Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 1988 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Multiyear Authorization Act of 1991

(House Rules)
(Brown (D) California and 4 others)

H.R. 1988 authorizes a total of $15.3 billion for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) programs, an increase of 10 percent over FY 1991. The Administration is particularly pleased with the Committee's authorization of the requested level of $2,029 million for the Space Station, and with its authorization of $88 million for the Space Exploration Initiative. However, the bill as amended does not authorize appropriations for several important, high priority programs, particularly the New Launch System (NLS). It also earmarks funds for unrequested and lower priority programs. This seriously affects NASA's ability to carry out many of the programs previously authorized by the Congress. Therefore, the Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 1988 unless amended to:

— Restore the $488 million needed to carry out NASA's programs for FY 1992. The NASA budget already included reforms in response to last year's congressional action. These included:

• a reduction in the cost through 1999 of Space Station Freedom from $33 billion to $27 billion;
  
  
• a reduction in the funding increase for the Earth Observing System; and
  
  
• holding the overall increase for the NASA budget to 9 percent real growth.

In that these restructuring effects have already taken effect in response to Congressional guidance, it is essential that Congress provide full funding for NASA.

— Authorize the Administration's full request of $175 million for NASA's part of the NLS, which is being developed jointly by NASA and the Department of Defense. This program is a high priority for the Nation to help ensure reliable, cost- effective space transportation. Its development was strongly recommended by the Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program.

— Authorize full funding for the Space Exploration Initiative The Administration supports an expected Walker amendment to provide $6 million for this purpose.

— Delete the withholding of funds for the Space Station pending an engineering review by the National Academy of Sciences. The objectives of the proposed review have already been met and NASA must be permitted to implement this program in full.

— Delete funding of $10 million in 1992 ($90 million through 1994) to initiate a component technology development and demonstration program directed at commercial launch vehicle competitiveness. The NLS will provide an opportunity for significant long-term benefits for the commercial launch industry; a separate new program is an unwarranted and unwise use of scarce Federal resources.

— Delete funding of $20 million for the Department of Transportation intended to "ensure the resiliency of the nation's space infrastructure." This provision is entirely inappropriate in light of the serious underfunding of high priority programs.

— Authorize the full amount of $118 million for the Commercial Programs item. The restoration of $11 million is critical to ensuring that the Commercial Experimental Transporter stays on schedule and will be able to provide flight opportunities for microgravity experiments with high potential for commercial application.

— Delete $5 million earmarked within the Earth Science and Applications item for long-lead parts for a follow-on to the Landsat 6 satellite. The Landsat program is not currently a NASA responsibility. A decision on a follow-on to Landsat 6 is at least one year away; earmarking funds now is premature and can only have adverse effects on the programs affected by it.

— Authorize the payment of $32,673,000 to the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) for the sole purpose of retiring all outstanding debt associated with the FFB loan for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It is essential that these funds be authorized so no further indebtedness is accrued.

— Delete the requirement that $25 million of Space Station funding be earmarked for development of an Assured Crew Return Vehicle. It is premature to earmark funding for such development. The preliminary definition studies have not even been completed on this project, and, therefore, no reliable estimate of total costs has been made.

— Restore $38 million in funding for the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility in order to allow mirror development activities to proceed on schedule and to preserve the 1998 planned launch date.

— Restore $75 million for the Earth Observing System so that the 1998 launch date for the E0S-A1 space platform can be maintained. Without this funding, critical data necessary for understanding the mechanisms and implications of global change cannot be collected.

— Delete section 15 which contains highly objectionable "Buy America" provisions and restrictions on contract awards.

— Delete the specific authorization for the Office of Space Commerce within the Department of Commerce. A separate authorization for this Office is unnecessary.

— Delete section 2(8) because it is inconsistent with the Administration's Commercial Launch Policy and would undermine the U.S. strategy for negotiations with foreign governments on "rules of the road" for launch vehicles.