[John H K]

US has never even tried a Venus Lander.

I think with advances in materials science and hardened electronics (Soviets were never good at electronics) we could land a probe or rover that could last for months now.

US doesn't have a single Venus mission planned or even in the proposal stage.

[RightWhale]

US has a Mercury orbiter nearing readiness for launch. US has had missions to Venus. Lately they have used radar to map the surface, radar from earth using two of the large radio telescopes as source. Long base line.

[Paleo Conservative]

US doesn't have a single Venus mission planned or even in the proposal stage.

Clinton should go there. Tell him Venus is a hot chick.

[JSteff]

Resources better used somewhere else. After we own the rest of the solar system we can check it out at our leisure.

[SunkenCiv]

A sample return mission and/or sample study mission, for the Venusian atmosphere rather than the surface, has been advocated for a while, but the Space Shuttle and International Space Station eats the NASA budget. The probe to Pluto has been off-again, on-again due to budget problems, and has been delayed so long now, there's probably no point as the atmosphere will freeze soon.