Rep. Brooks and Rep. Stockman Flip Flop On Shutting NASA Down
Congressman Brooks Introduces Legislation to Restore NASA Funding and Workforce
“Today Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) introduced legislation to fund the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for Fiscal Year 2014. This legislation is consistent with Congressman Brooks’ efforts to return furloughed personnel to work following the government shutdown.”
Stockman introduces Keep NASA Open Act to shield Agency from shutdown
“Congressman Steve Stockman Wednesday joined Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL) to introduce the Keep NASA Open Act. The bill would guarantee NASA functions would continue to be funded should an agreement to fund the government not be reached soon.”
Keith’s note: Both Brooks and Stockman voted to shut the government down – so they were both for shutting NASA down – before they were against it. But wait – according to this press release from Rep. Stockman last week “Stockman’s office meets with JSC employees to support restoring NASA funding” he said “Our calls from JSC employees this week are about nine to one in favor of standing strong against Obama’s budget.” So, if he was accurate – last week – then he should still be for shutting NASA down – this week – right?
The fish rots from the head down. Mandates on NASA and forbidding of projects must be taken away from congressional committees. A long term vision and plan is needed that separates politics from NASA objectives and operations. A long term goal such as Mars, the Moon or Asteroids is not what is needed. First, it is a change in how NASA is guided and funded that must change.
There can be accountability and also a framework in which NASA could try to function. Everyone agrees that congressional mandates and practically yearly changes to NASA objectives and funding has been disaster. At least a 5 or 10 year plan is needed. And congress needs to provide an inflation adjusted fixed budget over that period. If NASA fails to meet the plan deadlines or fails ones set by themselves for specific projects, then at the end of the plan period, objectives and funding can be re-assessed.
There was only one period – the Apollo era, that gave manned flight a clear objective and sufficient independence from politics, administrations and congressional leaders to get something done. That was 40 years ago. Planners and visionaries near the end of Apollo imagined we would have landed on Mars or established Moon bases (something on that order) by the 1990s. It is 20 years beyond that! So much waste of taxpayer money, time loss and lives lost. Every White House administration has tried to set a long term objective and each has been abandoned or failed in execution and it is because of the way politics alters funding levels and goals on a yearly basis.
Bloomberg reporting the shutdown took $24 Billion out of the economy.
Umm … $1 trillion was just created out of nothing.
This highly educated, acutely observant population of fine citizens will really and truly get what they deserve. Now, get back to your reality TV shows.
How did they “vote to shut government down”?
The actual history – which just happened days ago – is the House voted all the money to keep all government activities including NASA running except Obamacare.
The Senate chose not to authorize that money be spent because it did not include money for Obamacare.
If the Senate and and Obama refuse to accept money required to run government, they have that option. But it is also their responsibility.
A final proposal before the initial shutdown was that even Obamacare would be funded, but only if Congress members were required to participate (they have exempted themselves and their friends from this wonderful program).
Senate and President rejected that, demanding elites and their freinds must be exempted from the program the population is being forced into.
We elect Presidents, not dictators. There is no requirement a President get everything he wants; 49% of the population who didn’t vote for him are allowed representation in a representative democracy.
A final proposal before the initial shutdown was that even Obamacare would be funded, but only if Congress members were required to participate (they have exempted themselves and their friends from this wonderful program).
Reference please.
Actually what was defeated by the Senate was the proposal to eliminate government subsidies to Congress and I think the administration to pay for Obamacare. The Senate declined to fund the government because they want subsidies for their Obamacare premiums.
To find out more, try googling it.
How dare you confuse us with facts??!!
http://www.politifact.com/
Please…….If he was a dictator, the government would never have shut down..
Now I realize what that saying is about – we have no intelligent life here Captain!
What do NASA and the ACA have in common? Both are the subject of radical policy changes inserted into appropriations bills rather then being passed as normal legislation. In the case of NASA it was Frank Wolf’s order forbidding any contact with China inserted into the NASA appropriation. The inclusion of policy changes in appropriations bills, though an old trick, undermines democratic principles because it gives certain legislators the power to destroy part or all of the American government if they don’t get their way.
Here is the adjustment to NASA’s budget that the draft CR made’
The CRS-3 launch may need special funding during the 2014 Congressional negotiations. There may be others.
The request can be prepared.