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{{Short description|American politician (born 1975)}}{{Undue weight|date=July 2023}}{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}

factoids

| term_start1 = January 3, 2013| term_end1 = April 23, 2018John Sullivan (Oklahoma politician)>John Sullivan| successor1 = Kevin Hern| birth_name = James Frederick Bridenstine197515}}| birth_place = Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.| death_date = | death_place = Republican Party (United States)>RepublicanMichelle Ivory|2004}}| children = 3Rice University (Bachelor of Arts>BA)Cornell University (MBA)| allegiance = United StatesUnited States Navy}}{{flag|United States Air Force}}| serviceyears = 1998–2007 (Active)2010–2015 (Reserve)2015–present (Air National Guard)15px) Lieutenant commander (United States) (Active)(File:US-O4 insignia.svg>15px) Lieutenant commander (United States) (Reserve)(File:US-O4 insignia.svg>15px) Major (Air National Guard)| unit = Oklahoma Air National Guard| battles = War on TerrorismAfghanistan Campaign| mawards = {hide}collapsible list Commendation Medal>Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2) (w/ "V" device)Achievement Medal Navy Unit CommendationNavy E RibbonGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalSea Service Ribbon>Sea Service Deployment RibbonExpert Pistol Medal{edih}}}James Frederick Bridenstine (born June 15, 1975) is an American military officer and politician who served as the 13th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Bridenstine was the United States representative for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district, based in Tulsa from January 3, 2013, to April 23, 2018. He is a member of the Republican Party. Bridenstine currently works in the private sector and holds positions at Voyager Space Holdings, Viasat, Acorn Growth Companies and Firefly Aerospace.On September 1, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Bridenstine to be the Administrator of NASA; he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 19, 2018, by a party-line vote of 50–49. Bridenstine was on the Committee on Science, Space and Technology during his time in Congress. He is the first elected official to be appointed NASA Administrator.NEWS,weblink Trump's NASA Nominee, Jim Bridenstine, Confirmed by Senate on Party-Line Vote, Kenneth, Chang, The New York Times, April 19, 2018, April 19, 2018, April 19, 2018,weblink live, Bridenstine stepped down as the head of NASA on January 20, 2021, to make way for a new leader in the Biden Administration.WEB, Berger, Eric, November 11, 2020, Jim Bridenstine is leaving NASA. How should we assess his 30-month tenure?,weblink November 11, 2020, Ars Technica, en-us, Former Senator and astronaut Bill Nelson was announced on March 19, 2021, as his chosen successor.WEB, March 19, 2021, President Biden Announces his Intent to Nominate Bill Nelson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,weblink March 19, 2021, The White House, en-US,

Early life and education

Bridenstine was born on June 15, 1975, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.WEB,weblink BRIDENSTINE, Jim, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, United States Congress, July 23, 2019, December 14, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161214214037weblink">weblink live, He grew up in Arlington, Texas, the son of an elementary school teacher and an accountant, where he became an Eagle Scout.His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, during his junior year of high school, and during his senior year he was captain of the Jenks High School swim team and Oklahoma Swimmer of the Year;WEB, Wall, Holly, October 31, 2012, Rocket to the Moon,weblink November 11, 2020, This Land, as of mid-2016, was one of a team of four that held the Oklahoma state record in the 200-meter freestyle relay for age group 17–18.WEB, April 9, 2016, Oklahoma Swimming Records,weblink live,weblink May 7, 2016, May 2, 2016, teamunify.com, 6, Bridenstine graduated from Jenks High School in 1993,WEB, Enzor, Miranda, March 14, 2007, Jenks Graduate Joins Rocket Racing League,weblink November 11, 2020, GTR Newspapers, en-US, and earned a scholarship to Rice University in Houston, Texas, but injured his shoulder during his second year; he took five years to graduate, in 1998. He triple majored with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Psychology, and Business. He later received a Master's in Business Administration from Cornell University,WEB, Jones, David, April 24, 2012, Jim Bridenstine a Challenger for Dist. 1,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140223012800weblink">weblink February 23, 2014, July 5, 2012, Gtrnews.com, awarded in 2009.WEB, Bridenstine, James Frederick,weblink November 11, 2020, The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture,

Early career

Bridenstine joined the Navy in May 1998,WEB, December 21, 2008, People Spotlight: Jim Bridenstine,weblink November 11, 2020, Tulsa World, en, after graduating from Rice University. He was a Naval Aviator in both the active duty United States Navy and the United States Naval Reserve. He flew the E-2C Hawkeye aircraft as part of a carrier air wing with the U.S. Navy and in Central and South America in support of the War on Drugs with the Naval Reserve. He later moved to the F/A-18 Hornet and flew at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, in NevadaWEB,weblink NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, April 23, 2018, April 25, 2018, April 26, 2018,weblink live, In 2006, Bridenstine bought stock in the Rocket Racing League (RRL),WEB, Gleason, Matt, May 2, 2010, Rocketman: Space museum head sees dreams flying into reality,weblink November 11, 2020, Tulsa World, en, which planned to begin races in 2008. In January 2007, he met with Tulsa city officials, asking for support for establishing a team in that city, and later in 2007 he invested in an RRL team.In 2007, after the end of his active duty in the Navy, Bridenstine moved to Orlando, Florida, where he worked at Wyle Laboratories, a defense consulting firm. In 2008, Bridenstine and his family moved back to Tulsa to be closer to his family, and he became the chief pilot for the Tulsa team of the RRL.NEWS, Schwartz, John, July 30, 2008, League Makes Test Run at Several Hundred Feet (Published 2008), en-US, The New York Times,weblink November 11, 2020, 0362-4331, In December 2008, Bridenstine became the executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. In November 2009, he proposed to the head of RRL that the league put on an air show in Tulsa, and in February 2010 the museum announced that it would partner with RRL for the show.WEB, February 17, 2010, Tulsa Air and Space Museum Announces First QuikTrip Air & Rocket Racing Show {{!, Aero-News Network|url=http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=b2a8f61e-28d8-4a5f-b3b6-4cdb4f04008d|access-date=November 11, 2020|website=www.aero-news.net}} The April 2010 show attracted around 40,000 spectators,WEB, Foust, Jeff, April 26, 2010, The Space Review: Rocket racers, shuttles, and Tulsa,weblink November 11, 2020, www.thespacereview.com, but lost $330,000, and overall fundraising events for the museum for 2010 lost $400,000. Bridenstine left the executive director's position in August 2010, along with the museum's financial controller and the director of marketing.NEWS, Schwellenbach, Nick, Zagorin, Adam, April 18, 2018, How Trump's NASA Nominee Used a Nonprofit He Ran to Benefit Himself, en, The Daily Beast,weblink November 11, 2020, In 2010, Bridenstine began serving in the Navy Reserve. In 2015, two years after become a U.S. Representative, he transferred his Reserve commission and joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard.WEB, Bell, Megan, April 19, 2018, Senate confirms Rep. Jim Bridenstine as NASA Administrator,weblink April 29, 2021, KTUL,

U.S. House of Representatives

(File:Jim Bridenstine, official portrait, 113th Congress.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bridenstine's official congressional portrait, 2013)

Elections

2012

{{see also|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma#District 1}}In September 2011, Bridenstine launched a campaign to unseat five-term incumbent U.S. Congressman John Sullivan. Bridenstine won the June 2012 Republican primary election with 54% of the vote. Although he identified with the Tea Party and was perceived as running to Sullivan's right, Bridenstine's actual policy statements differed little from those of Sullivan.NEWS, Tea Party favorite Bridenstine defeats incumbent Sullivan in Oklahoma House race,weblink Fox News, June 27, 2012, June 27, 2012, June 27, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120627063609weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Five-Term Oklahoma Congressman Sullivan Suffers Primary Defeat, KOTV-DT, KOTV, June 26, 2012, July 5, 2012, June 30, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120630103531weblink">weblink live, WEB, Dan Phillips,weblink Bridenstine Defeats Incumbent Sullivan In Primary, KTUL, June 27, 2012, July 5, 2012, July 2, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120702141504weblink">weblink live, WEB, SEAN MURPHY, Associated Press,weblink Navy pilot upsets 5-term Oklahoma congressman, SFGate, June 27, 2012, July 5, 2012, July 7, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120707063725weblink">weblink live, Bridenstine had effectively clinched a seat in Congress by ousting Sullivan in the Republican primary. The 1st is a heavily Republican district with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+16, and has been in Republican hands since 1987. In the November 2012 general election, Bridenstine defeated Democratic nominee John Olson 63%–32%, winning all five counties in the district.WEB, Our Campaigns – OK – District 01 Race – Nov 06, 2012,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121019202753weblink">weblink October 19, 2012, February 24, 2013, www.ourcampaigns.com,

2014

{{see also|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma#District 1}}Bridenstine ran unopposed in the 2014 election. His top campaign contributors were Northrop Grumman, Latshaw Drilling, American Optometric Association, Citizens United and the Every Republican is Crucial Political Action Committee.WEB, May 28, 2015, James Bridenstine top 20 Contributors, 2013–2014,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151107001359weblink">weblink November 7, 2015, May 28, 2015, OpenSecrets, He received $29,000 from donors associated with the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians and the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ), per an analysis of OpenSecrets.WEB, May 28, 2015, James Bridenstine top 100 Contributors, 2013–2014,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150529112528weblink">weblink May 29, 2015, May 28, 2015, OpenSecrets,

2016

{{see also|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma#District 1}}Bridenstine retained his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2016 election.NEWS,weblink 3 incumbent GOP state legislators lose primaries, Murphy, Sean, The Washington Times, AP, June 28, 2016, October 26, 2017, September 7, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170907080840weblink">weblink live, Following the 2016 presidential election, Bridenstine was viewed as a possible candidate for either NASA administrator or Secretary of the Air Force under the Donald Trump administration.NEWS,weblink NASA Administrator Bridenstine? His name's in the mix for Trump's space team, November 11, 2016, Space News, en-US, November 14, 2016, November 23, 2016,weblink" title="wayback.archive-it.org/all/20161123142138weblink">weblink live, Bridenstine had already declared that he would not run for re-election in 2018 after making a three-term pledge.NEWS,weblink Coburn will work to oust Mullin after congressman breaks term limit pledge, July 8, 2017, News OK, April 1, 2018, September 14, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170914074003weblink">weblink live,

Committee assignments

Bridenstine sat on the Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Science, Space and Technology during the 113th,Official List of Standing Committee & Subcommittees for the 113th Congress {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225122126weblink |date=December 25, 2016 }}. 114th,WEB,weblink Official Alphabetical List of Members with Committee Assignments for the 114th Congress, April 19, 2018, September 19, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180919101555weblink">weblink live, and 115th Congresses.Official alphabetical list of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509130919weblink |date=May 9, 2015 }} (September 1, 2017).Within the Armed Services Committee, Bridenstine has sat on the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection ForcesNEWS,weblink Seapower and Projection Forces (114th Congress), Armed Services Republicans, December 3, 2016, November 30, 2016,weblink live, and Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.NEWS,weblink Strategic Forces (114th Congress), Armed Services Republicans, December 3, 2016, November 30, 2016,weblink live, Within the Science Committee, Bridenstine has sat on the Subcommittee on Environment (Chairman)NEWS,weblink Subcommittee on Environment (114th Congress), Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, December 3, 2016, November 29, 2016,weblink live, and Subcommittee on Space.NEWS,weblink Subcommittee on Space (114th Congress), Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, December 3, 2016, November 29, 2016,weblink live, He is a member of the Freedom CaucusWEB, What is the House Freedom Caucus, and who's in it?,weblink Pew research center, October 20, 2015, October 26, 2017, July 3, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180703204924weblink">weblink live, and the House Baltic Caucus.WEB, Members,weblink House Baltic Caucus, February 21, 2018, February 21, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180221222500weblink">weblink dead,

Ethics investigation

Bridenstine's amendment to the defense appropriations bill came following a visit to Baku upon invitation of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic for ten members of Congress and 32 staff members; the visit became the subject of an ethics investigation.NEWS, Higham, Scott, Rich, Stephen, Crites, Alice, May 13, 2015, 10 members of Congress took trip secretly funded by foreign government,weblink live,weblink January 3, 2017, December 2, 2016, Washington Post, The members received numerous gifts during the trip totaling thousands of dollars in value. In 2013, Bridenstine returned two of the gifts (a pair of rugs worth several thousand dollars) to the donor; he had been the only lawmaker to disclose gifts from the trip on his financial disclosure forms. In 2015, he turned over remaining gifts received during the trip to the House Clerk, around the time that a watchdog report that indicated that the source of the funding for the trip had not been properly declared. The OCE and House Ethics committee found that lawmakers and aides had no way of knowing that the trip was funded improperly.NEWS,weblink Lawmakers turned over gifts after secretly funded trip to Azerbaijan, Dickson, Rebecca, June 16, 2016, TheHill, September 7, 2017, September 3, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170903204931weblink">weblink live,

NASA administrator

(File:Bridenstine Sworn In As NASA Administrator (NHQ201804230002).jpg|thumb|Bridenstine is sworn in as NASA's thirteenth administrator by Vice President Mike Pence (2018).)

Nomination

On September 1, 2017, the White House announced that Bridenstine was President Donald Trump's preferred pick to head NASA. The choice was quickly criticized by both Republican and Democratic politicians, saying that NASA should be headed by a "space professional", not a politician or a Trump ally.NEWS,weblink Trump has picked a politician to lead NASA. Is that a good thing?, September 1, 2017, Science {{!, AAAS|access-date=September 9, 2017|language=en|archive-date=September 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909234016weblink|url-status=live}} Critics drew attention to Bridenstine's lack of formal qualifications in science or engineering, unlike previous appointees to that post.NEWS,weblink Jim Bridenstine to Be Nominated by Trump to Lead NASA, Chang, Kenneth, September 2, 2017, The New York Times, September 3, 2017, en-US, 0362-4331, September 2, 2017,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Senators oppose Trump's pick to head NASA, Miranda, Green, CNN, September 14, 2017, September 14, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170914225923weblink">weblink live, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio said that Bridenstine's political history could prove controversial and delay the confirmation process, saying "I just think it could be devastating for the space program", while Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, also of Florida and a former Payload Specialist for NASA who flew on STS-61-C, said "The head of NASA ought to be a space professional, not a politician." Nelson himself would be nominated to lead NASA by President Biden in 2021.CNN found that Bridenstine's Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts had been entirely deleted, while most of the interviews on his Soundcloud were deleted, at a time when Congress would be examining his record for his confirmation hearing.WEB,weblink Parts of Trump NASA pick's online presence scrubbed, Andrew Kaczynski, CNN, September 7, 2017, September 9, 2017, September 8, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170908132244weblink">weblink live, Bridenstine has criticized NASA spending on climate science and has supported increased privatization of U.S. civil and military space activities. According to NPR, Bridenstine's past climate change denial views "are sure to alarm scientists, because NASA conducts a huge amount of the global research on climate change." NASA finds that climate-warming trends are "extremely likely due to human activities" and has written on its website that "the small amount of dissent tends to come from a few vocal scientists who are not experts in the climate field or do not understand the scientific basis of long-term climate processes".NEWS,weblink Trump pick to head NASA faces fight over climate comments, ABC News, September 9, 2017, dead,weblink September 15, 2017, en, Since his confirmation, Bridenstine has said that he agrees with the scientific consensus around human contributions to climate change.WEB,weblink Trump's NASA Chief: 'I Fully Believe and Know the Climate Is Changing', Marina, Koren, May 17, 2018, The Atlantic, May 17, 2018, May 18, 2018,weblink live, Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, said he was "very impressed with [Bridenstine's] deep knowledge of space technology issues and his record of strong leadership in promoting positive change."NEWS,weblink Bridenstine faces obstacles to Senate confirmation, Foust, Jeff, September 3, 2017, SpaceNews, September 4, 2017, September 6, 2017,weblink" title="wayback.archive-it.org/all/20170906022000weblink">weblink live, The decision to pick Bridenstine was also praised by Senator Ted Cruz.According to Science Magazine, "many expect that Bridenstine, who has written about the commercial potential of exploiting lunar resources, could shift the agency's emphasis [from its long-term mission of sending humans to Mars] toward the moon." ABC News wrote that Bridenstine was in favor of both human missions to the Moon and Mars.NEWS,weblink Trump's pick for NASA lays out agenda and answers critics, Ars Technica, September 20, 2017, en-us, September 20, 2017,weblink live, The U.S. Senate confirmed Bridenstine on April 19, 2018, by a party-line vote of 50–49.NEWS,weblink Senate Confirms Trump's Pick to Lead NASA, Cama, Timothy, April 19, 2018, The Hill (newspaper), The Hill, April 21, 2018, April 21, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180421063536weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Trump's NASA Nominee, Jim Bridenstine, Confirmed by Senate on Party-Line Vote, Chang, Kenneth, April 19, 2018, The New York Times, April 21, 2018, April 20, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Senate Confirms James Bridenstine to Lead NASA, Andrews, Natalie, April 19, 2018, The Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2018, Pasztor, Andy, April 20, 2018,weblink live, He became the first member of Congress to lead NASA. Bridenstine was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence at the NASA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2018.MAGAZINE, Foust, Jeff, April 23, 2018, Bridenstine Sworn in as NASA Administrator,weblink SpaceNews, April 24, 2018, NEWS,weblink After Bruising Nomination Fight, NASA Administrator James Bridenstine Facing More Challenges, King, Ledyard, April 23, 2018, USA Today, April 24, 2018, April 24, 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink Jim Bridenstine Sworn in as NASA Administrator, Harwood, William, April 23, 2018, CBS News, April 24, 2018, April 24, 2018,weblink live,

Space Launch System

File:Jim Bridenstine SLS Core.png|thumb|Bridenstine speaking in front of the SLS Core for the Artemis 1Artemis 1In March 2019, Mike Pence pushed NASA to land humans on the Moon in 2024 instead of the initially planned 2028.WEB,weblink Pence calls for human return to the moon by 2024, March 26, 2019, SpaceNews.com, en-US, October 30, 2019, July 17, 2019,weblinkweblink live, Bridenstine stated that for it to happen, the Space Launch System would need to be accelerated, along with various other aspects such as the LOP-G, an orbiting space station around the Moon. Bridenstine also considered commercial Heavy-Lift rockets such as the Delta IV Heavy or Falcon Heavy. The idea was scrapped due to the logistical issue of docking an Orion and a European Service Module and the aerodynamics of using a Falcon Heavy.WEB,weblink NASA chief says a Falcon Heavy rocket could fly humans to the Moon, Berger, Eric, April 1, 2019, Ars Technica, en-us, October 30, 2019, July 17, 2019,weblink live,

Private space companies

File:NASA Administrator Visits SpaceX HQ (NHQ201910100019).jpg|thumb|Bridenstine, Elon Musk and NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley in front of the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour as it was being prepared for the Crew Dragon Demo-2Crew Dragon Demo-2Bridenstine established a working relationship with SpaceX CEO and Founder Elon Musk. Following the DM-1 mission in March 2019, Musk posited the need for humans to have a base on the Moon, to which Bridenstine responded, "that's the goal."

Artemis program

Bridenstine played a huge role in implementing President Trump's Space Policy Directive One and developed the planned architecture for a return to the Moon. Bridenstine later named the program the Artemis program. Bridenstine also decided that the lunar lander for the Artemis program would be developed commercially similar to the model used for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.NEWS,weblink The Verge, As parting message, Jim Bridenstine leaves Artemis program 'in good shape' for Biden's NASA, Joey, Roulette, January 20, 2021, January 21, 2021,

Post-public career

Following the end of his tenure as NASA Administrator, Bridenstine returned to his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. On January 25, 2021, Acorn Growth Companies announced that he was hired as a dedicated senior advisor.WEB, NASA Administrator joins Acorn Growth Companies,weblink acorngrowthcompanies.com, January 25, 2021, January 25, 2021, en, On April 1, 2021, Bridenstine joined the board of directors of satellite operator Viasat in his second private sector role since stepping down as NASA's administrator.WEB, NASA Administrator joins Acorn Growth Companies,weblink spacenews.com, April 2021, April 1, 2021, en, On April 7, 2021, Denver-based Voyager Space Holdings, which has been buying businesses to build a vertically integrated space exploration company, announced they had appointed Bridenstine to chair its advisory board. Dylan Taylor, chairman and CEO of Voyager, said Bridenstine's expertise would help guide the company's "aggressive and ambitious growth plan."WEB, Former NASA administrator advising acquisition-hungry Voyager Space Holdings,weblink spacenews.com, April 7, 2021, April 7, 2021, en, Bridenstine joined the board of directors for Starlab Space, a joint venture of Voyager Space and Airbus, in January, 2024.WEB, Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Joins Starlab Space Board of Directors, Yahoo Finance, January 11, 2024,weblink January 11, 2024, As of 2024, Bridenstine serves on the advisory board of the National Security Space Association.WEB, 2024-03-14, National Security Space Association, Board of Advisors,weblink 2024-03-14, live, National Security Space Association,weblink 2024-03-14,

Political positions

While in Congress, Bridenstine was a member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Space

Bridenstine focused heavily on space policy during his tenure in Congress, stating "[o]ur very way of life depends on space, the way we communicate, the way we navigate, the way we produce food and energy, the way we conduct banking."NEWS,weblink Why Congress's newest space advocate says the U.S. faces a 'Sputnik moment', Washington Post, December 2, 2016, December 2, 2016,weblink live, In April 2016 at the 32nd Annual Space Symposium, Bridenstine introduced H.R. 4945, the American Space Renaissance Act, comprehensive reform legislation with provisions affecting national security, civil, and commercial space policy.NEWS,weblink Bridenstine introduces American Space Renaissance Act - SpaceNews.com, April 13, 2016, SpaceNews.com, December 2, 2016, en-US, April 28, 2017,weblink" title="archive.today/20170428195543weblink">weblink live, In addition, Bridenstine proposed legislation related to the regulatory process overseeing certain non-traditional space activities,NEWS,weblink Proposed legislation would close commercial space regulatory gap - SpaceNews.com, September 15, 2016, SpaceNews.com, December 2, 2016, en-US, and helped secure funding for the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation.NEWS,weblink 5 Space Leaders Making a Difference - SpaceNews.com, August 25, 2015, SpaceNews.com, December 2, 2016, en-US, Recognizing his efforts, in 2015 SpaceNews named Bridenstine as one of five game changers in the world in space.

Environment and climate

Before becoming the chief administrator of NASA, Bridenstine rejected the scientific consensus behind global climate changePersio, Sofia Lotto "Why Donald Trump's NASA Chief Pick is a Controversial Choice" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903012821weblink |date=September 3, 2017 }}, Newsweek, September 2, 2017, Retrieved September 2, 2017NEWS,weblink Trump Picks Oklahoma Congressman To Head NASA, NPR.org, September 9, 2017, en, September 8, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170908122957weblink">weblink live, Ben Guarino, Trump nominates Oklahoma politician and climate skeptic to run NASA {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907080635weblink |date=September 7, 2017 }}, Washington Post (September 5, 2017). and in a 2013 speech on the House floor stated that global temperatures stopped rising ten years earlier. Bridenstine criticized the Obama administration for spending "30 times as much money" on climate science as on weather forecasting. PolitiFact says of this claim that "Bridenstine does have a point that climate change research exceeds weather forecasting expenditures, but he’s overstated the discrepancy," and they rate the assertion as "mostly false".NEWS,weblink Jim Bridenstine: U.S. spends 30 times as much on climate change research as on weather forecasting, @politifact, September 9, 2017, en, September 8, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170908084303weblink">weblink live, In the 114th Congress, Bridenstine was the Chairman of the Environment Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.NEWS, Subcommittee on Environment (114th Congress), Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,weblink live, December 2, 2016,weblink November 29, 2016, In that role, he pushed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "... to integrate commercial data into its weather forecasting models." In September 2016, NOAA awarded two contracts to private weather satellite firms to provide data for its use.NEWS, September 15, 2016, Two companies win first NOAA commercial weather contracts - SpaceNews.com, en-US, SpaceNews.com,weblink December 2, 2016, In 2017, Bridenstine supported James Langevin's legislation requiring the Defense Department to report on the effects of climate change on military installations and strategic battle plans.NEWS, Welna, David, House Poised To Approve National Defense Authorization Bill,weblink November 5, 2017, NPR, July 10, 2017, November 7, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171107010836weblink">weblink live, According to journalist Keith Cowing, Bridenstine's support for the Langevin amendment "was widely seen as being instrumental in its passage."WEB, Cowing, Keith, Bridenstine's Climate Record Is Different Than You Thought,weblink NASA Watch, SpacRef Interactive, November 5, 2017, September 15, 2017, By May 2018, Bridenstine had reversed his public position on climate change. At a town hall meeting in Washington D.C., Bridenstine said that "I fully believe and know that the climate is changing. I also know that we humans beings are contributing to it in a major way. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. We're putting it into the atmosphere in volumes that we haven't seen, and that greenhouse gas is warming the planet. That is absolutely happening, and we are responsible for it."

Personal life

On November 6, 2004, in Fort Worth, Texas, Bridenstine married Michelle Deanne Ivory.

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Jim Bridenstine}}

• NASA Administrator biography
• {{Curlie|Regional/North_America/United_States/Oklahoma/Government/Federal/US_House_of_Representatives/Jim_Bridenstine_%5BR-1%5D}}
• {{C-SPAN|79705}}
• {{CongLinks |congbio=B001283 |votesmart=135894 |fec=H2OK01143 |congress=jim-bridenstine/2155}}
• {{Twitter|JimBridenstine}}

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