Senate Appropriations Committee Report Language: NASA

On July 11, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved H.R. 3666, the VA/HUD/ Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 1997 (see FYI #105.) Accompanying the bill is a committee report (Sen. Report 104-318), which provides the Committee’s guidance to the agencies funded by the bill. Below are selected quotations from the provisions relating to NASA. Provisions relating to NSF will be covered in FYI #108.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s recommendation for NASA “is $100,000,000 below the budget request and $100,000,00 above the House allowance. The recommended budget for NASA for fiscal year 1997 is $199,500,000, or 1.5 percent, below the 1996 level.”

HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT (HSF)

Program Description: “The objective of the human space flight appropriation is to provide the on-orbit infrastructure and transportation capability to enable people to live and work in the space environment. The appropriations request would provide funding for the continued development of the space station and activities which support utilization of the space station, the flight activities in support of the joint missions involving the space shuttle and the Russian Mir space station, all the activities required for the continuing safe operation of the space shuttle, and funding for the support of payloads flying on the shuttle and spacelab as well as advanced technology projects and engineering technical base support for the field centers supporting human space flight activities.”

Termination liability: “The Committee fully supports deployment of the space station but recognizes the funds appropriated by this act for the development of the space station may not be adequate to cover all potential contractual commitments should the program be terminated for the convenience of the Government. Accordingly, if the space station is terminated for the convenience of the Government, additional appropriated funds may be necessary to cover such contractual commitments. In the event of such termination, it would be the intent of the Committee to provide such additional appropriations as may be necessary to provide fully for termination payments in a manner which avoids impacting the conduct of other ongoing NASA programs.”

SCIENCE, AERONAUTICS, AND TECHNOLOGY (SA&T)

Program Description: “The objectives of the NASA program of research and development are to extend knowledge of the Earth, its space environment, and the universe; to expand the practical applications of space technology; to provide technology for improving the performance of aeronautical vehicles while minimizing their environmental effects and energy consumption; and to assure continued development of the aeronautics and space technology and education of future generations necessary to accomplish national goals.”

Committee Recommendation: “The Committee recommendation proposes a general reduction of $100,000,000 in this account. The specific reductions to be taken by the agency to achieve this reduction in overall funding are to be identified in the agency’s operating plan and are subject to the normal reprogramming policies of the Committee.”

Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE): “Mission to Planet Earth long-term climate forecasting data is critical to the economic vitality of numerous U.S. industries that are heavily weather-dependent. The Committee encourages NASA to collaborate with other Federal agencies and private industry to pursue the unlimited opportunities for public-private partnerships to apply Mission to Planet Earth data for environmental, agricultural, transportation, fisheries and forestry management, as well as disaster prediction and mitigation.”

MISSION SUPPORT

NASA Headquarters Reduction in Force: “The Committee is concerned that NASA’s proposed rapid reduction of headquarters personnel will have a negative and irreversible impact on the agency’s ability to carry out its mission. The proposed reduction is disproportionately excessive relative to the aggregate funding profile for this agency. Particularly troubling is the agency’s apparent disregard for the `Zero-Based Review’ recommendations submitted to the Committee on April 3, 1996. Therefore, the Committee directs NASA to suspend immediate implementation of the administrative steps to execute this proposed reduction in force until such time as the agency is able to justify fully its proposed deviation from the `Zero-Based Review’ projected personnel numbers.”

A vote on the VA/HUD bill by the full Senate has not yet been scheduled.