Conflicting Signals on Space Station/SSC; New White House E-Mail System
SPACE STATION: FULL FUNDING OR “THE 60 PERCENT SOLUTION”?: Last Friday, press reports indicated that NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and White House officials had reached agreement on a budget request of $1.35 billion for Space Station Freedom for fiscal year 1994. New reports tell just the opposite story, indicating that Vice President Al Gore has told lawmakers the Clinton Administration will seek $2.25 billion for the project.
Although the budget request may not be known until tomorrow night’s State of the Union Address (and possibly not until next month), it does seem certain that the administration will continue the project. White House spokesman George Stephanopoulos said Clinton “wants to do what [he] can to stop any cost overruns and achieve the best management possible, but he will not cancel the space station.”
Last year, the Bush Administration requested $2.25 billion for the station, and received $2.1 billion. An unsuccessful move was made in the House to eliminate funding (181 against the station - 237 for.) The Senate also rejected (63-34) an amendment to terminate funding.
Goldin refused to comment on last Friday’s report, but did state “NASA will not deliver another broken promise to the American people. I am holding the space station management team accountable for delivering this program on time and within the prescribed budget. We will leave no stone unturned and no viable option will go unconsidered.” On Friday, John Aaron, who headed the project effort managed by Johnson Space Center, was asked to resign.
Trying to predict how Congress will react to the $2.25 billion request - if this latest report turns out to be correct - is difficult. There are 110 new Representatives whose support for the space station is unknown. Added to this is the fact that a Republican is no longer in the White House, freeing House Republicans from having to vote on the basis of loyalty to the president. President Clinton, unlike his predecessor, is not expected to use precious political capital to sway Members of Congress to his side on the space station. Judging from opposition that is already lining-up to the president’s economic plan, he will be saving his capital for other objectives.
SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER: There is still no definitive word on what funding level the Clinton Administration will propose. Reports indicate that Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen acted to protect the SSC against large scale budget cuts or termination which had been suggested by OMB Director Leon Panetta. One unconfirmed figure puts the SSC request in the neighborhood of $600 million.
Some observers feel the SSC is more vulnerable because of last year’s initial House vote of 159-254 to kill the project. The House later reversed itself, with the final appropriation being $517 million. Outgoing DOE Secretary James Watkins, in a letter sent to House science committee chairman George Brown (D-California), said “Maintaining this schedule requires total funding of $1,211.1 million in FY 1994.” New Energy Secretary Hazel R. O’Leary told reporters “I know all the reasons why that is a good project, but I’m not feeling passionately about it.”
Although Secretary O’Leary’s position on the SSC might not be as strong as some would prefer, House science committee chairman George Brown (D-California) has left no doubt about his sentiments.
Speaking at the AAAS meeting, Brown linked the fate of the SSC and space station together. Referring to an exchange of letters with the White House, Brown said, "...I’ve been sending messages to the White House that you can’t protect one without the other. Both of these projects will go down if you try to eliminate just one.”
WHITE HOUSE E-MAIL SYSTEM: A reader informs us that the White House can now be reached through E-Mail at the following addresses: 75300.3115@Compuserve.com . or CLINTON PZ on America Online. Replies are made by U.S. mail; include your mailing address for a reply.
