124 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



astronomy, international scientific activities, United Nations dis- 

 cussions and negotiations on the peaceful uses of outer space, military 

 astronautics, the Bureau of Standards, the National Science Foundation, 

 qualifications for astronauts, the Soviet space program, and the develop- 

 ment of solids for propulsion. 



THE END OF THE HONEYMOON 



On May 23, 1962, the day after Maj. Robert A. Rushworth flew 

 the X-15 at top speed of 3,477 miles per hour, and the day before 

 Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter orbited the Earth in his Mercury cap- 

 sule, the House of Representatives passed a $3. 742 billion authoriza- 

 tion for NASA by a rollcall vote of 343 to 0. It was the last time that 

 the committee was able to achieve such unanimity on the House floor 

 and among its own members. 



Yet harbingers of things to come showed in the acid remarks of 

 that inveterate watchdog of the Federal Treasury, Representative H. R. 

 Gross (Republican of Iowa). After the debate had proceeded for 

 several hours, Gross interrupted to inject the first note of discord 

 into the proceedings: 



Mr. Chairman, I hesitate to barge into this mutual admiration meeting that has 

 been going on all afternoon, but there are a couple of questions I would like to ask 

 concerning the bill. 



Gross wanted to know why so much money was being spent in 

 the southern states and in California, and whether anybody was 

 watching the high salaries which space contractors were paying 

 their executives. Although Gross wound up voting for the bill — the 

 last time he voted for a NASA authorization — he grumpily suggested: 



It would be my hope that if and when we do get to the Moon, we will find a 

 gold mine up there, because we will certainly need it. 



