[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 98 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

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                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 2647) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2010, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chair, the amendment offered by Representative 
Schiff of California would allow a federally funded research and 
development center (FFRDC) under the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration's (NASA) to apply for grants made available by the 
Department of Defense. Of NASA's ten field centers, there is only one 
FFRDC--the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)--in Pasadena, California. 
The amendment would allow this NASA center to do the ``research, 
development, demonstration, or transfer of technology . . . for 
activities including, but not limited to, those conducted by the center 
under contact with or on behalf of the Department of Defense.''
  NASA is a civilian agency, doing civilian work that affects every 
American in various ways. It must not become too closely associated 
with the Department of Defense. NASA's mission is to pioneer scientific 
discovery, aeronautics research and space exploration, not to conduct 
research for the benefit of the Department of Defense.
  At a time when these programs may be facing extensive funding cuts, 
allowing NASA's field centers to focus solely on carrying out NASA's 
mission could not be of more importance. Allowing JPL to apply for 
these grants would set a precedent that could pave the way for other 
NASA centers to follow suit. NASA is prohibited by law from accepting 
these grants from the Department of Defense for a reason. NASA should 
not be doing the work of the Department of Defense and should remain a 
distinct entity doing strictly civilian work for civilian benefits. It 
should be fully funded in order to allow it to do so.

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