Chairmen: President’s Lack of Willingness to Discuss NASA Budget ‘Deeply Disappointing’
(Washington, DC) House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO), and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX) today issued the following statement in response to the Administration’s letter rejecting their request for a meeting of Members of Congress with President Bush to discuss NASA’s budgetary situation:
“We are deeply disappointed that the President has decided not to seize the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress to discuss how best to ensure that NASA will have the resources needed to carry out a balanced and robust program of science, aeronautics, and human space flight and exploration initiatives.”
“We intend to work with NASA supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress to try to give NASA the resources it will need to carry out the tasks that the nation has asked it to undertake. However, the President’s disengagement will make that effort immeasurably more difficult.”
Chairmen Gordon, Udall and Lampson have spent considerable time during the past several months fighting for more NASA funding, including Rep. Lampson personally arranging for Administrator Griffin to meet with Chairman Obey on the House Appropriations Committee, and with other key Members.
A copy of the letter received by Chairman Gordon from the Directors of OMB and OSTP is linked here. Identical letters were also sent to Chairman Udall and Chairman Lampson.
The Chairmen made the meeting request in a letter dated April 19, 2007.
The Committee maintains jurisdiction over issues related to civilian aviation R&D and U.S. civil and commercial space activities. This includes NASA, commercial space activities within the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce and the aviation R&D activities of the FAA.
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