Poor Jeff Bezos.
He has a space company named Blue Origin, and apparently he has just lost out on a $2.8 billion contract with NASA to build some type of system that would land astronauts once again on the moon in 2024, according to a report from Fox Business. Read on, and you will be treated to some telling words from Rand Paul regarding this.
Of course, Bezos really doesn’t have that much to worry about, especially considering that he is now the wealthiest person on the planet. However, he is probably upset that he lost out to Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. It was reported that Blue Origin was underbid by a SpaceX by a “wide margin,” according to Fox News. I guess we’ve got capitalism in space now, folks. Unfortunately, it looks like we are going to get liberals out there, too. Shame they can’t stay there, am I right?
The following is where Senator Rand Paul has a YUGE issue: apparently, Senator Maria Cantwell is a Democrat from Washington and that is where the Blue Origin Company is headquartered. She was joined with Republican Senator Roger Wicker from Mississippi and they sought to add an amendment to “soften the blow” of Blue Origin, and oh brother, did Rand Paul COME UNGLUED over this! Wouldn’t you? A Democrat from the heavily liberal Washington and a RINO from Mississippi want to help a billionaire? Come on! Anyway, these two individuals want to add an amendment to the $130 billion “Endless Frontier Act.”
According to the Senate Website, this legislation is seeking to strengthen the “national competitiveness in research, science, and innovation to support our national security strategy.” This bill is supposedly going to boost our ability to compete with China.
However, there are a number of senators who are not buying it, with ONE senator in particular making headlines.
Yes, that’s right, one BERNIE SANDERS of VERMONT is not buying this proposal from his colleagues. “I worry that we are seeing two of the wealthiest people in the country, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos, attempting to take control of our space industry.” Sanders had even more to say about this issue on Twitter: “Jeff Bezos is the richest guy on the planet. This man has gotten $86 million richer just since the start of this COVID-19 pandemic. Why does he really need $10 billion from the U.S. Congress for Space explorer?” Don’t get me wrong, Sanders is usually about as liberal as can be, and he was even called “Crazy Bernie” by former President Trump, but boy, he makes a good point right here!
“When we landed on the moon, all of us as Americans had a collective pride in that achievement. The space program of the United States is something that we all should be able to take part in, so we shouldn’t just hand over ten billion in corporate welfare to two mega-billionaires who want funding for their space hobby.” Boy, tough words from this normally liberal Bernie!
Here’s the rub, folks: we haven’t even got to the meat of this article yet. That’s right, we not only have Bernie Sanders, Josh Hawley, and several others disagreeing with this amendment, but like I said, that outspoken senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul, also has a lot to say about it as well, and he cut right to the chase.
“Isn’t there some remnant of decency in the U.S. Congress anymore? Why doesn’t the whole body oppose bailouts for billionaires?” Oh brother. “Cry me a river,” Rand Paul continued. “Jeff Bezos is losing out on a space contract so now the Senate wants to insert a space bailout provision for $10 billion for his space company?” This isn’t one of those “too big to fail” things, either. It’s apparent two rich guys who have seen it all and done it all, and now they are bored.
Decency in Congress? I wouldn’t hold my breath, Rand, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
We need to advance our aerospace industry in a reasonable manner, not just as a way to advance a guy who makes more money in one second than some people make in their entire lifetimes!
What do you think about this aerospace nonsense coming from the U.S. Congress? Feel free to have your say in the comments section!