Action Alert 2007-01
AAS Action Alert 2007-01
[Mailed from aas.org 25 June 2007]
View Online:
http://www.aas.org/policy/notices/ActionAlert2007-01.html
Senate Amendment to Increase NASA Funding
L. Jeremy Richardson
John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow
richardsonlj@aas.org
SUMMARY
An amendment introduced in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
would provide additional funds to NASA over the President's FY 2008
Budget Request. All U.S. members of the AAS are asked to make three
calls today to subcommittee members and ask them to support the
amendment.
DETAILS
Appropriations bills for all government agencies are currently making
their way through both the House and Senate. NASA and NSF are both
funded under the so-called CJS (Commerce-Justice-Science)
appropriations bills. On the Senate side, the CJS Subcommittee of
the full Appropriations Committee will meet this week to "markup" the
CJS appropriations bill. At that time, an amendment will be offered
to increase NASA's budget.
Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), and
Richard Shelby (R-AL) plan to offer an amendment that would add an
extra $1 billion for NASA in FY 2008. Essentially the same as last
year's Mikulski-Hutchison amendment, it would provide emergency funds
to reimburse the agency for the unexpected costs of returning the
Space Shuttle to flight after the Columbia disaster. This has cost
the agency an estimated $2.3 billion through FY 2006 and is expected
to cost an additional $0.5 billion over the current fiscal year.
In addition to this setback, NASA is in the midst of implementing the
Vision for Space Exploration, developing replacement vehicles for the
Space Shuttle, and completing the construction of the International
Space Station. With no new funding, these activities and the
Columbia disaster have forced the agency to cut back on a number of
key activities that are not directly related to the Vision, including
Space Sciences, Earth Sciences, Aeronautics, and Life and Microgravity
Sciences.
The Mikulski-Hutchison-Shelby amendment would direct the agency to
restore some of these cuts. Although it would not specify which
programs would receive the additional funds, it would direct the
Administrator to give priority to programs that were cut to pay for
return to flight.
ACTION ITEM
You are asked to place calls to three legislators (of your choice) on
the CJS Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, listed
below. If you happen to be a constituent of any of these Senators,
make one of your calls to that Senator and be sure to note that you
are a constituent when you call.
When you call, be polite and brief. Identify yourself and simply
request that the Senator support the Mikulski-Hutchison-Shelby
amendment that would increase the NASA budget. You might say
something like, "Hello, my name is John Q. Taxpayer from Podunk
University. I'm calling to ask Senator Quimby to support the
Mikulski-Hutchison-Shelby amendment, which would increase NASA's
budget for FY 2008. These additional funds would help restore cuts
in other vital NASA programs to pay for the agency's recovery from
the Columbia disaster."
Total time required: 5 minutes, max.
Members of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies, Senate Appropriations Committee
(All phone numbers are 202/224-xxxx)
Democrats:
Senator Barbara Mikulski (Chairman) (MD), -4654
Senator Daniel Inouye (HI), -3934
Senator Patrick Leahy (VT), -4242
Senator Herb Kohl (WI), -5653
Senator Tom Harkin (IA), -3254
Senator Byron Dorgan (ND), -2551
Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA), -3841
Senator Jack Reed (RI), -4642
Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ), -3224
Republicans:
Senator Richard Shelby (Ranking Member) (AL), -5744
Senator Judd Gregg (NH), -3324
Senator Ted Stevens (AK), -3004
Senator Pete Domenici (NM), -6621
Senator Mitch McConnell (KY), -2541
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), -5922
Senator Sam Brownback (KS), -6521
Senator Lamar Alexander (TN), -4944
If you want to do more after making your three calls, contact your
own Senators' offices and request that they support the amendment
when the bill reaches the Senate floor. You can find your Senators'
contact information at http://www.senate.gov or your entire
Congressional delegation at http://www.aas.org/policy/aas.bios.html.
Thanks for your help.
___________________________________________
Mailed to US members from aas.org 25 June 2007
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