Congressman DeLay Hails NASA Funding Victory

Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX) issued
the following statement today in response to House passage of $15 billion in
funding for NASA.
The NASA appropriation was contained in H.R.2620, the
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, which passed the House late
Monday, 336-89.
NASA funding is increased by $661 million over last year.
Additionally, funding for the International Space Station is increased by $335
million, with $60 million for research and $275 million for development of a
Crew Return Vehicle.
Rep. DeLay spoke in opposition to Rep. Tim Roemer’s
(D-IN) amendment to eliminate NASA’s flexibility, which failed by voice vote:

Congressman DeLay’s Statement Follows:

“I ask the Members of this body to oppose this amendment because it will
seriously damage our space program.

“I say to the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Chairman, that our vision is
circling the Earth.
The vision is the Space Station that is circling the
Earth.
I say a fully functioning Space Station is the linchpin of our vision
of human space flight.
The intention of this amendment, make no mistake about
it, is to kill the Station.
It effectively denies NASA its flexibility to
ensure that the Station remains viable.

“The prohibition against deferring the habitation module, the crew return
vehicle, and the propulsion module seems designed to help the Space Station;
but in fact it does not.
This amendment requires NASA to develop these parts
of the Station under a cap, without the flexibility of working within their
budget.
And this amendment, make no mistake about it, kills the Station.

“The fact is we have an obligation to our international partners.
The
United States is the leading pioneer in space travel, and we ought not renege
on agreements we have made to the nations that are following us into space
through the International Space Station team.

“More importantly, we have an obligation to protect the investment of
American taxpayers and the vision that we see in space travel.

“I implore Members to reject this amendment.
I hope they will support the
underlying bill, because it will provide the necessary resources to achieve
our human space flight goals.”