Surf City congressman heads up the shuttle panel

Paul Clinton

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher kicked off what are sure to be closely watched

subcommittee hearings last week as the chairman of the panel

investigating the Columbia shuttle disaster.

Rohrabacher, Surf City’s 14-year congressman, holds the

chairmanship of the House’s Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.

Before the commencement of the hearings on Feb. 12, Rohrabacher laid

out his goals for them. He said there are still many unanswered

questions about the Feb. 1 explosion of the Columbia and the loss of

its seven crew members.

“Many of the questions that need to be answered transcend the

immediate technical and managerial problems of this tragedy,”

Rohrabacher said. “The lack of long-term goals or a unifying vision

for America’s space effort, for example, needs to be addressed.”

Rohrabacher is leading the congressional investigation into the

disaster, along with two colleagues from related committees.

Rohrabacher will be joined by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John

McCain (R-Ariz.) and House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood

Boehlert (R-N.Y.).

NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe appeared as the hearing’s sole

witness.

Late last week, Rohrabacher secured special permission to remain

as the committee chairman when the House Republican Steering

Committee on Thursday overrode the six-year limit on chairmanships.

Rohrabacher obtained a special waiver, since he had served as the

committee’s head since 1997. He was elected to the House in 1988.

* PAUL CLINTON is a reporter with Times Community News. He

covers City Hall. He may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].