The Seattle Times — Washington’s two U.S. senators today added their support to the idea of Seattle temporarily housing a retired space shuttle, saying that two of the cities awarded shuttles won’t be able to exhibit them for years.
In a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell said Seattle’s Museum of Flight should be used as a temporary home for either shuttle Enterprise or Endeavour, targeted to go to museums in New York and Los Angeles.
Gov. Chris Gregoire sent a similar letter to Bolden last week.
Seattle was among the losing bidders in April when Bolden selected permanent homes for the agency’s four shuttles with the end of the space-shuttle program this year.
Saying he was basing his choice on where the greatest number of people would see the shuttles, Bolden selected museums in New York and Los Angeles, along with the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
As one of the most beautiful states in the union–and one of the richest in natural resources–Washington has a special interest in energy and environmental policy. And Maria has fought hard to uphold the state’s conservation tradition, while also working to bring our energy policy into the 21st century.
Maria knows Washington’s business community – because, as an executive at an innovative software company, she was part of it. And as a Senator, she’s led the way in helping businesses large and small throughout Washington grow, thrive, and create jobs.
Maria has taken a leadership role on safety and security issues, including defending our borders, strengthening our military, cracking down on gangs, and taking on drug crime in Washington communities
Middle-class families around Washington and across the country are facing tough times–and tough decisions about balancing the family checkbook each month. Maria has fought to strengthen the economic security of Washington families and cut taxes for middle-class families.
