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President's broken promises

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    Shuttle program shutdown causing economic strife for former NASA employees

  • Duration 9:25
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Broken promises the president pledged the world while out on the campaign trail but fantasy quickly turned into reality and almost four years later the fallout is hard to ignore.

-- tonight in a Hannity special investigation we look at the impact the candidate Obama is on deliberate campaign rhetoric has had on average Americans their communities.

And on a larger scale we impacted it is a ready made on our nation's legacy.

Now throughout this hour you're gonna hear from those directly affected by the president's policies as -- elected officials business experts political commentators.

And tonight we be begin with a group of people that the president has turned his back on and that is a hard working Americans who helped the United States reach the final frontier.

Now today in order to put an American astronaut in space we have to pay the Russians millions of dollars for one seat on one of their shovels.

But candidate Obama he promised a well different future.

On behalf of greater detail in the world and good luck to you and your crew on a model -- American icon.

-- -- -- there for the politically I think it is whether they're good people that commitment.

There's one -- time I have witnessed.

They had a good -- -- Atlanta with a lot.

As the end of an era.

July 21 2011.

Space Shuttle Atlantis returned to the Kennedy Space Center from its last mission.

And with that touchdown the space shuttle program officially ended.

Well what happened to the thousands of workers who after spending decades making sure that Americans could explore space and beyond lost their jobs many were hanging on a promise.

Arabic where we cannot cede our leadership.

In space.

That's why I'm gonna close the gap.

Insure that our space program doesn't suffer when the shuttle goes out of service but it was one he wouldn't -- by continuing to support NASA funding.

My feeling the development of the shuttle's successor.

By making sure that all those who work.

In the space industry and Florida do not lose their job -- the shuttle -- retired.

Under my watch NASA will inspire the world once again and make -- -- The stronger that is gonna help grow the economy right here -- about it.

-- right here in Florida.

The towns -- -- county primarily make up what is known as Florida's space coast home to the Kennedy Space Center now this area was impacted the most when the space shuttle program ended.

Sending unemployment soaring.

And it's only now starting to stabilize.

There residents -- and there's no doubt minimum -- you know -- be.

And not be remiss to say differently and attack the resiliency is amazing we're -- single digit.

Unemployment -- 9% right now -- it did rise about and a double vision and it has it has slowly coming down.

But for -- the economic hardship was almost too much to handle thousands of workers were laid off highly skilled Americans left with no hope.

Tony -- Terri white.

Kevin Harrington and -- -- -- for the private contractor united space alliance at the space center.

Until the shuttle program -- I'm currently not working looking.

-- -- -- And I got laid off eleven months ago and I'll tell you right now nobody wants the old guy.

For me.

I knew was coming so -- boys myself and building a couple companies and and survived.

Now I I do some -- -- consulting.

If you go looking and and it's not just in the space industry all across the country you know there's there's not a lot of jobs out there -- a lot of experience.

But people don't want the experience or they don't want the old person and you know and I understand part of it.

But still thinks it's a tough out there especially in this area.

There are jobs out there but there's a lot of jobs are at stake.

And not all of us can pick up and go.

For instance myself finally I take care my parents whenever every weekend.

We'll be there mow the yard -- -- and -- surrounded.

If I go out of state there's nobody that's gonna come around to see them.

But it's not just those who work at the space center that are feeling the economic staying.

Small businesses in the area also are suffering Jerry -- Brenda mulberry own space shirts.

It's a small business that among other things sells T shirts and collectibles.

For space enthusiasts of all ages -- -- Jerry was a part of the space shuttle program for three decades until the shuttle retired and he's got laid off.

Knowing that we were gonna be not having space shuttles anymore we have been trying to do.

And -- mourned his first vacation on our business.

There's been a lot of people that are really work and -- diligently to try and find other work and it has been very difficult.

I think that the biggest issue for us now is insurance I mean we went from -- another hole in come.

To no income plus K12 hundred dollars a month insurance for our family.

You know that we weren't paying.

-- you know all the people like Jerry you know he's 53 years old -- can't.

He's too young to quit working he's too young to do to stop it.

But he's too old to go start another career for those who build their careers helping put Americans in space the fact that there is no longer -- program.

Hurts just as much as the economic impact.

It's hard not to feel stung by -- but ultimately.

You know what people don't understand really is the investment space is always paid back.

Does anyone have any idea.

The money that it may -- It made us money in America and made hundreds of businesses thousands of businesses hundreds of thousands of workers.

And we gave it all the way.

And that he batted point we can be a great thing has been accomplished.

-- it does it make it about.

We can't afford not to -- -- for it period.

I mean we as a nation are explores always happened I just wish that the promise was not broken.

And we would still be flying today.

And we would still be number one in the space race today.

Under my watch -- will inspire the world once again and make a better.

-- stronger and it's gonna help grow the economy right here brother about it.

-- right here in Florida.

It's a broken promise that won't be forgotten.

Anytime soon.

And joining me now are two of the former united space alliance employees that you just saw on that piece Terri white and Tony -- guys gentlemen welcome to the program thank you for being with us.

-- a servant the president said at the end of that piece but he also talked about.

That you know that's what we're gonna do we're gonna grow the economy -- and it you know protect jobs would continue supporting NASA.

How we're gonna continue funding the should be the successor to the shuttle program that he do that now and no -- did not.

The we knew the shuttle was ending -- consolation was supposed to come online shortly thereafter to fill the gap on one of the things he did was built.

Cancel the cancer the Constellation Program.

There and you are not working currently as a result now I'm not working here and you are but I asked if you give you -- -- a job and you'd say you'd like to I'd love but there's not enough work out there.

I explain the situation.

I'm actually had to prove myself and move to Virginia from point to do other work yes -- leaving my parents.

Right I go through a list of or a litany of of statements that he's made.

Said he cut the deficit in half he didn't do that.

He said you go line by line and eliminate earmarks in that didn't happen.

He said America is gonna come together under his watch not red America blue America the United States of America.

The now that this affects you directly what do you think of the veracity truthful -- Campaign from promises that he made that he just continue to bring you -- you had any intention.

Now I don't you just think this was he went out there said -- -- needed to say to get elected and get people to vote for exactly now.

And is as well as you know.

The Russians launch and our astronauts now.

The commercialization.

-- space now I'm seeing where he's recommending that would go overseas.

With some of that to do it cheaper what does it mean to you were higher in the Russians to send astronauts open space.

To me it's it's really we were leaders in space and the world.

The whole world looked what is the overall impact on the economy and -- YouTube and impacted how many of the people we talking about.

-- tens of thousand -- In spite of the promise that we're gonna continue to grow the economy.

That's what we're gonna do got to protect jobs -- -- -- -- jobs.

Not not in our area.

Now -- is and what about these future projects and the successor to the space shuttles that to have any chance to get a -- well if you if you look at what's coming out all the time from the in this administration is moving further and further out.

And it was going to be 22 point now is going to be 2030.

And they don't believe that it now we still don't have a hardware where the hardware guys -- -- the hardware we put it together and make it work and -- reduction.

No clear direction from this administration.

Aren't -- good to see -- words just.

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