Bill Nelson

For other people named Bill Nelson, see Bill Nelson (disambiguation).

Bill Nelson
Official portrait, 2021
14th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 3, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyPamela Melroy
Preceded byJim Bridenstine
United States Senator
from Florida
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byConnie Mack III
Succeeded byRick Scott
Committee chairmanships
Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byJohn Thune
Succeeded byMaria Cantwell
Chair of the Senate Aging Committee
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015
Preceded byHerb Kohl
Succeeded bySusan Collins
22nd Treasurer of Florida
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001
GovernorLawton Chiles
Buddy MacKay
Jeb Bush
Preceded byTom Gallagher
Succeeded byTom Gallagher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida
In office
January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1991
Preceded byLouis Frey Jr.
Succeeded byJim Bacchus
Constituency9th district (1979–1983)
11th district (1983–1991)
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 47th district
In office
November 7, 1972 – November 7, 1978
Preceded byRedistricted
Succeeded byTim Deratany
Personal details
Born
Clarence William Nelson II

(1942-09-29) September 29, 1942 (age 82)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Grace Cavert
​
(m. 1972)​
Children2
Education
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1965–1968, 1970–1971 (reserve)
1968–1970 (active)
RankCaptain
Space career
NASA payload specialist
(congressional observer)
Time in space
6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes
MissionsSTS-61-C
Mission insignia
Bill Nelson's voice
Nelson, as a U.S. senator, opens a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Space and Science hearing on human space exploration
Recorded April 23, 2013

Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nelson served as a United States senator from Florida from 2001 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1972 to 1978 and in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1991. In January 1986, Nelson became the second sitting member of United States Congress to fly in space, after Senator Jake Garn, when he served as a payload specialist on mission STS-61-C aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Before entering politics he served in the United States Army Reserve during the Vietnam War.[1]

Nelson retired from Congress in 1990 to run for governor of Florida, but was unsuccessful. He was later elected Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Fire Marshal of Florida, serving from 1995 to 2001. In 2000, Nelson was elected to the U.S. Senate seat that had been vacated by retiring Republican senator Connie Mack III with 51% of the vote. He was reelected in 2006 with 60% of the vote[2] and in 2012 with 55% of the vote. Nelson ran in 2018 for a fourth term, but narrowly lost to then-Governor Rick Scott.[3] In May 2019, Nelson was appointed to serve on NASA's advisory council.[4]

In the U.S. Senate, Nelson was generally considered a centrist and a moderate Democrat.[5][6][7][8] He supported same-sex marriage,[9] lowering taxes on lower and middle income families,[10] expanding environmental programs and regulation,[11] protecting the Affordable Care Act,[12] and expanding Medicaid.[13] Nelson chaired the Senate Aging Committee from 2013 to 2015, and served as ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee from 2015 to 2019.

On March 19, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Nelson to the position of Administrator of NASA.[14] On April 29, the Senate confirmed Nelson by unanimous consent. He was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on May 3.

  1. ^ "Florida Marriage Collection, 1822–1875 and 1927–2001". Ancestry.com.
  2. ^ "Sen. Bill Nelson (D)" Archived May 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, National Journal Almanac, December 31, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reuters18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson named to NASA advisory committee". May 28, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  5. ^ Klas, Mary Ellen (October 29, 2012). "Bill Nelson pitches long-held moderate message in tight U.S. Senate race". Tampa Bay Times. Chipley. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Erin (October 16, 2012). "U.S. Rep. Connie Mack takes on longtime Sen. Bill Nelson | News". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  7. ^ Leary, Alex (February 5, 2011). "Sen. Bill Nelson fights off GOP efforts to tag him a liberal". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  8. ^ "Nelson works hard to be seen as moderate". Orlando Sentinel. Washington, D.C. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).