much time as he may consume, and I also note that he is the vice chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to close. We have no other speakers, and I'm prepared to yield back the balance of my time after the gentlewoman from Maryland.

I yield myself 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from Maryland--who is also the ranking member of the Space Subcommittee--for her comments, particularly for her personal comments, and I certainly share her concerns about the severe cuts that NASA and our space exploration programs might take if the sequestration goes into effect, but I also feel compelled to point out that there is a way to avoid that sequestration.

The House of Representatives, under the Republican leadership, has already passed two bills that would take the place of the sequestration, and the Senate has yet to act. After all, the sequestration was the President's idea to start with, so I hope we will hear from the President and the Senate various suggestions as to how the sequestration can be avoided, but the House has certainly done its job to avoid those heavy-handed cuts.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. McCarthy for reintroducing this bill to redesignate NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, which is co-located with Edwards Air Force Base in California, as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center. This bill, H.R. 667, would also rename the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

Neil Armstrong, everybody will say--and it's so true, he needs absolutely no introduction--people know who Neil Armstrong is. He covered the country. He has given of his time. He's an American hero, and he is one who never took personal credit for his accomplishments. Anytime he was speaking about the success of the Apollo 11 mission, he always gave recognition to the teams of engineers, technicians, and scientists at NASA and the industry. He was quiet, thoughtful, and deliberate, choosing his words carefully, whether testifying before a congressional committee, giving a speech, or sharing a moment with a friend.

Last May of this year, I was honored to have Neil, along with General Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan, visit Rockwall, Texas, my hometown in Texas, and address graduating high school seniors from the area's public schools and private schools. Neil spoke to a packed auditorium of seniors and their families and then generously took time for photos with all the graduating classes. This was such a magnanimous gesture on his side and yet typical of his commitment to inspiring other generations of students to pursue fields in science, space, and technology. These Rockwall County students and their families will remember his visit forever, and this was made even more meaningful when Neil passed away just a few months later and when I received a letter from him 3 days after he died.

Naming the Dryden Flight Center after Neil is very appropriate. After graduating from college, he joined NASA's predecessor agency, the National Advisory Council on Aeronautics, and soon found himself at NASA's High-Speed Flight Station located at Edwards, which would in time become the Dryden Flight Research Center. They were both great friends. He spent 7 years there flying a variety of new-design and high-performance aircraft, including the seven flights at the control of the X-15.

Naming the Western Aeronautical Test Range after Dr. Hugh L. Dryden is also appropriate. Dr. Dryden, as a close friend of Neil's, held the position of Director of the National Advisory Council of Aeronautics from 1947 until it was renamed NASA in 1958, then served as Deputy Director of NASA until his death in 1965. He pioneered research of airfoils near the speed of sound and the problems of airflow and turbulence. He greatly contributed to the designs of wings for aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang and other World War II aircraft.

H.R. 667 honors the life and legacy of two great Americans: Neil Armstrong and Dr. Hugh Dryden.

With that, I urge Members to support this bill.

I would like to thank the chairman for his work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 667, to honor two great pioneers in American aeronautics and space exploration, Dr. Hugh Dryden and Astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot, engineer, test pilot, astronaut, and educator who was always proud to serve this Nation.

Before joining the Astronaut Corps in 1962 and eventually taking the first small step for a man, Armstrong served as a test pilot for 7 years at what is presently called the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Kern County, California, which I am proud to represent. Armstrong flew thousands of hours as a test pilot there, mainly in experimental jets and high-speed rocket planes. He was also part of the team in the early 1960s who developed the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle used to train our astronauts on how to safely land on the Moon.

After the success of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong remained an active contributor to the aeronautical research programs at the Flight Research Center. Most notably of these was the digital fly-by-wire program, which is recognized today as a far-reaching technological breakthrough. He returned to visit the center in the years that followed and, throughout his life, remained a strong advocate of flight research.

H.R. 667 would rename the NASA Center in his honor, the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center.

H.R. 667 would also honor Dr. Hugh Dryden's contributions to aerospace engineering that made many of Neil Armstrong's career achievements possible.

Dryden was a key figure in the development of America's aerospace programs from the early part of the 20th century to the much more complex programs that are still ongoing at NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, and China Lake Naval Air Station in my district.

He was an early pioneer in aerodynamics over the first half of the 20th century and enabled many scientific breakthroughs. When NASA was created in 1958, Dr. Dryden was chosen to be its first deputy administrator, focusing his energies on the programs that allowed our country to explore space and send our astronauts to the Moon.

H.R. 667 will memorialize both men by redesignating the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and naming the center's test range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and NASA Flight Research Center in eastern Kern County remain a hub of scientific discovery, aeronautic innovation and space exploration. I look forward to many more groundbreaking achievements from the men and women inspired by the legacy of Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 667 is a fitting tribute to Armstrong and Dryden, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to celebrate the remarkable lives of both men.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their strong vote last night in support of H.R. 667, which would designate NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center. I thank the gentleman from California, Mr. McCarthy, for allowing me to be an original cosponsor of this legislation.

Forty-four years ago this July, Commander Neil Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crewmates achieved something once thought impossible: successfully landing on the moon and returning safely to the earth. They succeeded despite the many dangers they faced and the countless things that could have gone wrong during their pioneering mission.

I am especially honored to represent Neil Armstrong's birthplace: Wapakoneta, Ohio, which takes great pride in being home to the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum. The museum has on display various artifacts from the Apollo 11 mission and other articles from Armstrong's long and storied career.

As a test pilot, Armstrong spent seven years at the facility that will soon bear his name. Then called the High-Speed Flight Station, it was a key site for the foundational work done by NASA's predecessor agency, the National Advisory Council on Aeronautics, NACA. Armstrong logged 2,400 hours of flight time there, piloting the X-15 rocket- powered plane and other cutting-edge prototypes. He was also part of the team that designed and tested early mockups of a lunar landing vehicle.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation also renames the Western Aeronautical Test Range at Edwards after Hugh L. Dryden, a good friend of Neil Armstrong who served as NACA director from 1947 to 1958. Upon the creation of NASA in 1958, Dryden was named deputy director. While he did not live to see Armstrong's moon landing, his many contributions in the field of aerodynamics helped make the Apollo missions possible. I am pleased that his career will continue to be celebrated through this legislation.

Neil Armstrong's many achievements in space exploration renewed America's sense of hope for the future. His work at the Dryden Center set the foundation for every NASA mission that followed. He sought no honors during his lifetime and was rich in giving credit to others, never failing to recognize the contributions of the engineers and technicians who helped make his moon landing possible. I was proud to join my colleagues last night in honoring this American hero and son of Ohio.