CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON OFFERS REMARKS DURING THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL CEREMONY HONORING FOUR LEGENDARY ASTRONAUTS

Congressional Leaders Gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to Honor Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn and Michael Collins

Washington, DC – (Wednesday, November 16) – Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member of the House, Science, Space and Technology Committee, honored four legendary astronauts during the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony.  

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to walk on the moon, while Senator John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth and Michael Collins orbited the moon in the command module.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest and most prestigious civilian award bestowed upon by the United States Congress.  In addition to this award, the four astronauts have previously received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

During the program, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson stated “‘Hero’ is an overused word, but I think that all who are assembled here today would not hesitate to describe our honorees as genuine national heroes.In fact, the only ones who might object to that description are our honorees themselves.  In an age of inflated egos and self-promotion, each of these gentlemen has distinguished himself by his modesty, his competence, his bravery, and his dedication to serving this nation."  

The Congresswoman concluded by saying “It is our challenge—and our duty—to do all we can in these challenging fiscal times to keep that preeminence in space, because doing so will inspire our young people, strengthen our economy, create the jobs of the future, and benefit our society in countless ways.”

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek,Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.