Congressional Babbling from Rep. Kaptur

Editor’s note:The following semi-coherent questions were among those asked by Rep. Kaptur (D-OH) at yesterday’s NASA budget hearings before the VA-HUD subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee:

“The second question I have, and I’ll just wait for answers on both, has to do with what measures we have as a world of perhaps ozone damage and any pollution resulting from our space probes that cut through the thin veil of light that surrounds the globe. And to what extent do we have information on that? I’ve been asked questions about it in my own region and I don’t have any answers. And some of the space garbage that we’re leaving up there. So in terms of the applications and possible future funding that could help to apply what you know about Earth-sun and fuel cell research to ongoing energy needs here on Earth. And then the issue of the basin and our environment and how we protect that very thin ozone layer around Earth.”

“Mr. Chairman, could I just ask the director if he could arrange to have someone come up and see me privately on the Earth-sun effort so I can get a better understanding of what you’re doing and then also he asked the question for the record relating to the impact of NASA’s space shots through the atmosphere and how you’re measuring the impact of that on the oxygen layer?”

Editor’s note: “space garbage”? “the thin veil of light that surrounds the globe”? “the oxygen layer”? This is what happens when staff don’t adequately prepare their boss for a hearing. Note to Rep. Kaptur: if you are going to engage in a serious discussion on the things that NASA does, the least you could do is know something about the topics and not waste everyone’s time demonstrating your lack of knowledge. Otherwise, the prudent response would be “I have no questions Mr. Chairman.”