Nelson Issues Call for Unspent Stimulus Money to Boost NASA
Press Release
Nelson Issues Call for Unspent Stimulus Money to Boost NASA
The only serving U.S. senator to have flown in space today called on President Obama to use $3 billion of unspent stimulus money to help prevent the continued shrinking of America's space program.
Florida Democrat Bill Nelson delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor -- coming just days before a special commission reviewing NASA and the nation's space program is expected to deliver its final report to Obama. In so doing, he joined a delegation of Texas lawmakers who also are asking for stimulus money for NASA.
"Currently, our space program is funded at less than one-percent of the total federal budget," Nelson said. "Yet our space program has always paid back dividends, both tangible and intangible, which are vastly greater than the initial investment.
"The additional funding for NASA I am supporting will ensure the U.S. remains the vanguard for the peaceful use of technology for the betterment of mankind," Nelson said "So I'm asking the president to divert $3 billion to NASA from the unspent portion of the $787 billion in economic stimulus recovery money."
The White House so far has refrained from commenting on any such proposals, until it receives the final report from the Augustine Commission that's reviewing the future of America's space program.
Last month, the commission released a summary of the findings from its final report. The report, which will be delivered later this month, says the U.S. human spaceflight program that has made America a world leader in science and technology "appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory." Specifically, the report says, "our space program is being asked to pursue goals without the appropriately allocated resources."
Said Nelson, "A suitably funded space program is the best catalyzing element to gather and organize the energies and abilities of this nation. In return, this program will pay many dividends, perhaps the most important of which is to inspire, encourage, and motivate this next generation of Americans."
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