and "blue ribbon" reports that suggest the agency has been under-funded, NASA is in for a bitter fight to protect some of its new or delayed programs, congressional sources said.Rather than seeking to punish NASA for its mission slip-ups, it is more a matter of congressional appropriators being constrained by other costly priorities, such as promised increases in veteran's health care.
"Before any new programs are started, the piece of communications equipment NASA, (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and all the centers need to master is thetelephone."
House Republicans vowed under a 1997 budget plan to give a $1.35 billion increase in veterans' health care this year, and ramp up spending for urban housing programs.
The VA-HUD panel will have $78 million to parcel out this year, $7 billion under the president's $85 billion request. The subcommittee will "mark up" the bill the third week in May.
Still, others point out Congress is early in the budget season, and has until September to grapple with final spending numbers.
"We try not to get too worked up at this point at where the numbers might be," said House Science Committee spokesman Jeff Lungren, adding that last year NASA's budget went from $1 billion short of its request to millions over by the end of the process.
But a senior NASA official, who asked not to be named, said several programs in NASA's 2001 budget request, an increase of $435 million over this year's level, are vulnerable to cuts.
One project whose funding is in question is NASA's "Living with a Star" program, a new $20 million initiative to study the sun that unfolds to $2 billion over the next several years.
VA-HUD committee chair James Walsh (R-New York) has voiced disapproval for funding new programs until NASA answers to its management problems that have been the subject of recent controversy, including lack of communication between staff.
"Before any new programs are started, the piece of communications equipment NASA, (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and all the centers need to master is the telephone," Walsh said in a recent hearing.
Earth programs at risk
Another area at risk is the Earth-sciences division, which handles Earth-mapping missions, but has not swept up support from lawmakers.
Under pressure to spend elsewhere, lawmakers may look for programs that are delayed or moving slowly, such as the embattled International Space Station and the mission to help replace the space shuttle by 2010. With no scientific results yet from the space station, the appropriators may argue to postpone some funds another year, an aide said.
Walsh has shown that space-based research is a priority, and has said he intends to push for more funding for "Life and Microgravity" research.
Congressional appropriators have shown support for safety upgrades to the shuttle fleet and beefing up NASA's workforce. The fleet has been plagued by wiring and other problems and missions have been found to be short-staffed.
But "emergency" money that NASA was to receive this year for these purposes -- tucked into a supplemental, non-NASA budget bill -- has fallen through.
Now NASA's budget will have to soak up those "emergency" areas, which Walsh has said threatens other programs.
"If the Senate does not deal with the supplemental [spending], then we must seriously consider canceling programs or projects so management will not be stretched further."
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