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Planetary News: Space Policy (2007)Congressional Subcommittee Proposes Increase in NASA FundingBy Amir AlexanderJune 14, 2007
The House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the NASA budget has proposed an increase of $286 million in the agency’s funding above the Administration’s proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. This brings the total proposed NASA budget to $17.6 billion, or a 6% increase over the NASA’s current funding levels. The mark-up in the NASA budget was made by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies headed by Congressman Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV). Over half of the increase, or $180 million, goes towards NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, which has endured severe cuts in science spending over the past two years. A large part of the added funds will go to Earth science missions and the restoration of the exoplanet-hunting Space Interferometry Mission (SIM), which has been put on hold for budgetary reasons. The Planetary Society welcomes the proposed increases to NASA funding in general, and to NASA science projects in particular. For the past two years the Society has been conducting a grassroots campaign called “Save Our Science (SOS)” to combat the shrinking of NASA’s science budget. The Subcommittee’s proposal is an indication that the voices and concerns of our friends and supporters are being heard on Capitol Hill. The subcommittee’s proposal still has a long way to go before it can become law. It needs to be approved by the full House Appropriations Committee, go before the full membership of the House, and be reconciled with a Senate version of the bill before it is sent to the White House for signature. Even then it may still be vetoed by the President. Nevertheless, Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society was upbeat: “"Congressional support for space science is gratifying, and we thank the Representatives of both parties on the House Subcommittee. In our view they accurately represent public interest in the science component of exploration." Did you like this article? Send
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