U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) held a news conference Thursday to outline the legislation she cosponsored to safeguard America’s human spaceflight capabilities while “balancing commercial space investment with a robust mission for NASA.”
The NASA Reauthorization Bill was passed by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which Hutchison serves as a ranking member.
Meanwhile, Mayor Annise Parker has issued a statement regarding the legislation which was passed by a Senate committee:
“We have worked for months to bring people together to craft a compromise on the future of NASA,” said Mayor Parker. “This gives us some breathing room and the opportunity to continue the ongoing work to protect the great work being done Johnson Space Center. There is still much to do and we can take nothing for granted.”
The Mayor also congratulated Senator Hutchison for her work in crafting the bi-partisan proposal. “Without the senator’s tireless commitment the committee’s unanimous vote wold not have been possible,” said Mayor Parker. “This comes as no surprise to Houstonians, as Kay has always fought on behalf of Texas.”
According to the Mayor’s statement, the committee’s proposal would reauthorize funding for NASA for three years, preserving 80 percent of the jobs that would have been lost at Johnson Space Center (JSC) under the administration’s proposal. It also extends the International Space Station program, managed at JSC, and funds a shuttle replacement program along with a continued investment in commercial space ventures. More details about the bill are available on the Committee’s website.
She also noted that the legislation must now be passed by the full Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and would require the President’s signature.
Mary Benton Media 