Washington, Aug 27 - Today, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) issued the following statement on the death of astronaut and American icon, Neil Armstrong:

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Neil Armstrong and I share the grief of a nation in mourning.

“Neil Armstrong's name will be one of the few iconic names from our era found in history books a thousand years from now. But there is no way those history books will be able to capture the bravery, kindness, and dignity of this great pilot and brave astronaut.

“I had the honor of meeting him and discussing the future of our space programs with him over the years. There has never been a stronger advocate for America to continue the bold exploration of space. I can think of no greater tribute to his memory than for America to heed that call.”

Rep. Rohrabacher is a senior member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

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