Bennett Calls on Obama to Fully Revive the Constellation and Ares Programs

Press Release

Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) today called on President Obama to include the full Constellation program, including the Ares I rocket booster, in the president's upcoming announcement to revive the Orion crew capsule canceled earlier this year.

"The president took one step toward reversing his irresponsible decision to cancel NASA's program to send humans beyond low-earth orbit, but he needs to go even further and restore funding for Constellation and Ares," said Senator Bob Bennett. "The Obama administration's short-sighted vision for NASA is costly to both our national security and our state's economy."

In a press conference tomorrow, President Obama is scheduled to announce his new plan to revive the NASA crew capsule concept he recently canceled and accelerate the development of a new massive rocket.

"The president is wasting billions of taxpayer dollars to simply reinvent the wheel and develop another rocket after canceling the safe, cost-efficient and tested Ares rocket booster," added Bennett.

Bennett has been fighting to reverse the administration's decision and reinstate funding to the Constellation and Ares project, NASA's program to develop the Space Shuttle's successor and further explore the cosmos.

In March, 2010, Bennett and the Utah delegation sent a letter to the president asking him not to cut the project, a move that would kill thousands of jobs in Utah and across the U.S. and surrender the nation's lead in space exploration. Bennett has vowed to continue to fight to save the thousands of jobs in Utah threatened by Obama's decision and prevent the administration from putting America at a global disadvantage by requesting congressionally directed funds to restore the program.

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