February « 2005 « Space Politics

GAO, NASA, and O’Keefe

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 18 at 7:15 am ET

The AP broke the news yesterday that the Government Accountability Office (formerly the General Accounting Office) is investigating NASA spending practices, with a focus on outgoing administrator Sean O’Keefe. According to four current or former NASA officials who spoke with AP reporter Adam Nossiter, the GAO is looking at O’Keefe’s use of a government jet […]

Reminder: House Sci Cmte hearing on NASA budget

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 17 at 7:32 am ET

The full House Science Committee will hold a hearing at 10am this morning on the FY06 NASA budget proposal. Fred Gregory, the acting administrator, is the sole witness scheduled to testify. The hearing will be webcast.

It depends on how you define “drastic”

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 17 at 7:30 am ET

In a TownHall.com column, Larry Elder notes that NASA makes the list of about 150 agencies facing “drastic spending reductions”:

The president proposes $16.45 billion for NASA in 2006. That’s a 2.4 percent increase over what the government is spending this year on the program. But it is $500 million less than what the space […]

HR 656 provisions

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 16 at 7:18 pm ET

Thomas has finally posted the text of HR 656, the legislation introduced last week by Rep. James Oberstar to amend the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act with additional safety provisions. As expected, the bill includes a provision to require AST to ensure that each launch license “includes minimum standards to protect the health and safety […]

Cramer gets NASA appropriations subcommittee post

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 16 at 7:46 am ET

While there’s been no official announcement yet from the minority leadership of the House Appropriations Committee on new subcommittee assignments, at least one key member has found a slot on the new subcommittee whose jurisdiction includes NASA. Rep. Bud Cramer (D-AL), whose district includes NASA Marshall, announced late Tuesday that he will serve on the […]

Congress takes on NASA job cuts

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 14 at 6:27 am ET

News that the FY06 NASA budget will lead to significant jobs cuts at some NASA centers is (surprise!) not sitting well with some members of Congress. The Cleveland Plain Dealer and the AP report that much of Ohio’s Congressional delegation, including the state’s two Republican senators, two Republican congressmen, and all six Democratic congressmen, sent […]

House moves ahead on approprations reorg

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 12 at 1:46 pm ET

Despite Senate opposition, the House is moving ahead with its planned reorganization of the appropriations committee. The committee released Friday the assignments of Republican members to the new subcommittees. As previously announced, the “Science, State, and Justice” subcommittee (the word “Commerce” doesn’t appear in the release, although it is still apparently included in the subcommittee’s […]

Rethinking appropriations reorganization

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 12 at 1:23 pm ET

While the House is moving ahead with plans to reorganize the subcommittee structure of the House Appropriations Committee, including moving NASA from the to-be-defunct VA-HUD subcommittee to the Commerce-State-Justice subcommittee, the Senate has been less than enthusiastic. If the Senate doesn’t reorganize, then the House and Senate versions various appropriations bills cannot be reconciled, requiring […]

Beware the exploration bully

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 11 at 6:26 am ET

I don’t think you’ll see this Florida Today editorial cartoon posted on too many cubicle walls and bulletin boards in NASA’s Office of Exploration Systems.

Weldon on appropriations and administrators

By Jeff Foust on 2005 February 11 at 5:19 am ET

Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) spoke at a Space Transportation Association breakfast Thursday morning immediately preceding the FAA/AST conference in downtown Washington. Weldon is (was?) a member of the VA-HUD subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, but he is not sad to see to go. “I personally think that’s good news for NASA,” he said. He […]

Space Politics