Space Access Political Action Alert 7/28/99 ____________________________________________________________________ House HUD/VA Subcommittee Makes Massive NASA Cuts As Predicted Massive Effort Needed Now To Be Heard Above Ensuing Storm The House Appropriations Committee's HUD/VA/Independent Agencies (NASA) subcommittee "marked up" Monday, and their NASA cuts at $1.3 billion out of a total $13.5 billion request were slightly worse than the $1 billion we predicted last month (Update #86, 6/25/99 at www.space-access.org). The good news is, Future-X didn't actually get cut in this axe-fest. The bad news is, we got no new money at all for X-Ops startup. We expect most of these cuts will end up restored before the budget process is done a couple months from now, but the current situation calls for redoubled efforts, lest our agenda get overlooked in the storm of protest over the chainsaw work elsewhere in NASA. We need a maximum effort to phone or fax all members of the House Appropriations Committee between now and the full Appropriations committee markup Friday morning. Markup starts 9:30 am EDT; try to have your call or fax in at latest a half-hour before that. If your Congressman is on the Committee and you've already contacted them, do it again. If not, pick a committee member or members near you and contact them. Give them the message as described below. - "In the HUD/VA markup, I want you to support adding $50 million to NASA Future-X for low-cost reusable-rocket flight operations demonstrators, to encourage increased competition in the low-cost space launch market." *Talking point: If they say cuts are happening and they can do nothing, mention that NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Technology line is already dropping by over $160 million this year (mainly due to X-33 funding winddown); X-Ops could provide huge benefits for the restoral of less than a third of that amount.* Background: We're pushing for startup funding for one or more NASA Future-X "X-Ops" low-cost fast-turnaround high-speed reusable-rocket flight operations demonstrators, done as small business setasides, with a goal of $100 million or less (Future-X "Pathfinder" class projects) per flight vehicle program. The majors all have their own X-rocket projects, none to date very promising as far as significantly cheaper launch goes. We think it's time to give one or more of the entrepreneurial startup launch companies a chance to show what they can do on a shoestring, to increase future competition in the low-cost launch market. How To Do It Pick who you're going to contact off the attached list of House Appropriators, then, via www.vote-smart.org, get their DC office vox or fax number. If you're faxing (recommended if you're doing this after close-of- business Thursday) compose a polite concise one-page latter to them, identifying yourself as a constituent of theirs (if you are), telling them what you'd like them to do, then briefly explaining why - just hit one or two high points, don't overexplain. Thank them for their attention, sign the letter, and send it. If phoning during Thursday or first thing Friday, dial their DC office number, ask for whoever handles NASA appropriations questions, then when connected to that staffer (or more likely their voice mail) tell them briefly who you are ("I'm Joe Smith from Missouri") and what you want them to do, then (unless they have questions) thank them for their time and ring off. Thanks! (As for the nature of Monday's cuts, there were token cuts in Shuttle/Station, but the bulk of the cuts fell on space science - an area where better/faster/cheaper has taken hold most effectively in NASA. If you want to also try to counter this perverse reward for success (we suspect this is mainly a bargaining chip, but if nobody complains the cuts will end up actually happening) see http://www.reston.com/nasa/congress/07.26.99.space.sci.alert.html but please make these contacts separately from your pro-X-Ops ones.) House Appropriations Committee Members * HUD/VA Subcommittee member C.W. Bill Young, Florida, Chairman Ralph Regula, Ohio Jerry Lewis, California John Edward Porter, Illinois Harold Rogers, Kentucky Joe Skeen, New Mexico Frank R. Wolf, Virginia Tom DeLay, Texas * Jim Kolbe, Arizona Ron Packard, California Sonny Callahan, Alabama James Walsh, New York * (Subcommittee chair) Charles H. Taylor, North Carolina David L. Hobson, Ohio * Ernest J. Istook, Jr., Oklahoma Henry Bonilla, Texas Joe Knollenberg, Michigan * Dan Miller, Florida Jay Dickey, Arkansas Jack Kingston, Georgia Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, New Jersey * Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi * Michael P. Forbes, New York George R. Nethercutt, Jr., Washington Randy "Duke" Cunningham, California Todd Tiahrt, Kansas Zach Wamp, Tennessee Tom Latham, Iowa Anne Northup, Kentucky * Robert Aderholt, Alabama Jo Ann Emerson, Missouri John E. Sununu, New Hampshire * Kay Granger, Texas John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania David R. Obey, Wisconsin John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Norman D. Dicks, Washington Martin Olav Sabo, Minnesota Julian C. Dixon, California Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia * (Subcommittee RMM) Marcy Kaptur, Ohio * Nancy Pelosi, California Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana Nita M. Lowey, New York Jose E. Serrano, New York Rosa L. DeLauro, Connecticut James P. Moran, Virginia John W. Olver, Massachusetts Ed Pastor, Arizona Carrie P. Meek, Florida * David E. Price, North Carolina * Chet Edwards, Texas Robert E. "Bud" Cramer, Jr., Alabama * James E. Clyburn, South Carolina Maurice D. Hinchey, New York Lucille Roybal-Allard, California Sam Farr, California Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Illinois Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Michigan Allen Boyd, Florida *end*