[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 118 (Thursday, July 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10433-S10434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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            THE NASA AUTHORIZATION BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, yesterday, Senator Pressler and I 
introduced the NASA authorization bill for fiscal year 1996 which I 
have enthusiastically cosponsored. The bill authorizes a total of $13.8 
billion for the agency, a 3-percent decrease from the requested level 
of $14.26 billion. That funding should allow NASA to continue the 
important missions that already are underway such as space station, 
Mission to Planet Earth, and the aeronautics and space science 
programs. It should also prepare NASA for the future by authorizing 
several new missions, such as an effort to develop a shuttle 
replacement and a new radar satellite program.
  Mr. President, as you know, we are in a budget crisis of sorts and 
NASA deserves a great deal of credit as one of few Federal agencies to 
respond to it early and responsibly. In 3 years, NASA cut the space 
shuttle budget from $4 billion to $3.1 billion. It developed a redesign 
of space station that was $5 billion less expensive than the earlier 
space station Freedom concept. Mission to Planet Earth has been reduced 
from a $17 billion armada of satellites to a $7 billion focused 
satellite system. Earlier this year, faced with the prospect of deep 
congressional budget cuts across all of the Government, NASA took the 
initiative and developed a plan to cut $5 billion in 5 years, without 
reducing program content.
  But NASA did not stop there. This year, it conducted a comprehensive 
zero-based review of all of its activities and programs to achieve even 
greater savings. That review looked at a broad range of money-saving 
measures such as work force reductions, elimination of redundant 
activities, consolidation of functions, and operating more efficiently. 
I understand that, within the administration, NASA's efforts are often 
cited as the model for reinventing government.
  After 3 consecutive years of brutal budget cuts, NASA is now down to 
the bone. To require additional reductions would force NASA to cancel 
important space programs, close vital facilities, or layoff essential 
skilled personnel. That would decimate the Nation's science and 
technology base. Equally important, it would decimate the morale of the 
good men and women who 

[[Page S10434]]
have made our space program the subject of movies like ``Apollo 13'' 
and inspired thousands of scientists, engineers, and schoolchildren 
across our country.
  It is time for the bloodletting to stop and to give NASA the support 
it needs to face the challenges of the future. This NASA authorization 
bill is designed to do just that.
  The bill provides the full $2.1 billion requested level for space 
station. This program is NASA's most costly, complex, and controversial 
activity and we are all aware of the many criticisms leveled against 
it. However, space station is precisely the kind of bold vision that 
NASA was created to pursue. Space station will enable the United States 
and the international science community to conduct unique microgravity 
research and expand our knowledge about humans' ability to live and 
work in space. If past missions are any indication, the space station 
will undoubtedly yield breakthroughs in biomedicine and advanced 
materials. We can probably also expect exciting spinoffs just as past 
space missions have spawned microelectronics, pacemakers, advance water 
filtration systems, communications, and many other products and 
services we now take for granted.
  I must admit concern about the heavy reliance of the current station 
plan on the Russians. I remain troubled by the possibility that the 
program might collapse if the Russians were to withdraw for any reason. 
However, I am still a strong Station supporter and the full funding 
provided in the bill will keep the program on track for a first element 
launch in 1997.
  The bill also provides full funding for Mission to Planet Earth. 
Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's $7 billion satellite program aimed at 
studying how the oceans, land, and atmosphere work as a system in order 
to understand and predict global climate change. For those of us 
representing farm States, weather and water are our lifeblood. Mission 
to Planet Earth promises dramatic improvements in our ability to 
predict climate change and manage our scarce water resources. If those 
expectations are met, the program will easily pay for itself in lives 
and property saved and improved water management.
  Mr. President, in my view, one of the most important areas within 
NASA is aeronautics--the first A in NASA. For many years, aeronautics 
seemed to be reduced to a small A status. It always seemed to take a 
back seat to the higher-profile space missions. However, under Dan 
Goldin's leadership, that is beginning to change and NASA is giving 
aeronautics the backing it deserves.
  To me, the aeronautics research is critical to maintaining U.S. 
technological leadership and aerospace competitiveness. For instance, 
the high speed research program is developing pre-competitive 
technologies in support of supersonic aircraft. It is estimated that 
the first country to market such an aircraft stands to gain $200 
billion in sales and 140,000 new jobs. Similarly, the advanced subsonic 
technology program funds research in support of subsonic airplanes--a 
market that generates one million jobs and contributes over $25 billion 
annually to the U.S. trade balance. These programs are money-makers and 
it is in the national interest to give them whatever support they need. 
Accordingly, our NASA bill authorizes aeronautics research at the 
requested level of $891 million for fiscal year 1996.
  As a final point, Mr. President, I note that the bill also authorizes 
a collection of activities and initiatives designed to extend NASA's 
vision to include our rural States. Our rural States can make an 
enormous contribution to the civilian space program if only given the 
chance. For example, in May, Prof. Steve Running of the University of 
Montana testified before the Science Subcommittee about his efforts to 
use remote sensing satellite data in forest and crop management. To 
embrace our rural States in our space program, the bill contains a $2 
million increase for the EPSCoR program, which funds important research 
in our rural States. It also funds another Rural Teacher Resource 
Center to the existing nine Centers, as well as an additional rural 
technology transfer and commercialization center, to fill in coverage 
gaps in those two programs. Further, it provides funding for an Upper 
Missouri River Basin hydrology project. This project should help the 
Nation develop better strategies for predicting, and responding to, the 
flooding and other water management problems that have plagued the 
Missouri River region in recent years.
  Mr. President, I believe that this bill provides NASA with the 
support it requires to continue and build on its important work in 
space and aeronautics and I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation when it reaches the floor later this year. Thank you, Mr. 
President.


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