House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today said the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 will further the vision for space exploration shared by President Bush and DeLay, as the House of Representatives voted 385-15 to pass the legislation.
“This Congress recognizes and embraces the importance of NASA’s technological innovation and research, and this reauthorization provides for it,” DeLay said. “Ultimately, this bill does one thing: it gives the men and women of NASA – many of whom I am fortunate enough to represent – the resources they need to make their next giant leap.
“Science and space exploration will drive humanity’s search for knowledge in the coming generations, and we must recognize there are only so many things we can learn here on Earth, and give NASA the tools to explore the rest.”
DeLay also praised Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), and the Science Committee for their hard work on making many improvements to the bill. The manager’s amendment that was added to the legislation today included a provision to restore $1.26 billion in funding to exploration systems, while also crafting important language to better monitor potential cost-overruns. It also acknowledges the critical role the Shuttle has in achieving the first step of the president’s vision.
“I worked hard to make NASA funding and the president’s policies a priority of this Congress, and the Science Committee has brought forth a comprehensive bill that continues NASA’s vital work by implementing and filling in the details of the president’s bold vision for space exploration,” DeLay said. “The bill dove-tails seamlessly with President Bush’s vision by calling for a timely return to Shuttle flight, the completion of the ISS, and the development of a new Crew Exploration Vehicle.”
DeLay represents Texas’ 22nd District, which encompasses suburban Houston and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
