During 1991, Representative Ronald Machtley of Rhode Island proposes elimination of SETI funding from NASA’s budget, asking “If, in fact, there is a superintelligent form of life out there, might it be easier just to listen and let them call us?”. Silvio Conte of Massachusetts supported that motion, stating that to find evidence of these “rascally creatures”, “we only need 75 cents to buy a tabloid at the local supermarket”.
