ICYMI: Congressman Mike Haridopolos (FL-08) Opens Connect Everyone Coalition Space Innovation Webinar
Feb 27, 2026
This week, Congressman Mike Haridopolos (FL-08), who represents Brevard County and the area of Florida well known as the U.S. Space Coast, welcomed attendees to a virtual conversation hosted by the Connect Everyone Coalition, entitled Connecting Americans to the Benefits of Space Innovation.
This timely conversation focused on ways that current federal law and regulations are either supporting or preventing the economic benefits tied to the space industry from reaching as many Americans as quickly as possible, and explored actionable next steps to continue modernizing U.S. space policy.
From Congressman Haridopolos:
“[…] President Trump said it best: You can’t be number one on Earth unless you’re number one in space. And so, we are meeting that challenge. We also put an additional $10 billion in the big bill that we passed last July because we know that investment in NASA and the overall space industry is a winner.
“We’re seeing public-private partnerships like never before because remember, just a few years ago, we were actually relying on the old Soviet Union – now Russia – to get their old space station, but now, no longer. We are leading the way. Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA, Airbus and others are making those challenges here in Florida, and meeting those challenges.
“In our local high schools, we’re creating programs so that students can graduate high school, earning top dollars, and making not just a good job, but a career in the future. So, we’re so glad you’re connecting this week. […]”
Watch Congressman Haridopolos’ full comments HERE.
Thank you to the Congressman for sharing remarks with our members and attendees to kick off this important conversation. If you weren’t able to tune in live, you can watch the conversation from our expert panel HERE!