Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday told reporters before the NASA rocket launch was scrubbed due to engine problems that the United States space program will benefit “all mankind and womankind.”
“I’m so proud of what is happening in terms of our space program and the leadership that the United States is providing to the world,” Harris said as the chair of the National Space Council.
“The Artemis is the beginning of the next era of what we have a history and a tradition of doing — of providing vision and inspiring innovation — in a way that is going to benefit all mankind and womankind,” Harris added.
It is unclear what impact Harris has on the space program as the chair of the National Space Council, but Politico Playbook reported, “There have occasionally been snickers about the fact that the VP chairs the administration’s National Space Council.”
KAMALA HARRIS: The space program “is going to benefit all mankind and womankind.” pic.twitter.com/WfxkUuooLV
— Kyle Martinsen (@KyleMartinsen_) August 29, 2022
Howdy from Florida, where @VP and @SecondGentleman arrived in Orlando ahead of tomorrow’s #Artemis launch. pic.twitter.com/bb6IAfGQLJ
— Kent Nishimura (西村賢一) (@kentnish) August 28, 2022
Harris was in Florida on Monday at Kennedy Space Center to deliver a speech on the historic nature of the Artemis missions, which “will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon,” according to NASA. Harris’s speech was reportedly to precede an inspection of the hardware to be used in the upcoming moon mission.
The Artemis I launch was scrubbed, delayed this morning but @VP Kamala Harris and the @SecondGentleman are still touring Artemis II and Artemis III’s hardware at the @NASA Kennedy Space Center right now >> https://t.co/TuwUeBsvo3 on @KATUNews pic.twitter.com/w7l54AIWGE
— Evan Schreiber (@SchreiberEvan) August 29, 2022
The delay of the launch on Monday adds to Harris’s desperate winless streak. In March of 2021, the president gave Harris the responsibility to secure the southern border. One year later, over 221,300 illegal migrants have been encountered illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. That number represented a new high for the Biden administration and the worst month since the Department of Homeland Security was founded in 2002, the Republican National Committee’s research team reported. The number represents the third highest on record.
Harris has also failed to inspire Congress to pass legislation to federalize local elections, a policy goal set early in the administration.
With Harris’s historically low polling, the Democrat National Committee reportedly had to reschedule its Woman’s Leadership Forum fundraiser with Harris, originally set for May 25 and 26, for lack of ticket sales.