Rep. Parker Griffith Changing from a Democrat to a Republican

Representative Parker Griffith, the freshman congressman who represents Huntsville, Alabama — home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center — announced that he is switching parties from Democrat to Republican. The 67-year old radiation oncologist is a strong NASA supporter and a member of the House Science and Technology Committee and its Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.

According to Politico, the main reason for the switch is his opposition to the health care bill championed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but he had this to say about NASA:

“I have also been very concerned about support in Congress for our Defense and NASA programs. These programs are not only important to our community they are critical for the future of our nation. Since election to Congress I have fought hard to educate other members on the importance of a strong National Missile Defense program and that we must give our NASA programs more support if we are to maintain our lead in space. And while there are some great Democratic supporters of these programs I increasingly find that my allies in fighting for these initiatives come from within the Republican Party.”