Space Station Funding Again on the Brink
House science committee chairman George Brown (D-Cal.) is forcing his colleagues to the brink over funding for NASA and the space station. How successful Brown’s latest strategy is may become evident by the end of the month -- although this will be only the start of a long struggle for station funding.
The annual appropriations process is moving into a higher gear with the announcement by new House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) that the all-important 602(b) allocations are soon going to be made. This allocation is the amount of money which an appropriations subcommittee has to fund all of the programs under its jurisdiction. A high allocation allows a subcommittee to be more generous in its spending, a low allocation the opposite. This year’s $510.8 billion in budget authority is essentially frozen from last year, setting the stage for some very difficult decisions in the coming weeks.
Brown, chairman of an authorizing committee, is exerting pressure on Obey and his appropriations colleagues to give the House VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee a high enough 602(b) allocation so that it will not have to cut NASA funding below the $14.3 billion request in the eventual funding bill. Brown has frequently voiced concerns about the space science budget if the station is funded with an insufficient NASA budget. Brown has said that he might have to withdraw his support for the station if the over-all NASA budget is inadequate (see FYI #49.)
The latest development was a science committee caucus (meeting) yesterday on the NASA budget. Brown later stated, “The actions that the Appropriations Committee takes over the next several days will be key to what action, if any, this Committee might take in the 103rd Congress.” He continued, “I assured Members that I remain committed to building a space station with our international partners, and that I fully support the President’s request of $14.3 billion for NASA in FY 95. The President has made it clear that he is anxious to make certain all of that money goes to NASA, and I applaud and welcome his help in preserving this level of funding. The President’s request represents the bare minimum necessary to prevent disruption of NASA programs.”
Science committee members report that during this closed-door meeting there was considerable indecision, with some members moving away from previous positions. Russia’s participation is another major source of concern (see FYI #60.) Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) warned, “Both Chairman Brown and I have been very strong supporters of the space station in the past. They need us in order to get this through the House of Representatives, and unless there are some changes made, they have neither of us.” Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), a station critic, said, “They feel like they’ve lost a sense of ownership of the space station. The falling off of Republican support will be fatal unless the president can convert enough Democrats.” Getting those votes will become even more difficult if Brown, a major voice on space matters, backs away from the station because of concerns about funding and Russian participation.
