Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring Astronauts of the New Frontier
Today, Congress bestowed the Congressional Gold Medal to American astronauts John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
Leader Pelosi:
"Today, we honor four courageous Americans who represented—and do
still—the highest hopes of a generation, who inspired our nation to
new heights of greatness and knowledge, who ignited the fires of
innovation and rekindled the flames of scientific progress.
“We honor four men who embody the optimism, the energy, the spirit of the new frontier. As President John F. Kennedy said more than a half century ago: ‘The New Frontier is not a set of promises, it is a set of challenges.’ And these Astronauts not only accepted those challenges, they challenged future generations to explore new horizons, to apply our skills, our effort, our determination to any obstacles before us.
“Indeed when President Kennedy announced his determination to chart a new course into space; all Americans—and those of you who, well many of you may not have been born then, but for many of us who were there—learned a new word: Astronaut, sailors to the stars, the sailor to the stars.
“In the past age of discovery the sailors were guided by the stars. In the new age of discovery—the New Frontier—these Astronauts reached for the stars.
“As Senator John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth, he paved the way—not simply for more missions into space—but for an expanded commitment to science and technology and he acted upon that commitment with his leadership in the United States Senate where he brought honor to the Congress and as he and the other recipients of the award today bring honor to this medal.
“Michael Collins piloted the command module Columbia as part of Apollo 11. On the 40th anniversary of that achievement, he recalled how he peered out the ships windows at the surface of the moon and saw the potential for students interested in science, math and engineering.
“As Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind, Americans knew we could overcome any obstacle and prevail over any challenge.
“As Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon an entire nation saw a promise fulfilled and a challenge met.
