[Page H5073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INCREASE FUNDING FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITIES

  (Mr. SPANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Ranking Member Diaz-
Balart and Chairman Price for working together on the bipartisan en 
bloc package that passed the House this afternoon. That package 
included my amendment to increase funding for commercial space 
activities at the FAA by $8 million.
  In Florida, and all over the country, we are seeing the commercial 
space industry continue to grow rapidly, and the launch frequency is 
only expected to increase.
  The 5-year FAA reauthorization, which received strong, bipartisan 
support and was signed into law at the end of the 115th Congress, 
recognized the need to begin increasing funding for the Office of 
Commercial Space Transportation. My amendment increased funding to $33 
million, the fiscal year 2019 authorized level. This will ensure the 
Office of Commercial Space Transportation has the resources necessary 
to facilitate increased commercial space launches and reentries.

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