[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 88 (Tuesday, July 7, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  NASA

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I am disappointed the administration has 
seen fit to reduce NASA's budget by $183 million this year. Frankly, I 
think it ought to be increased. I would like to share a couple of 
thoughts about that with the Members of this body and the people who 
may be listening.
  From 1983 to 1992, NASA's budget went up from $7 to $14 billion. That 
is less than 1 percent of the national budget in this country, but that 
was a significant increase. During that time, they made two planetary 
launches. In the last number of years, that budget has seen a 
significant reduction. In fact, according to a committee that was 
formed in 1991, a committee on the future of space formed by President 
Bush, they had the expenditures for NASA going up to as high as $40 or 
$50 billion. As it turned out, under the previously agreed-upon budget 
for NASA, we should be at about $16 or $18 billion. In fact, that 
budget has been cut every year, and over the last 5 years they have 
sustained a $27 billion reduction in what was projected for their 
budget even under our last budget agreement.
  People say, ``Jeff, that is just numbers; it doesn't mean much.'' 
NASA has cut its employees since 1993 by 25 percent. They have cut 
their employees 25 percent. There is no agency in this American 
Government that has done a better job of producing more for less than 
they have.
  In fact, the fiscal year 1994 budget for NASA was $14.5 billion, and 
the fiscal year 1998 for NASA is $13.6 billion.
  During this same time, they have been sustaining these substantial 
losses in income. They are now making planetary launches one every 10 
weeks. Whereas they used to do two planetary launches in 9 years, they 
are now doing them one every 10 weeks, even though their budget is down 
and employees are down 25 percent. They are doing some remarkable 
things.
  Last July 4, the Martian lander landed, and we saw those vivid 
photographs that were shipped all over the world. The American people 
and the people of the world stood in amazement as we saw the actual 
ground of the planet Mars. It was an exciting time. My family and I 
watched that in our home with amazement and pride at what this country 
had accomplished.
  Let me point this out: 20 years before, we had done another Martian 
landing. We had not had one in 20 years. The Martian landing 20 years 
before, in actual dollars, cost 10 times as much as the one last year. 
They were able to accomplish this landing last year for one-tenth of 
the cost 20 years before.
  This is the kind of achievement that is important for our country. 
The whole world watched it. Mr. Dan Goldin, who directs the NASA 
program, told us that they had more hits on their web site from around 
the world than they even had in the United States. It was by far the 
biggest single time of people tuning in to the NASA web site from all 
over the world.
  The world was watching America. We are the leader in space. We need 
to remain the leader in space. We are a nation of explorers. That is 
our heart and soul. That is our national characteristic. We have 
explored this Earth pretty well. We are now exploring the heavens. We 
need to continue forward with that.
  Sure, the space station has gone over, but from the numbers I have 
just told you, even though the space station has cost more than it 
should--and a lot of that is involved with trying to work with the 
Russians, who have not been very effective in fulfilling their portion 
of it, and we need to evaluate that--everything else they have been 
doing has been doing more for less.
  We are going to be able to continue to have repeat launches at less 
cost and more success and highly technical launches that can bring us 
the kind of science and improvements in our life that can benefit the 
entire world. This is the kind of thing with which America needs to be 
involved. I am excited about it.
  I wish we were still on that bill. I had some things to say about it. 
We are going to handle health care as we go down the road, but I think 
it is important for the people of America to note that we moved off 
that bill because the other party sought to change the agenda that was 
set, to go off on an entirely new tangent, attaching to this bill an 
entirely different subject matter that requires a great deal of debate 
and discussion. That was not the appropriate thing to do, and the 
majority leader did the only thing he could, which is pull down the 
bill.
  Mr. President, I thank you for this time, and I yield the floor. I 
suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________