Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - September 25, 2006)

By Mr. FEINGOLD:

S. 3932. A bill to limit the amount of funds available to the Aerobatics Research Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during fiscal year 2007 and fiscal years thereafter; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that would limit the amount of funds available to the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. We must ensure that U.S. taxpayer money is being used efficiently and effectively, and this measure would help in our ongoing efforts to streamline government programs and reduce the Federal budget deficit.

My bill proposes to reduce the amount of funding for the ARMD from its 2006 level of $884 million to $724 million for fiscal years 2007 and thereafter. This represents a savings of $160 million per year, or $800 million over five years. This funding reduction reflects the President's own budget priorities; in fact, the $724 million figure comes from the President's 2007 budget savings proposal. NASA is in the process of restructuring and reprioritizing, and the ARMD is a directorate that has been identified as an area where savings could be achieved. In the past, some of the ARMD's aeronautics work focused on developing technologies that could have short-term commercial applications in the air transportation industry. This is work that could be more appropriately taken on by the

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private sector, and does not require such a massive investment from the Federal Government.

This bill should not be read to imply that the work of the ARMD is not important. To the contrary, aeronautics research is perhaps some of the most directly relevant work to many Americans that NASA is involved in. This bill simply follows up on the President's call for the ARMD to focus its research efforts in the areas that are most appropriate. By refocusing on long-term fundamental aeronautics research, safety research, and ways to address the needs of the future air transportation system, ARMD should be able to operate effectively and efficiently under this spending cap.

One of the main reasons I first ran for the U.S. Senate was to restore fiscal responsibility to the Federal budget. I have continued to work to eliminate wasteful spending and to reduce the soaring budget deficit, which is now estimated at $300 billion this year. Unless we return to fiscally responsible budgeting, Congress will saddle our Nation's younger generations with an enormous financial burden for years to come. This bill is one small step in that direction.

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