Space Access Political Action Alert 7/28/99
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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*