House Appropriators Pass VA/HUD bill; Space Station Program Protected

On July 8, the House Appropriations Committee completed its markup of H.R. 2158, the FY 1998 VA/HUD/IA funding bill. This bill provides funding for NASA and NSF, among other agencies, and is accompanied by a report (House Report 105-175) detailing the Committee’s intentions. This FYI will address portions of the report devoted to NASA; Subsequent FYIs will cover report language on NSF.

The Appropriations Committee would give NASA a total of $13.648 billion, an increase of $148 million above President Clinton’s request of $13.5 billion and $61 million below the current (FY 1997) appropriation.

The Committee would provide $5.427 billion for the Human Space Flight account, which includes the space station and shuttle programs. This amount would be $100 million above the request and $63 million above the FY 1997 appropriation.

In its report, the Committee acknowledges that delays by the Russians and growing costs have pinched NASA’s reserves for the International Space Station (ISS) program. The report gives the NASA Administrator discretion (upon approval of the appropriations committees) to transfer up to $150 million from the Science, Aeronautics and Technology and Mission Support accounts to the Human Space Flight account if necessary to keep the space station program on schedule.

The report language states: “The Committee understands that available, near-term reserves for the International Space Station have continued to diminish -- due to unforseen expenditures required by NASA as a result of the inclusion of Russia in the International Space Station partnership; increased costs as a result of prime contractor performance; directed program changes...; an increasing number of identified program threats'; and peak hardware manufacture, test, and assembly. The Committee understands that the annual cap on Space Station funding [of $2.1 billion per year] has limited the availability of near-term reserves for the significant activity required during peak Station development. In recognition of the limited availability of program reserves for fiscal year 1998 and the importance of maintaining schedule to the maximum extent feasible for First Element Launch during 1998, the Committee has included a provision for transfer authority of up to $150,000,000....”

The report also includes language stating that “the Committee supports the continued funding of a Russian Program Assurance” budget line in NASA’s “Human Space Flight’ appropriation to address specific U.S. program requirements resulting from delays on the part of Russia in meeting its commitments to the International Space Station and uncertainties about future Russian performance. The baseline Space Station program reserve levels were established to protect for U.S. development uncertainty and unforeseen program design changes, not against Russian non-performance. As a result, the Committee agrees that resources for these contingency efforts should be provided outside the planned ISS program funding, and has already endorsed NASA’s reallocation of $200,000,000 in fiscal year 1997 for initial contingency steps.”

The Science, Aeronautics and Technology account (which includes space science and Mission to Planet Earth) would receive $5.690 billion, $48 million above the request and $77 million below its FY 1997 funding. It appears that programs within this account would be funded at their requested levels (space science: $2.044 billion; MtPE: $1.417 billion), while the additional funding beyond the request would be allocated as follows: "$1,000,000 for Multiple Sclerosis cooling therapy research, $450,000 for application of satellite imagery to land use planning, $13,700,000 for commercial technology programs, $6,300,000 for National Space Grant Colleges and Fellowships, $5,500,000 for space radiation health programs, $1,750,000 for space product development, $17,300,000 for various education programs, $1,000,000 for the U.S./Mexico Foundation for Science, and $1,000,000 for miniaturization of eye tracking systems technology.”

The Committee would provide $120 million for NASA Academic Programs, $24 million above the request, but $400,000 below current-year funding. Mission Support would receive $2.513 billion, equal to the budget request and $49 million below the current appropriation.

The bill is scheduled to be debated on the House floor today. Representatives Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Tim Roemer (D-IN) are expected to offer an amendment to cut $100 million from NASA funding. Also today, the Senate VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee intends to mark up its version of the bill.