Monday, June 16, 2008

Wolf Votes Against NASA Funding

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed legislation "Providing for Consideration of H.R. 6063, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act." The vote was 221-188, almost completely along party lines. According to New Scientist:
...the NASA Authorization Act of 2008 [H.R. 6063] would be the first new authorization for NASA since 2005...

The science committee pumped up authorised spending from the $17.6 billion the Bush Administration requested in its budget proposal to $20.2 billion, a hefty 15% increase. The biggest single addition is $1 billion to speed up work on the Ares launchers and Orion crew module that are to replace the shuttle. That reflects Congressional concern about the five-year post-shuttle gap in US human spaceflight under the Bush budget.

...The act also sets aside specific amounts for a range of projects, from aeronautics to lunar robotics and Mars exploration.

But the White House's Office of Management and Budget "strongly opposes" the extra spending and several mandated projects...

How did Frank Wolf vote on this one? Let's put it this way; all you need to know is that last line, about how the Bush White House "strongly opposes" it.

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