The Day John Kerry Tried to Gut NASA – All By Himself
29 September 1995: Text of S.1290, Responsible Deficit Reduction Act of 1995
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 9/29/1995)
Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 9/29/1995 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Budget
Excerpt:
(16) Terminate the National Aerospace Plane Program.
(1) Terminate NASA’s support for producers of commercial airlines.
(4) Terminate the International Space Station Program.
25 October 2004: John Kerry and John Edwards on Space and Aeronautics for the 21st Century
“Here are the five parts of their plan: (excerpt)
(2) Pursuing a more balanced space and aeronautics program that assigns appropriate priority to all NASA programs.
(4) Putting an emphasis back on aeronautics R&D
27 October 2004: Kerry’s vision for space, by John Glenn, Florida Today
“Under Kerry, NASA will pursue a program that assigns appropriate priority to all areas of space and aeronautics.”
14 October 2004: WIA Space Policy Debate
Lori Garver: “When the space station finally did start being built Sen. Kerry did vote a couple of times in support of the space station recognizing that the train had left the station – we need to get on board.”
Editor’s note: In 1995, well after ISS hardware was already under construction, Sen. Kerry introduced S.1290 – a bill that no one else in the Senate would even cosponsor – one which sought to kill the ISS outright as well as eviscerate NASA’s aeronautics programs. Several weeks ago Kerry’s space advisor defended his anti-space voting record, suggesting that Kerry changed his voting record “recognizing that the train had left the station”. She also complained about threatend cuts to aeronautics. Now the Kerry campaign’s friend, John Glenn (who was in the Senate at the time Kerry introduced S.1290 and made all of his anti-space votes) says that Kerry will support “all areas of space and aeronautics”.
Back in 1995, Kerry wanted to cut both human space flight and aeronautics – and no one else in the Senate would suport him. Why would any space supporter in 2004 expect Kerry to suddenly become a space enthusiast when his track record is so blatantly anti-NASA?
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