Congress, NASA

Minibus next stop: the House

On Tuesday the Senate, as expected, passed a “minibus” appropriations bill that combined three separate appropriations bills, including the Commerce, Justice, and Science bill that funds NASA and NOAA. The Senate made no material changes to those sections of the bill, leaving NASA’s overall funding at $17.9 billion, including full funding of the Orion MPCV, the Space Launch System, and over $500 million for the James Webb Space Telescope, while trimming funding for some programs, including commercial crew development and space technology, below the administration’s request.

The bill goes to the House, where appropriations committee chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) promised “a quick turnaround” of the bill, according to the POLITICO report, wrapping up the legislation before the current continuing resolution expires on November 18. That implies limited time for debate and amendment of the bill on the House floor, a sore point for some members.

11 comments to Minibus next stop: the House

  • amightywind

    Hall Rogers. This is where conservatives and the Tea Party become disenfranchised. Never did Boehner make a greater mistake than appointing this horse trader to head appropriations. We need to stop kidding ourselves folks. The Chinese are funding NASA. This nation needs radical austerity.

  • common sense

    “This nation needs radical austerity.”

    Yeah that will certainly pay for SLS/MPCV of your dreams…

  • Byeman

    yes, and SLS should be first on the chopping block

  • John

    Agreed. SLS should be gutted along with Orion which could be leased out as a Disney ride.

  • Robert G. Oler

    Byeman wrote @ November 2nd, 2011 at 9:35 am

    yes, and SLS should be first on the chopping block..

    SLS will die, WEbb changed. RGO

  • “This nation needs radical austerity.” BAD BAD BAD
    …which leads to a contracting economy which leads to further austerity which leads to deflation and finally economic shutdown. That thought is bad inspiration for business and helps prevent American pulling itself out of this mess.

    Austerity is NOT what this country needs.

    Poignant investment in new technologies and creation of new industries is what is needed (as well as tariff controls). NASA is the best example of the success USA achieves when smart investment overcomes financial fears.

    The sky is NOT falling in.”

  • Robert G. Oler wrote:

    SLS will die, WEbb changed.

    I think it’s pretty clear that the Congressional porkers will sacrifice everything else before they let anyone touch their precious SLS.

    Quoting from the Florida SPACErePORT for November 2:

    The Senate has approved $500 million for “commercial spaceflight activities,” but with a caveat that $192.6 million cannot be spent until “the NASA Administrator certifies to the Committees on Appropriations, in writing, that NASA has published the required notifications of NASA contract actions implementing the acquisition strategy for the heavy lift launch vehicle system.” This move is intended to encourage NASA to move quickly on heavy-lift development. (11/2)

    They’re going to hold CCDev hostage until they get their SLS pork.

  • Teddy Ballgame

    SLS will die, WEbb changed. RGO

    And you also predicted SLS and Webb would be canceled by October. Nostradamus you are not. Now keep your pie hole shut.

    Pathetic.

  • GuessWho

    Oler wrote: “SLS will die, WEbb changed.”

    Yet another idiotic statement from RGO. JWST will not go through a design change due to budget pressures. It is a very specific design for a very specific application that passed CDR more than 16 months ago. They are now fabricating flight hardware and descope options are no longer an option (other than mission duration post-launch).

    Stephen Smith wrote: “They’re going to hold CCDev hostage until they get their SLS pork.”

    This would be the Democrat-led Senate porkers correct? The same group (headed by Babs) that will make sure the white elephant called JWST also gets full funding despite cost increases of over $6.25B or 342% of its 2009 cost estimate and will now likely gut most of the other remaining and near-term SMD missions? The same Democrat-led Senate porkers that have been in the majority and continued to feed the JWST trough since 2007? Those porkers? Sounds like the current Senate majority needs to be made the minority ASAP so we can cut the pork! Given we are borrowing $0.42 for every dollar spent, this can’t be done soon enough.

  • Robert G. Oler

    GuessWho wrote @ November 3rd, 2011 at 8:26 am

    Oler wrote: “SLS will die, WEbb changed.”

    whoever replied:
    Yet another idiotic statement from RGO. JWST will not go through a design change due to budget pressures. It is a very specific design for a very specific application that passed CDR more than 16 months ago. They are now fabricating flight hardware and descope options are no longer an option (other than mission duration post-launch).

    ….

    cost on Webb are going up monthly. they might be putting together hardware but they have no idea what that hardware will cost…and as long as cost are going up just less then 1 billion a year…they will find they get to build less telescope if they build one at all. I stand by my statement.

    who

    Robert G. Oler

  • Beancounter from Downunder

    Some posters should take a lesson in manners. Just because you disagree with someone else’s position, it’s not a right to denigrate or belittle them.
    How about taking a minute to think about this before you post? Anger also doesn’t excuse bad manners.

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