Editing Bill Nelson (section)

=== U.S. House of Representatives ===
Nelson was [[1978 United States House of Representatives elections#Florida|elected to the U.S. House of Representatives]] in 1978 in the open [[Florida's 9th congressional district|9th congressional district]] after the five-term Republican incumbent, [[Louis Frey&nbsp;Jr.]], chose to run for governor of Florida rather than for reelection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000381|title=FREY, Louis, Jr. - Biographical Information |website=bioguide.congress.gov|access-date=June 19, 2016}}</ref>

In [[1980 United States House of Representatives elections|1980]], Nelson was reelected to that district, which encompassed all of Brevard and part of Orange County. He was [[Redistricting|redistricted]] to the [[Florida's 11th congressional district|11th congressional district]], encompassing all of Brevard and parts of Orange, [[Indian River County, Florida|Indian River]], and [[Osceola County, Florida|Osceola counties]]; he [[1982 United States House of Representatives elections|won reelection in 1982]], [[1984 United States House of Representatives elections|1984]], [[1986 United States House of Representatives elections|1986]], and [[1988 United States House of Representatives elections|1988]]. He remained a member of the U.S. House of Representatives until 1991.

Nelson chaired the [[United States House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics|House Space Subcommittee]] for six years<ref name="nasa-bill-nelson">{{Cite web |last=Dunbar |first=Brian |date=May 3, 2021 |title=NASA Administrator Bill Nelson |url=https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-administrator-bill-nelson/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829125305/https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-administrator-bill-nelson/ |archive-date=August 29, 2024 |access-date=December 13, 2021 |publisher=[[NASA]]}}</ref> as a key member of the [[United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology|House Committee on Science, Space and Technology]].<ref name="wapo-19871030">{{Cite news |last=Sawyer |first=Kathy |date=October 31, 1987 |title=Space Station Authorization Signed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/10/31/space-station-authorization-signed/5a02814f-18eb-4284-817d-5a3f544894c0/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905083144/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/10/31/space-station-authorization-signed/5a02814f-18eb-4284-817d-5a3f544894c0/ |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |access-date=December 13, 2021 |issn=0190-8286 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="wapo-19870403">{{Cite news |last=Sawyer |first=Kathy |date=April 4, 1987 |title=Reagan Approves Two-Part Plan in Bid to Rescue Space Station |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/04/04/reagan-approves-two-part-plan-in-bid-to-rescue-space-station/34b24226-c5b5-4986-bc21-2c545203b3e7/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905083549/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/04/04/reagan-approves-two-part-plan-in-bid-to-rescue-space-station/34b24226-c5b5-4986-bc21-2c545203b3e7/ |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |access-date=December 13, 2021 |issn=0190-8286 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> His district included [[Cape Canaveral]] and its [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station|space facility]]. In 1988, Bill Nelson criticized President Reagan's policy to export American satellites for launch on China's [[Long March (rocket family)|Long March rockets]]. Nelson called this an "inconsistent administration policy." Nelson stated that Reagan "wanted to build up commercial space ventures, and on the other hand, he is cutting off the commercial space ventures at the knees with these export licenses."<ref name="wapo-19880910">{{Cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Jeffrey |date=September 10, 1988 |title=Reagan Backs Plan to Launch Satellites from China Rockets |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1988/09/10/reagan-backs-plan-to-launch-satellites-from-china-rockets/8d297820-e22f-4ef2-a66d-3d275377ad05/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617022857/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1988/09/10/reagan-backs-plan-to-launch-satellites-from-china-rockets/8d297820-e22f-4ef2-a66d-3d275377ad05/ |archive-date=June 17, 2024 |access-date=December 13, 2021 |issn=0190-8286 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>