Doing More With Less
On the same day NASA held its annual budgetary meeting of administrators to plan spending for the next year, the House Appropriations Committee has voted against President Bush’s planned 3.2% spending increase for the agency in 2007. The $16.2 billion budget will remain exactly as it was for 2006 if approved by both houses of congress.
In particular, most of the cuts were made to Exploration Programs. This includes Space Shuttle Programs, International Space Station (ISS) support and construction, as well as the Constellation Program and research missions. By way of comparison, more money than was requested will be provided for aeronautics research projects.
Previous statements had suggested congress would support a small funding increase, in particular to support manned space exploration, but turnover from the November elections has caused a change in committee leadership for the first time in several years.
NASA isn’t the only program to be lumped into “Continuing Resolution” that freezes all sending at 2006 historic levels. Since the dramatic increase in deficit spending as a result of the Iraq War, many programs have faced similar cutbacks in terms of adjusted dollars. Partisan rows over the 2007 budget kept one from being passed until now.
In theory, the budget for the upcoming year is supposed to be passed by February 15th. It is expected both houses will approve the current recommendations in the next week or so. It is not clear how NASA will absorb these cuts, though they are the latest in a long line of budgetary restraints. Critics of the budget apportioning, such as Dr. Dave Weldon of Florida who represents the district Cape Canaveral is in, have criticized funding increases for other programs such as the Worldwide AIDS fund, calling the proposed spending cap, “draconian.” Others are simply worried this will delay or seriously impact the Constellation Program, just now getting underway. Other cuts that are of particular concern to NASA watchers are the missions that survey the Earth and its climate.
It would seem that another round of belt-tightening is in the works for the agency whose operating philosophy was radically changed by 1993 budget cuts that were not restored when congressional leadership shifted in 1994. Indeed, 1980s levels of funding have yet to be revisited and are not likely to be anytime soon. Agency watchers will continue to wait with baited breath to find out whether Project Constallation is to remain on schedule.
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 at 1:40 am and is filed under Mission History, Public Relations, Space Agency News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
