Mikulski Says NASA Budget Priorities Headed in Wrong Direction

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) released the following statement today upon the release of a report by the National Academies of Science (NAS), titled “An Assessment of Balance in NASA’s Science Programs.” Until last year, Senator Mikulski was the senior Democrat on the Veterans, Housing and Independent Agencies (VA-HUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, which funded NASA. In 2004, the committee asked NAS to conduct the review:

“I requested this report because I was concerned about the future of NASA’s science programs. Unfortunately, this report confirms what I have long feared – that science programs are threatened by budget cuts and poor planning. NASA’s budget priorities are heading in the wrong direction.

“This should be a wake-up call for NASA and the White House. I call upon the Bush Administration, which proposes to cut billions from NASA’s science budget over the next five years, to rethink its priorities and restore balance to our space program.”

Senator Mikulski now serves as the senior Democrat on the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over NASA.