Hoyer Visits Goddard Space Center

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) received an update on the James Webb Space Telescope as he visited the Goddard Space Flight Center in June. Congressman Hoyer met with employees at the center and learned about the telescope, which is scheduled to launch in October 2018.

After the tour, Congressman Hoyer said he was proud of the work done at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center because it both enhances our understanding of the universe, and adds to our knowledge of our own planet by helping us understand climate, weather, asteroids, and solar activity.

“From the James Webb Telescope to the ‘W-First Mission’ and Satellite Serving Lab, the employees at NASA Goddard have a proven track record of bringing innovation, new technologies, and economic growth to the private sector that helps America maintain its global leadership in science and technology,” Congressman Hoyer said. “All of this exemplary work has largely been done in spite of Congress, which provided NASA with six straight years of flat-line or declining budgets as well as the disastrous policy of sequestration. But last December, Congress was finally able to provide a long-overdue 7 percent increase in funding of $1.2 billion – a victory for our space program that I have long worked to achieve. I am working hard to do all I can to increase those funding levels as an advocate for NASA, and I will continue to do so.”

Congressman Hoyer said he is working to stand up for those who serve in the civilian federal workforce.

“We cannot afford to lose their talent and experience,” Mr. Hoyer said. “The 3,000 civilian federal employees here at NASA Goddard deserve to know that the government they serve is committed to them and values their service. That’s why I’ll continue to push for military-civilian parity in cost-of-living adjustment increases as well as raising pay and strengthening benefits to compete with the private sector. We can’t maintain the greatest civilian workforce in the world if we’re imposing pay freezes, making painful cuts to pensions, and allowing elected officials to denigrate their service and dismiss their contributions.”

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For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader Page.