NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe applauded a Congressional Conference
Agreement today that supported the President’s Vision for Space
Exploration. The Conference Agreement for General Science, Space and
Technology announced support for the Vision and committed to providing
sufficient funding during fiscal year 2005 to initiate it.
Administrator O’Keefe said, “I am extremely pleased by the achievement
last week of a House/Senate Conference Agreement on the FY 2005 Budget
Resolution. It provides a total of $23.9 billion in budget authority
for Function 250, General Science, Technology and Space, and the
adoption by the House of Representatives, on May 19, of the Conference
Report.
“The funding level for Function 250 will accommodate the President’s
FY 2005 budget request for NASA and funding of the Vision for Space
Exploration in forthcoming action by the Committees on Appropriations.
“House and Senate managers for the Budget Resolution recognized the
criticality of funding for NASA in the Joint Explanatory Statement of
the Committee of Conference:
‘The conferees support the President’s Vision for Space
Exploration and believe the fiscal year 2005 funding for
Function 250 should provide sufficient funding to initiate the
process. Additionally, the bulk of the requested increase for
fiscal year 2005 is for Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle
and continued assembly and operations for the International
Space Station. The conferees hope that these two must-fund
requirements will be taken into account during the consideration
of the NASA appropriation.’
“This FY 2005 Conference Agreement is the culmination of hard work in
Committee, House and Senate floor action, and, finally, weeks of
Conference effort, led by Senate Chairman Don Nickles (R-OK) and House
Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA). The Chairmen were supported, in
particular, by the efforts of Senators Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Bill
Nelson (D-Fla.)
“I look forward to the Senate taking up the Agreement following the
current Congressional work period. The Conference Agreement on the
Budget Resolution represents the critical first step in establishing
an overall budget plan to guide subsequent action by the Committees on
Appropriations, and now permits the setting of 302(b) allocations for
Appropriations Subcommittees within which FY 2005 appropriations bills
will be constructed.”
The president requested a budget increase for fiscal year 2005 that
begins the stepping stone approach to space exploration he announced
in January 14. The bulk of the increase in the coming fiscal year will
support return to flight efforts for the Space Shuttle, continued
assembly and operations of the International Space Station.
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