Posey’s Statement on Labor Secretary’s Announcement of Grant for Space Workers

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Bill Posey released the following statement regarding the Labor Secretary’s announcement of a $15 million grant to help space workers as the Administration moves to end the Space Shuttle program:

“While I hope this announcement will help some displaced workers, a series of ill-advised decisions by this Administration make the workforce needs all the more dire.

“Those poor decisions include: a failure to extend the life the space shuttle, a decision to terminate the Constellation program without a real plan for future human space exploration and the Administration’s decision to pay the Russians over $1 Billion to launch our Astronauts and cargo to the Space Station. Also, the Congressionally-mandated Space Shuttle Workforce Transition Strategy is nearly two years overdue.

“None of this would have been necessary if the President had kept his August 2008 promise to the people of the Space Coast – that he would close the gap between Shuttle and Constellation and keep America first in space.”