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NASA Budget News: Budget Passes House Panel Uncontested
By Alex Canizares
Special to SPACE.com
posted: 07:00 pm ET
07 June 2000
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nasa_budget_000607 WASHINGTON (States News Service) -- NASA's budget breezed through a House spending committee Wednesday with little discussion as legislators grappled over funding for veterans and housing programs. Despite lingering concerns that the House VA-HUD spending bill cuts new NASA programs such as the $290 million Space Launch Initiative to research a replacement for the space shuttle, NASA appears to be in a strong position to get more money this year. In a House Appropriations Committee hearing spent arguing over money for housing and veterans' health programs, the final legislation was expected to pass with $13.7 billion set aside for the space agency. That's a $113 million increase over last year's amount. A vote in the full House may come as early as next week. The only tinkering to the NASA budget came from Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Washington), who offered an amendment to study whether to strengthen the agency's research and analysis programs. The four-paragraph, non-funding amendment cites concerns that NASA has overlooked research and data analysis activities aimed at providing the scientific questions that drive space-exploration missions. The measure directs NASA to conduct a study with other agencies to consider strengthening those activities. The House Appropriations Committee adopted the measure by a voice vote. An amendment offered by Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-West Virginia) to restore $300 million to the science and technology budget fell short of passage along a 23 to 22 vote. That would have funded science and technology spending at $5.9 billion, the president's requested level. The Senate has yet to schedule a hearing to determine final figures for its version of the NASA budget.
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