Developing Senate Legislation on NASA
Obama’s plans for NASA changes met with harsh criticism, Washington Post
“Congress must approve NASA’s strategic change. Lawmakers in Florida, Alabama and Texas, states rich in space jobs, have sharply criticized the Obama plan as a job-killer. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) says that under Obama’s strategy “America’s decades-long dominance of space will finally come to an end.”
Introduction of S. 3068 by Sen. Hutchison, Congressional Record 3 March 2010
“The legislation I am introducing today would ensure that a final decision on the timing of the space shuttle retirement, or even the number of missions it might still be required to fly, would not be made until the issues involved are fully considered and resolved and we are fully convinced that the shuttle’s capability is no longer needed. In particular, we must answer the question of how we support, maintain, and fully utilize the ISS, not just in 5 or more years, when any new commercially-developed vehicle might be available, but right now, as we are about to cut the ribbon on it as a finally completed research facility.”
Keith’s note: In this post by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation staffer Jeff Bingham (51D Mascot) on nasaspaceflight.com he notes that “The Hutchison Bill, by its very structure, is written so as to be the “core” of a broader NASA Authorization Bill, and it is fully planned and expected, going in, that it will likely be “absorbed” into that larger NASA Authorization Bill, which will likely be reported by the Commerce Committee, once it is satisfied with it, and it goes through the process known as “mark-up” (amendment and endorsement by the Committee) as a new and separate bill.”
Kosmas and Posey Introduce Bill to Minimize Human Spaceflight Gap
“Today, Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) and Congressman Bill Posey (FL-15) introduced legislation to maintain a robust human spaceflight program, minimize the spaceflight gap, and protect Space Coast jobs. The Human Spaceflight Capability Assurance and Protection Act would extend use of the International Space Station (ISS) through 2020, allow NASA to continue flying the Space Shuttle, and push to accelerate a next-generation NASA-developed space vehicle. A companion bill has been introduced by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) in the U.S. Senate.”
