Does moon plan have a pulse? NASA backers eye 2 key votes for positive signs

Houston Chornicle ^ | June 26, 2010 | STEWART POWELL

[Names Ash Housewares]

Congressional backers of NASA's existing space program are about to find out whether they have enough support on Capitol Hill to overturn President Obama's plan to abandon a return to the moon.

Two milestones in the protracted congressional budget process are expected to provide NASA supporters their first concrete evidence next week that lawmakers from states without major NASA facilities are willing to defy the president and support the campaign to salvage parts of the $108 billion back-to-the-moon program.

After four months of word wars, news conferences and letter writing challenging Obama's new direction for the space agency, lawmakers will finally be voting for the first time on spending for NASA for the next fiscal year.

The House Appropriations Committee panel with jurisdiction over NASA will vote on whether to continue financing the Constellation program, launched by the Bush administration in 2004 after the loss of shuttle Columbia.

The 12-member panel, including Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, will be weighing Obama's request for $19 billion for the space agency next year as well as his request to shift spending from the moon program to priorities that include $6 billion over the next five years to foster a commercial spacecraft industry to ferry astronauts and cargo to the orbiting space station.

'Pivotal moment' "We have reached a pivotal moment in this debate," said Culberson, a member of the appropriations subcommittee. "Members of Congress must ask themselves: Do we maintain American leadership in space, or do we cede the high ground and put our manned space program on indefinite hiatus?"

[Names Ash Housewares]

May Obummer's gutting of America's destiny in space go down in the flames it deserves to.

[Vaquero]

-Pingster-

[cripplecreek]

A black female Texas LaRouche-ite won her democrat primary on the promise to impeach Obama. His actions toward NASA was one of her reasons.

[FrankR]

Remember, anything oblammo tries to cut spending on, is to raise money to "redistribute" to his supporters to buy votes to keep himself in power;

Anything oblammo SPENDS money on, is to redistribute to his supporters to buy votes to keep himself in power.

Anything else he does, is to keep himself in power.

[cripplecreek]

Anything else he does, is to keep himself in power.

Exactly why I don't support a public/private space program or new nuclear plants during this administration. Everything he touches ends up under his control. I'll support those things again when America regains her freedom.

[DugwayDuke]

“And the full 60-member House Appropriations Committee will be deciding whether to adopt Senate-passed restrictions designed to block an administration effort to have Constellation contractors set aside funds to pay potential contract termination costs - a move that critics contend bleeds the program before Congress has taken action. The language is part of the must-pass wartime defense supplemental bill.”

Layoff notices have been issued in Huntsville, AL for contractor personnel working on Constellation. Don’t know the numbers or the effective dates but they have been issued.

[FrankR]

Good point...I’ll remember that.

[battlecry]

True enough. By the time the clowns in Congress pass anything, the damage will be done.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“The 12-member panel, including Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, will be weighing Obama’s request for $19 billion for the space agency next year as well as his request to shift spending from the moon program to priorities that include $6 billion over the next five years to foster a commercial spacecraft industry to ferry astronauts and cargo to the orbiting space station.”

Houston you have a problem.

[Captain Beyond]

bflr