| Thanks to all of the space advocates that participated in the 2008 SEA Legislative Blitz! It was a great success and an exciting opportunity to work with fellow space enthusiasts from around the country. Special thanks to our member organizations for their support of the event! Click here for the 2008 Post-Blitz Press Release 2009 Legislative Blitz February 22-24 - Washington DC
In 2004, a group of thirteen premier space advocacy groups joined together under the Space Exploration Alliance to have their voices heard. The first SEA "Blitz" brought together 76 space enthusiasts from around the country. They converged on Washington, D.C. and talked to over 200 congressional offices in support of NASA's bold and substantial mandate for human and robotic exploration of the solar system.  Unfortunately, that bold mandate is now in extreme danger. As a result of budget cuts and uncertain support in Congress, NASA could very well decay into oblivion or be altered into a program that will not live up to the vision that President Kennedy laid out for the country over forty six years ago. This doesn’t have to happen! From February 22-24, the Space Exploration Alliance will be holding its annual Legislative Blitz. The overriding theme of our 2009 visit to Capitol Hill will be that space must be a national priority. An appropriately funded space program will not only provide unprecedented advances in science and technology, but it will also energize and encourage our nation’s youth to pursue careers in engineering and science. It will stimulate new growth industries, and create thousands of new jobs. We need space, and the vast resources that it offers, to enable us to stimulate our economy, to address the problems of an ever-growing population, and to help us solve the increasing energy needs of our nation and our civilization. The blitz comes at a crucial moment in the formation of our space future. A new administration gives us a chance to promote space exploration as a national priority. In addition to directly increasing the NASA budget, there are numerous other ways Congress can support and encourage NASA's Moon-Mars plans. Some members of Congress have stated that the money directed towards space endeavors would be better spent on other initiatives. We intend for the blitz to make a powerful, broad-based statement in support of space exploration. Let your voice be heard! JOIN your fellow citizens as we go to Capitol Hill. We will have a new President of the United States and we must make sure that NASA is fully funded so that we can continue to explore the stars. The next few years are critical to our human space program. The decisions made during this time period WILL determine if we return to the Moon and then go on to Mars. You CAN help shape these decisions. JOIN US! Come join space advocates from around the country to let Congress know that there is strong constituent support for an ambitious space program. You find this experience rewarding and a lot of fun! We will provide a training session on Sunday afternoon plus all of the materials you need for meetings on Monday and Tuesday. This event will not be successful without your help. Please JOIN US from February 22-24, 2009 to make YOUR voices heard. See you in Washington, D.C. Training Information: Meeting assignments and team information will be handed out at the training/meeting on Sunday, February 22 starting at 2pm. Location TBA. Please contact Rick Zucker at rick.zucker@nss.org if you absolutely cannot attend this training. For additional information or questions please contact Rick Zucker rick.zucker@nss.org or 508-651-9936 Note: SEA does not recommend any specific hotel to use for this event. Please find a local hotel that suits your needs. |