H. Res. 222 Commending those individuals who contributed to the debris collection effort following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident

Whereas on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven heroic astronauts were lost in a tragic accident;

Whereas the breakup of Columbia scattered debris over a large area of Texas, as well as Louisiana, Nevada, California, and possibly other States;

Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency was designated the lead agency for directing other Federal agencies in the recovery of the Space Shuttle Columbia debris;

Whereas personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies assisted in the recovery of the Columbia debris;

Whereas personnel from State and local agencies assisted in the recovery of the Columbia debris;

Whereas many citizens, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration contractor personnel from multiple States, volunteered their time to assist in the recovery of the Columbia debris;

Whereas two searchers perished and three others were injured in a helicopter crash while searching for Columbia debris;

Whereas citizens of eastern Texas offered their whole-hearted support, both physical and emotional, to the debris search teams; and

Whereas the combined efforts of all of these individuals and organizations resulted in the collection of more than seventy thousand pieces of debris, far more than was

originally thought possible, providing accident investigators with vital evidence that will assist in determining the cause of the accident: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives does offer its gratitude on behalf of the American people to the thousands of individuals who worked tirelessly to recover the Space Shuttle Columbia debris.