As RNC Attacks Obama’s Plan To Save Space Industry Jobs, NASA Administrator Praises Obama’s Leadership

ORLANDO – TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, October 8, engineers and other space industry workers will hold a press conference to denounce Senator John McCain’s plan to freeze NASA spending and his Republican Party’s attack on the space program.

Workers will also be making phone calls to Space Coast voters to inform them about McCain and his Republican Party’s troubling stance on NASA and Senator Barack Obama’s plan to invest an additional $2 billion to help save vital space industry jobs.

The Republicans’ criticism of Senator Barack Obama’s $2 billion plan to save space industry jobs comes as NASA Administrator and Republican appointee Dr. Michael Griffin thanked Senator Obama personally for his “leadership” in getting critical legislation passed to help maintain an American presence in space. Griffin wrote to Obama: “without your leadership, this would not have happened.” Obama urged the Congressional leadership to pass the waiver NASA had asked for, which will allow it to purchase trips for American astronauts aboard Russian spacecraft if necessary to maintain an American presence in space. The New York Times also recently credited Obama with breaking the gridlock on this legislation and helping get it passed.

Obama’s plan would reduce the gap between the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the launch of its replacement, helping to save the jobs of thousands of space industry workers and keep their families from becoming victims of Florida’s historic economic slump. Speaking during a conference call with reporters on Monday, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said the Republicans do not understand the impact of letting NASA fall apart.

“They’re attacking now Barack and me about wanting to put more money into NASA in order that we don’t end up where we are, laying off American NASA engineers,” Sen. Nelson said. “This is not only ridiculous. It shows they are just totally out of it and don’t even know what they are talking about.”

Event is open to the media:

WHO: IBEW Union Members and Space Industry Workers

WHAT: Press Conference; phone bank to follow

WHERE: Space Coast Labor Council, 1122 Lake Drive, Cocoa, FL

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, October 8 at 2:45 pm