SETI Institute to Astrobiology Community Regarding NASA Budget Process

Dear Members of the Astrobiology Community:

Once again we write you from the SETI Institute to alert you to an important moment in the NASA budget approval process. Your help is needed.

Below you will find a note from Paul Carliner, Minority Clerk for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science (the committee responsible for appropriating funds for NASA). Paul is encouraging support for an amendment proposed by Senators Mikulski and Hutchison which would restore $2 Billion to the NASA budget over the next two years.

Restoring these funds to NASA’s budget will help the science programs, including astrobiology, and we are asking you to send a fax to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Commerce, Justice, & Science Subcommittee. The mark-up on this bill in scheduled for Thursday, July 13th. Thus, you must act immediately.

The SETI Institute is providing an online capability to assist you in this process. You are welcome, of course, to send your own direct faxes. If you would like to use our online service, go to: www.seti.org There, you will find a simple-to-use tool to fax your letters encouraging the committee’s support of this amendment.

On behalf of Dr. Baruch Blumberg and all of his fellow SETI Institute Trustees, I thank you for your continued interest and support of this process.

Very Best Regards,

Tom Pierson
CEO
SETI Institute

Everyone-

At the full Committee mark-up on Thursday, Sen. Mikulski and Sen. Hutchison will offer their amendment to pay back NASA for the costs of returning the Space Shuttle to flight.  NASA has estimated the return to flight costs at just over $2 billion so far.  Sen. Mikulski and Sen. Hutchison are committed to providing the $2 billion but will do so over two years, instead of one year.

The amendment they will offer in Committee will provide $1 billion to the NASA Administrator to pay-back the costs of returning the Shuttle to flight and restore cuts to science, aeronautics and exploration programs that were cut in order to pay for the return to flight.  The $1 billion will be declared an emergency under the terms of the budget act and budget resolution.  The amendment will not specify how much goes to each program.  Rather, it gives the entire amount to the Administrator to be used at his discretion with authority to transfer funding to other programs.  The report language will make it clear that in allocating the funding, the Administrator shall give priority to programs that were cut in order to pay for the return to flight.  The Administrator will present his allocation plan to the Committee as part of the agency’s annual operating plan which is subject to approval by the Committee.  In addition, the amendment will also provide $40 million to the Stennis Space Center and the Michoud Assemby Facility to complete repairs resulting from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the other hurricanes of 2005.

The goal is that by stretching the $2 billion out over two years, the Senators are hoping that it will be an incentive for the Administration to include the extra funding in their 08 budget.  If the FY 08 budget does not include the additional $1 billion, then Sen. Mikulski and Sen. Hutchison will offer another amendment next year in Committee to fully reimburse the agency.

Jeff and I thank you for interest and assistance in getting this amendment adopted.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact either one of us.