Posted on 02/01/2007 9:45:45 AM PST by Fitzcarraldo
PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Wednesday, January 31, 2007
< Source: Rep. Dave Weldon
If Enacted, Would Be Worst Cuts to Space Exploration Since 1993
Urges Senate to Reverse Irresponsible Choice by House Dems
In a fiscal year 2007 budget released today, the new Democrat majority proposed sweeping cuts to NASA's budget that could jeopardized the future of space exploration. U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL), who represents many workers from NASA and Kennedy Space Center, called the cuts draconian, saying the Democrat leadership is using NASA and our nation's space program as a piggy bank for other liberal spending priorities.
"The raid on NASA's budget has begun in earnest. The cuts announced today by House Democrat leaders, if approved by Congress, would be nearly $400 million less than NASA's current budget," said Weldon.
"Clearly, the new Democrat leadership in the House isn't interested in space exploration. Their omnibus proposal lists hundreds of new increases, including a $1.3 billion increase‹over 40% for a Global AIDS fund, all at the expense of NASA."
Much of the proposed cuts would come from NASA's Exploration budget, which includes funding for the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the future replacement for the current shuttle fleet. According to Weldon, these particular cuts would jeopardize thousands of jobs in Florida, Alabama, and Texas.
Weldon today led a bi-partisan group of colleagues, including Reps. Ralph Hall (D-TX), and Tom Feeney (R-FL), in offering two amendments to the bill that would restore NASA's funding.
"Rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans alike are aghast at the treatment the Democrat Leadership has shown to NASA. To gut the exploration account in particular is clearly meant to be a stick in the eye to the President and the initiative he announced three years ago."
Speaker Pelosi is not expected to allow any amendments to today's omnibus bill, continuing the closed legislative process that has plagued the current Congress since its opening day. Consequently, Weldon said the future of NASA funding will likely hinge on the Senate.
"The Senate leadership, including Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), has yet to speak to the draconian cuts being proposed. I hope they're alerted to the message the House sent today and will propose funding in line with NASA's overall mission and the President's original request to ensure a smooth transition to the new launch vehicle."
The Dem "leadership" is a group of bastards.
Thank God!!!!!!!!!!! I must admit that I am all for this. I find this the biggest waste of money the United States has ever spent. Just my opinion which is not going to change so don't even try....Thanks for trying though....
If NASA manages to disprove GlobalWarming™, it will have more than paid for itself, IMO.
That's not going to sit well with a number of space and aeronautical industry unions.
If NASA was spending its money on research and science instead of third-rate P.R. (a.k.a "return to the Moon"), I'd feel a lot more sympathetic.
Manned Space Flight is super expensive...advanced techniques like molecular nanotechnology may be required to reduce its costs to acceptable levels.
It's as expensive as it is (at least at the current time) utterly pointless. We can conduct the same science that any manned mission would do for 1/100 the cost, 10x better and faster, using robotic probes.
Weldon is good on NASA, but nobody listens to him. If a Dem sits in the White House in 2009 the Moon, Mars and Beyond program won't be a consideration since it will be gone. Congress will be concerned with NEO since that is where the military interests will be for a long time to come. The Treaty will continue to stifle private space development forever.
Watch China swarm outer space, watch on your Chinese satellite feed.
I disagree with you. I believe NASA and space exploration represents money well spent.
I have to agree with you.
Big waste of cash. Why do they call it the International Space Station when we are footing the majority of the bill.
It should be the United States Space Station with the International Food Court Annex.
There's a silver lining to every cloud! I just hope (unrealistically) that the money stays in NASA for other purposes.
Perhaps but there will then come a time were we might have to leave this planet, and i for one hope we have some trained people to get us moving. As well as populations on the moon. 1 asteroid can ruin our whole day.
Let them swarm. They have been pouring money into the space program for fifty years (at least) and really what except a few tragedies they haven't done much. Wow I guess they did put an American Flag on the moon...That and fifty dollars won't get you very far.
In terms of objectives related to science, that is true.
If we are to pursue "Space Manifest Destiny" goals (space colonization, etc.) basic technology will have to advance a few more steps to enable space resource processing at cost-effective levels.
The von Braun paradigm of space exploration is about to collapse under its own weight, IMO.
I am glad that you have an interest in it. For me, I just can't bring myself to get excited about something that just does not provide anything. I mean we get excited about this and nothing comes of it. When I was in grade school (80's) they promised Americans that we would be living in space in our life time....Don't see that happening. Don't you think that NASA lied about that so they could continue this cash cow.
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