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Hearings

Feb 24 2010

Challenges=20 and Opportunities in the NASA FY 2011 Budget Proposal

Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller = IV

U.S. Senate Committee on = Commerce,=20 Science and Transportation

3D"JDR WASHINGTON, D.C.=E2=80=94Thank you again to all of = today=E2=80=99s witnesses for their=20 participation. I know this is Administrator Bolden=E2=80=99s first time = testifying=20 before the committee since his confirmation and I look forward to his=20 testimony.

This afternoon=E2=80=99s topic is the President=E2=80=99s FY 2011 = budget proposal for NASA.=20 At a time when many agencies are seeing their budgets decrease, the = President is=20 proposing an additional $300 million for NASA next year, building into = an=20 increase of $6 billion over the next five years.

Significant investments in science, technology, aeronautics, and = education=20 are enormously important. They are a foundation for our future. However, = I am=20 going to be looking at this proposal very carefully and will expect = strong=20 leadership and financial accountability from the Administrator, the = Chief=20 Financial Officer, and NASA=E2=80=99s Inspector General.

I have been critical of NASA=E2=80=99s financial and program = management in the past.=20 And, in these extremely tough budget times, this proposed budget = increase=20 requires even more diligence and certainly, more oversight.

In addition to outlining the administration=E2=80=99s plans for the = entire budget=20 request for the upcoming fiscal year, this proposal also provides a = long-awaited=20 response to the options presented by the Augustine Commission for human = space=20 exploration.

To say that there has been some =E2=80=9Cinterest=E2=80=9D in this = decision is an=20 understatement. As the sole authorizing committee for NASA in the = Senate, we=20 will be paying very close attention to that discussion as we move = forward with=20 NASA=E2=80=99s authorization this year.

I am pleased to see an increase in the requested funding for = aeronautics=20 research, especially at a time when jobs are this nation=E2=80=99s top = priority. The=20 aerospace industry is one of the few remaining manufacturing industries = that=20 continue to be a major U.S. exporter.

However, I am troubled by the significant decrease in funding for the = Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR). EPSCOR = helps=20 states establish academic research efforts to contribute to economic=20 development. That is why Congress went above and beyond the = President=E2=80=99s request=20 last fiscal year, to make absolutely clear just how important this = program is.=20 At a time when jobs have never been more important, it seems like a bad = idea to=20 cut funding for a program that supports quality, high-tech jobs.

I realize that this budget proposal represents a significant change = in=20 direction for the agency. And I am encouraged by certain elements, = including the=20 agency=E2=80=99s rededication to science missions.

But I also know that there is a lot of unease, particularly when it = comes to=20 the proposed plans for human spaceflight. I firmly believe this is a = turning=20 point, an incredible opportunity for Congress and the general public to=20 reexamine what we want out of this agency. And that is exactly what I = intend to=20 do as the Commerce Committee moves forward with a reauthorization.

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