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WASHINGTON – The House Science Committee approved its part of a massive budget reconciliation spending bill on September 9, without making any major changes to its NASA provisions.
The full committee voted 21-17 after a day of markup to advance its part of the package, allocating $ 45.51 billion to agencies under its jurisdiction, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation.
The final version of the bill did not affect sections of the NASA bill beyond an amendment, approved in a voice vote, ordering NASA to include work on “biofuels. sustainable aviation ”as part of its climate change funding.
The bill would provide NASA with nearly $ 4.4 billion in additional funding, including $ 4 billion for NASA infrastructure improvements. Climate change projects would get $ 388 million and NASA cybersecurity $ 7 million.
The bill, however, made no provision for funding for NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program, including the development of the lunar lander. In testimony to Congress this spring, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he was seeking $ 5.4 billion to fund a second prize for the Human Landing System and a similar amount to modernize aging NASA facilities.
Republican members of the committee introduced several amendments to make more substantive changes to the bill. One, by Representative Brian Babin (R-Texas), a prominent member of the space subcommittee, reportedly combined infrastructure and climate change funding into a single allocation for use in infrastructure and exploration.
“My amendment would give NASA the flexibility it needs to meet the goals set by Congress,” Babin said during the markup. “In a bill that exceeds $ 3.5 trillion, of which $ 45.5 billion is within the purview of this committee, it is astonishing to me that NASA’s human exploration program is being ignored.”
“Usually, Dr Babin and I agree 100% on matters revolving around NASA,” replied Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) He argued, however, that the $ 4 billion were needed for repairs to NASA facilities. “I would love to see more money spent on our space exploration and I will continue to defend it, but we need to have a solid infrastructure.”
Babin’s amendment, along with others involving funding from NASA, failed in largely partisan votes. Another amendment directing part of NOAA’s funding for a future space weather satellite toward the purchase of commercial data has also failed.
The scientific provisions of the bill and the comprehensive reconciliation package lack Republican support. Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), A leading member of the Committee of the Whole, lamented the omission of funding for human exploration as evidence of “how messy this bill is.”
Even Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), chairman of the Committee of the Whole, has expressed reservations about the bill. “The process of budget reconciliation is inherently partisan and complicated. I don’t expect my Republican colleagues to be happy with this process. Quite frankly, I’m not particularly happy with all aspects of this process myself, ”she said.
“But my goal for our committee’s contribution to the overall reconciliation effort is to fulfill our responsibilities as respectfully and fairly as possible,” she added.
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