As a former worker at Kennedy Space Center and former Chairman of Space Florida’s predecessor organization, I understand the importance of American leadership in space research, capabilities, and exploration. Not only will our investments in space exploration keep much-needed, high paying jobs here in Brevard County and throughout the Space Coast, but it contributes to American space innovation and leadership as well as our national security. Space is the ultimate military high ground. Free nations worldwide are looking to the U.S. to lead the world in space, and if we fail to do so, others – namely China and Russia – will fill that void, which is not in our economic or national security interest.
- Opposed efforts to make us reliant on the Russians for U.S. astronaut access to the International Space Station (ISS)
- Approved a NASA Authorization bill in 2017 that authorized critical NASA human space flight programs
- Passed the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015—including key provisions for building a robust commercial space program here on the Space Coast
- Wrote into federal law key policies that have led to the investment of billions of dollars by a host of space companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance among others
- Spearheaded the RACE for Space Act and the Commercial Space Support Vehicle ACT, helping commercial space companies launch at the Cape by eliminating burdensome red tape and permitting Dept. of Defense to benefit from these commercial investments in space
- Introduced the American Space Launch Competitiveness Act to make America more competitive for space launches on American soil.