WASHINGTON (States News Service - Special to space.com) -- With Congress in recess until September, the battle for NASA's Fiscal Year 2000 budget is on hold. But the different committees and their political leaders also have different views as to the need for the restoration of the administration's request. To follow the evolution and possible outcomes of the space agency's fate, here is a guide to the status of the funding and who is supporting -and opposing -the space effort:

The Appropriations Committees set actual spending each year. For the most part, they work within a meticulously detailed budget, and they enact spending levels similar to whatever the authorizing committees (see below) request. In both houses, NASA funding falls under the VA-HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill. That spending bill must be approved by subcommittee, then full committee, and then the full House or Senate. Any differences between the House and Senate bills must be resolved in conference.

The House subcommittee approved a $1.4 billion cut in NASA, but the full spending committee only approved a $1 billion cut last week. The House will vote on the full bill in September. The Senate has not written their version of the bill. The Republicans, who hold a majority in each house, control all committees. The most senior Democrat is referred to as the Ranking Minority Member. Here are the players and their positions:

House VA-HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations

Subcommittee:

CHAIR: JAMES WALSH, R-NY: The one who originally proposed the cuts in NASA spending, Walsh will lead the floor debate for the Republicans when the bill hits the floor in September. He made the cuts in an attempt to hold the bill to spending limits agreed on in a 1997 budget resolution.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: ALAN MOLLOHAN, D-WV: Mollohan will lead the floor battle in the House for the Democrats, but has not been available for comment on the issue, due to a death in the family.

House Appropriations Committee:

CHAIR: BILL YOUNG, R-FLA: No comment, he's deferring all commentary and strategy to Walsh, an aide said.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: DAVID OBEY, D-WISC: Not available for comment.

Senate VA-HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations

Subcommittee:

CHAIR: KIT BOND, R-MO: Bond will be in charge of actually marking up the bill that details NASA funding in the Senate. He has not stated a position but spokesman Dan Hubbard said no one has come forward to defend NASA. "I am certain that no one has been in contact with us on this issue," Hubbard said. Bond has no plans to meet with NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, pro-NASA Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, or Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., or anyone else about the budget.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: BARBARA MIKULSKI, D-MD: No comment until mark-up of the Senate bill begins, sometime in September.

Senate Appropriations Committee:

CHAIR: TED STEVENS, R-ALASKA: No comment. Did not return calls.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: ROBERT BYRD, D-W.V.: No comment. Did not return calls.

The authorizing committees are the ones that deal directly with an agency's representatives and know most about its programs. They are usually either an agency's sharpest critics or strongest allies. In NASA's case, the Space subcommittees come under different full committees in each house of Congress. All the authorization committees have already approved NASA's budget for the next three years at close to what the White House asked for: $13 billion.

House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee:

CHAIR: DANA ROHRBACHER, R-CALIF: "The Chairman will work with Congress to restore some funding to NASA and set effective priorities for an investment in space," an aide said. According to a debate rule passed just before recess, all proposed increases to NASA's budget cannot increase the total cost of the spending bill, and so must come from another agency included in the bill. Therefore, more money for the space agency will only come at the great political cost of cuts to federal housing, veteran's benefits, or environmental programs. No one will be able to significantly fund NASA until Congress is released from its obligation to limit spending under the 1997 budget agreement, his aide said.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: BART GORDON, D-TENN: Gordon joined in the uproar over the NASA cuts. He "strongly condemned" the proposed cuts noting that NASA has contributed important benefits to the country. "I want to work with rank and file members on both sides of the aisle to defend these programs," he said in a press release.

House Science Committee:

CHAIR: JAMES SENSENBRENNER, R-WISC: Accusing NASA Administrator Dan Goldin of using "scare tactics" to oppose the cuts, Sensenbrenner seems interested in restoring some funding to NASA but is still backing his party's tough stance on projects like the Gore-inspired Triana satellite. "Playing politics with our nation's space program and threatening NASA employees' jobs is an ugly scare tactic," he said in response to Goldin's claims that budget cuts would mean layoffs. "I'm disappointed too in NASA's portion of the funding pie as it now stands. Regardless, I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress from both sides of the aisle to ensure that our civil space program stays on a positive track."

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: RALPH HALL, D-TX: Cutting funds "doesn't make any sense with a program that's growing like NASA is," Hall said. He spent last Saturday in Houston talking to space administration officials and plans to do the same over the August recess. "NASA makes seven dollars for every dollar we put in," Hall said.

Senate Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittees:

CHAIR: BILL FRIST, R-TENN.: "He's going to be talking with the appropriators and try to determine where the impacts are," before he takes a public stance, spokeswoman Margaret Camp said.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: JOHN BREAUX, D-LA: Breaux will not be taking a hand in anything. "We are not on the appropriations committee and do not have any involvement whatsoever with NASA appropriations," spokeswoman Bette Phelan said.

Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee:

CHAIR: JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ: It's not clear whether or not McCain, the fiery presidential hopeful, will take any hand in this year's NASA spending. His spokeswoman said that the senator "has supported the funding that was requested" when it came up for re-authorization. Yet McCain has criticized NASA for cost overruns on the International Space Station, sponsoring an amendment to impose a price cap on the total costs of the International Space Station and costs of Space Shuttle launches. Last fall, McCain railed against NASA's request for additional funding of $660 million to maintain Russia's involvement in the Space Station.

RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: ERNEST HOLLINGS, D-SC: Not available for comment.