Space News: Op-ed | Sen. Nelson is strong choice to advance 21st century space priorities
by Brian Berger W hen looking to strategically position the United States. as the dominant force in space for the 21st century, it made perfect sense to select a nominee to lead NASA who literally served our nation in space. Former Sen. Bill Nelson, who flew on the space shuttle in 1986 while a member of the House of Representatives, is a pragmatic yet inspired selection. He intimately knows the agency, its mission, its workforce, and its reputation in Congress. So why is there pushback rather than praise? Presidential nominees anticipate intense scrutiny of their public record – from financial dealings and voting history to past speeches and tweets. Opposition inevitably comes with the honor of being nominated. With Sen. Nelson’s selection, however, President Biden hit the ball out of the atmosphere, so to speak. Thus, I was surprised to see criticism come not from Republican members of Congress who roundly lauded the choice, but from within specific sectors of the spa...
