Bill Nelson in Biden campaign vs. Biden administration


On Energy & Oil: Climate change, sea-level rise risk lives and property

Biden administration's expected push to expand the space agency's Earth science missions part of a broader effort to combat climate change and its consequences, such as rising sea levels, which were a top priority for Nelson in his home state. "It's not an exaggeration to say that climate change and sea-level rise are putting people's lives and their property at risk. It's reality," Nelson said on the Senate floor in 2018. "The real question is, what are we going to do about it?"
Source: Politico.com on 2021 Biden Transition Mar 18, 2021

On Principles & Values: One of the rare civilians who has traveled to space

President Joe Biden is poised to nominate former Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida to lead NASA, an official familiar with the decision said, elevating a longtime friend from the Senate and space aficionado as administrator of the agency. Nelson, who flew a space shuttle mission more than three decades ago, has been a long proponent of NASA. He is not an astronaut but is one of the rare civilians who has traveled to space.
Source: CNN.com on 2021 Biden Transition Mar 18, 2021

On Principles & Values: Encouraged human spaceflight including mission to Mars

The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 that he co-sponsored ordered NASA to expand the commercial crew program, which launched its first astronauts to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule. Nelson also encouraged NASA to set the sights for human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit and the space station, including a mission to Mars.
Source: Politico.com on 2021 Biden Transition Mar 18, 2021

On Principles & Values: Leader of NASA should not be political

In 2017, he led the opposition to the Trump administration's nomination of Jim Bridenstine, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, arguing at Bridenstine's confirmation hearing that the "leader of NASA should not be political." Bridenstine was confirmed in April 2018 on a party-line vote, and Nelson later praised Bridenstine for keeping the agency apolitical.
Source: SpaceNews.com on 2021 Biden Transition Mar 18, 2021

On Technology: Cutting NASA budget could cause US to fall behind in space

After then-President Barack Obama moved to slash funding for NASA's moon mission program in 2010, Nelson told CNN the decision could cause the US to fall behind other countries in space exploration. "If they don't push hard now for research and development of the new big rocket that'll take us out of low-Earth orbit and let us explore the heavens, then we are going to be falling behind China and Russia, and that's something I don't think will sit well with the American people."
Source: CNN.com on 2021 Biden Transition Mar 18, 2021

The above quotations are from Campaign promises compared to follow-up actions taken by the Biden Administration.
Click here for other excerpts from Campaign promises compared to follow-up actions taken by the Biden Administration.
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Page last updated: Jan 17, 2022